(Vietnam Flag)
(Vietnam Map)
All of the images below are thumbnails and can be clicked on for a larger image.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009:
On Friday morning we sailed into the harbour of Nha Trang, Vietnam and dropped anchor.
Nha Trang Bay is widely considered as amongst the world's most beautiful bays.
Weather wasn't too bad. We had a few drops of rain during the day but for the most part it was nice.
Nha Trang has about 300,000 inhabitants. Nha Trang was the site of the Miss Universe 2008 Pageant.
Nha Trang is known for its pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving and is becoming a popular destination for international tourists.
The Cham towers of Po Nagar were built between the 7th and 12th centuries.
The site was used for Hindu worship as early as the 2nd century AD.
Today, both ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists come to Po Nagar to pray and make offerings.
I took a several hour cruise on the Cai River.
We made three stops along the river and were able to see the way of life of the Vietnamese people.
Late Friday afternoon we sailed away from Nha Trang after a very interesting day.
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Hello everyone, We sailed into the harbor of Nha Trang, Vietnam this morning at 8:00. This was a tender port and they didn't seem to be very efficient with them. There were long waits to get on and off the ship. It is very hot and humid here. I'm not sure why we even stopped here. We'll be in Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow and there wasn't much to see here. But it was an interesting stop to see how the people live here. It is a very poor country. Almost nobody drives cars, you see very few of them on the road. Motorbikes are the most common mode of transportation. Below is a picture of beautiful downtown Nha Trang. A City of about 80,000 people. The tour here in Nha Trang was conducted by college students. Our guide was nice and tried hard but had a very limited knowledge of the English language. Our first stop was at the great Cham Tower which is pictured below. I know this is a sacred temple to the Vietnamese people but wasn't able to understand much more from the guide. We spent most of the rest of the day on a small boat cruising down the Cai River.  During our cruise down the river was passed a fishing village and saw fishermen on their rickety boats.  We stopped at three different villages along the way where we were fed fresh fruit and coconut milk.  Weather today was cloudy with a little very light rain. Considering a typhoon hit not too far from here less than 48 hours ago that wasn't too bad. I am still fighting that cold but haven't let it stop me. Will write more tomorrow. Tim |
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2009:
On Saturday we docked in Phu My, Vietnam at around 7:00 in the morning.
It was a couple hour drive into Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) from Phu My.
Our first stop was at a musuem in the center of the city.
The Reunification Palace was designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu as the home and workplace of the President of South
Vietnam during the Vietnam War and the site of the official handover of power during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.
Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica was established by French colonists, the cathedral was constructed between 1863 and 1880.
It has two bell towers, reaching a height of 190 feet. The cathedral is next to the main post office.
Thien Hau Pagoda was built by the Cantonese in the early 19th century.
We had a very nice lunch at a local restaurant where we were entertained during our meal.
The video then shifts to the Diamond Princess back in Phu My as we prepare to depart. |
The Rex Hotel was made famous and popular by American troops during the Vietnam War when its conference room
hosted a daily press conference, by the MACV, derisively named The Five O'Clock Follies by cynical journalists.
Its rooftop bar was a well known hangout spot for military officials and war correspondents.
Next to the Rex Hotel is City Hall and the Statue of Ho Chi Minh.
Reunification Palace, Post Office, Rex Hotel, U.S. Embassy, City Hall, Museum, water puppet show. |
During my visit to Ho Chi Minh City I was mesmerized by the traffic.
Millions of motor scooters weaving in and out of traffic.
You would see entire families riding on one small bike.
We saw one man hauling a washing machine that he had strapped to the back of his scooter.
We returned to Phu My late Saturday afternoon and then sailed away early in the evening.
I enjoyed my brief two-day visit to Vietnam very much.
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We docked in Phu My, Vietnam before sunrise this morning. By shortly after 7:00 I was off the ship and on my way to Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City as it is called today. Saigon is 50 miles from the port city of Phu My. It takes over two hours to get there on Vietnam's "unique" road system. As was the case yesterday, motorbikes are everywhere. But here add cars, trucks and buses into the mix. The most entertaining part of the day was just watching the traffic. It is something you would have to see to believe. Millions of scooters weaving in and out of traffic. When passing other vehicles there is about an eye lash's width between the two. Whole families ride on one small scooter with tiny babies perched in between. And they carry everything on these small bikes. We saw one man with a washing machine strapped to the back of the bike driving it down the road. All but the busiest intersections have no traffic lights or signs of any kind. And we were traveling on Vietnam's National Road. A bumpy decrepit road with every type of vehicle from a large modern bus to and ox cart on it. Cattle grazing on the side of the road. And every ten miles or so you had to stop and pay a toll for the privilege of traveling on this deluxe thoroughfare. I would have included a photo of the traffic, I took a lot of video of it but I didn't realize I didn't get any stills. Our first stop was the National History Museum. While there we saw a water puppet show. Next it was off to Reunification Palace which was formerly the Presidential Palace of the Republic of South Vietnam. The building is still used for state visits. See pictures below.   Next we stopped at the Notre Dame Cathedral. 9% of the Vietnamese people are Catholic. Today's shopping stop was at the Tay Son Lacquer Factory which was followed by a very nice lunch at a local hotel. During the meal we were entertained by singers, dancers and musicians.  After lunch our first stop was at Chinatown's Sea Goddess Temple.  Below is a statue of Ho Chi Minh in front of City Hall.  Below is a picture of the Rex Hotel. This is where all the journalists stayed and filed their reports during the Vietnam war.  Next it was a two hour drive back to the ship where we were once again mesmerized by the traffic. There are no McDonalds or Starbucks here. In fact the only western chain I saw was KFC. Our tour guide said they were going to get some McDonalds soon. They don't eat much meat here. Our tour guide was an interesting guy. Full of off-color jokes and had no problem with telling us very intimate details of his life.  At 6:00 this evening we sailed away. That's me below on the deck of the Diamond Princess just shortly before we sailed away. It was a very fun day. Vietnam definitely was not a place of scenic beauty. Very hot and humid. But very interesting just to observe their culture. Tomorrow is a sea day as we make our way to Singapore. Lots more to come, so stay tuned. Tim |
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2009:
On Sunday we were sailing south in the South China Sea toward Singapore.
I was one of the six people selected to take the ultimate ship's tour on Sunday.
It was a very interesting tour covering almost all areas of the ship normally offlimits the the passengers.
Our first stop on the tour was the bridge where we talked with Captain Bob Oliver.
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Howdy, Today was a sea day as we make our way to Singapore. I had a nice surprise last evening. At the beginning of the cruise you can sign up for a tour of the ship. Then they draw the names out of a hat for those that signed up. Then those select few get to take the tour. Well guess who got chosen? Yep, little ole me. There were only six of us on the tour. The tour lasted close to three hours. Our first stop was the bridge. There we were introduced to the Captain. The captain talked to us for quite a while and showed us all the instruments and how the bridge is run. The ship's wheel is actually about one third the size of your car steering wheel. Next the Staff Captain, who is second in command, took us into the rafters of the ship where we saw the ventilation system and other mechanical systems of the ship. Basically we covered almost all areas of the ship. The head of each department conducted the tour for that aspect of the ship. The chief engineer showed us the engine room. That was also very interesting. The ship burns about one million dollars of fuel every 8 or 9 days on average. He probably has the hardest job on the ship. He seems to be responsible for just about everything. Producing the electricity, making fresh water from the sea water, repairing and maintaining absolutely everything on the ship and much more. The tour continued through the galley where we saw them preparing all the food. The laundry where they do several tons of laundry each day. The print shop where they print the ship's daily newspaper. The photo lab where they print about 25,000 pictures every seven days. Back stage where they showed us how the production shows are put on. It was a very interesting tour. We were not allowed to take pictures on the tour. But the ships photographer took pictures of us in each department. On the bridge we had our picture with the Captain. We were also given some gifts. One was a very nice terry cloth robe. But it weighs a ton. My luggage is already over weight. The airline will probably charge me a fortune assuming I can even fit in my luggage. After the tour my VIP status was over and I had to return to the real world and do my laundry. Since I didn't take any pictures today, I will include some from past days that I never sent. Below is a picture from the airplane as we crossed over the mountains north of Beijing about 15 minutes before landing.  On my last trip I sent a picture of a puppy I was holding as said I was bringing him home with me. Well I met another cute little fellow on this trip and I will bring him home too.  That was a water buffalo by the way. I'm sure you're dying to see another picture of me. The one below was taken in Hong Kong. And the picture below is of the ship as we sailed away from Vietnam last night.  Will send a report from Singapore tomorrow. Tim |
Click on the arrow above to continue to my next adventure, SINGAPORE.
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