tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10534508803757410422024-03-23T02:42:08.248-07:00Magic Carpet TravelsJump on my magic carpet to join me on my next adventure....Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-17886882227790289442023-12-03T19:30:00.000-08:002023-12-04T21:13:37.731-08:00waikkal, Sri Lanka<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> Flights: Emirates via Dubai<p></p><p>Hotel, Club Dolphin, Waikkal, all inclusive</p><p><br /></p><p>We were given a beautiful bungalow within 50 paces of the main restaurant, bar and pool.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3hvqr96pSrbSivI9E3BsT1YQ85P-Ps4-ARM7Jge_vZ41cBd7Q0uA7MlQ8Hx780bu4lT3ksyOSsGlRXcSIsVXA0qiLIpgLOkgt98unFOzDwaoE7IkxDSPNFOOzbaM71b3ZIy0RyXmRRIJG16S3mv62I_OJzxZRRobDEILETDspLYB9UpU2PVzIkkaGWYE/s4624/20231121_084930.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3hvqr96pSrbSivI9E3BsT1YQ85P-Ps4-ARM7Jge_vZ41cBd7Q0uA7MlQ8Hx780bu4lT3ksyOSsGlRXcSIsVXA0qiLIpgLOkgt98unFOzDwaoE7IkxDSPNFOOzbaM71b3ZIy0RyXmRRIJG16S3mv62I_OJzxZRRobDEILETDspLYB9UpU2PVzIkkaGWYE/s320/20231121_084930.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>We were quickly moved to an identical bungalow 2 doors down after a wasps nest was found in the room.</p><p>We last visited the country in 1993. When chatting to locals we learned that tourism is not yet recovered from the impact of covid. We were told the government covid vaccination program for the general public is not continuing. The economy is fragile.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GGqjm_aL-RxtL8E4SyFjH8TKcua_6zjl_9giF1ev8EcsSYyDNrzxEFGdeex6Hfe1GYJS5GntkVp_qsArVmoxyAHdlDBor-K3LQGxjzej8ItZa7qHYOSXJB9hNNglrjdc6D8Fmig7sI8Ji-XSC_Qh7_2eSm1RQAFORUb7wUyKJhI9Ae8KprFjPPdKnh2_/s4624/20231201_150425.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GGqjm_aL-RxtL8E4SyFjH8TKcua_6zjl_9giF1ev8EcsSYyDNrzxEFGdeex6Hfe1GYJS5GntkVp_qsArVmoxyAHdlDBor-K3LQGxjzej8ItZa7qHYOSXJB9hNNglrjdc6D8Fmig7sI8Ji-XSC_Qh7_2eSm1RQAFORUb7wUyKJhI9Ae8KprFjPPdKnh2_/s320/20231201_150425.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAM8hC0AyBWGGObe33m7IGkrXzTHpG3557_mSJ6n41MUIf0ae0InWjvUOqoVsJLQaOeaPshfbbWmjNmQlHZX-BhATutac60cAunYJr4I_H5zMh0DSF_MBvarGRh80vhKWIn10vQ5uz9Cr1sWk_Bhg5D6Q6DAorXwI8ct-q1dsaFqf-N14TKaOrqZ7qY5Z/s4624/20231201_153646.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAM8hC0AyBWGGObe33m7IGkrXzTHpG3557_mSJ6n41MUIf0ae0InWjvUOqoVsJLQaOeaPshfbbWmjNmQlHZX-BhATutac60cAunYJr4I_H5zMh0DSF_MBvarGRh80vhKWIn10vQ5uz9Cr1sWk_Bhg5D6Q6DAorXwI8ct-q1dsaFqf-N14TKaOrqZ7qY5Z/s320/20231201_153646.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJZFrC1rkkq6RHgMu6nY0wUJUSdMmUfCuQYDOdtvX4sI3gNhrTiQVdb16Pu-0WXQ5CoTT6c8BcIRFrCKsXL_P6V0_Cv4KlR2fEAnWYk1lE9MCC3SSMyReHGj8FU-3Pzk60ehAQZoFAzojIZk62xU0_YOyxcvLTv9_AEVx2ezxCzgAjXa9ct_Shp9yjhU4/s4000/20231201_151506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJZFrC1rkkq6RHgMu6nY0wUJUSdMmUfCuQYDOdtvX4sI3gNhrTiQVdb16Pu-0WXQ5CoTT6c8BcIRFrCKsXL_P6V0_Cv4KlR2fEAnWYk1lE9MCC3SSMyReHGj8FU-3Pzk60ehAQZoFAzojIZk62xU0_YOyxcvLTv9_AEVx2ezxCzgAjXa9ct_Shp9yjhU4/s320/20231201_151506.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iZQWq-nuZgOpqrSert-dSrgnFZM_QthokRkA44XflBJK0yOIrCw4asbviPWhDfyKl514zQMkWFrsHMDqnUAJdpGlDCvaDEmQCfGVWvBMtD7_qntNnR7CHGWs7N_HmunEPWVev6Djc1JrUxEF21wWW3asAC8y2R-v5xVyc7zTvYc-ID-b0t1aZa4GYD3J/s2880/20231201_161922.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iZQWq-nuZgOpqrSert-dSrgnFZM_QthokRkA44XflBJK0yOIrCw4asbviPWhDfyKl514zQMkWFrsHMDqnUAJdpGlDCvaDEmQCfGVWvBMtD7_qntNnR7CHGWs7N_HmunEPWVev6Djc1JrUxEF21wWW3asAC8y2R-v5xVyc7zTvYc-ID-b0t1aZa4GYD3J/s320/20231201_161922.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Outside the hotel the villagers were friendly, there is a bun man who sells bread from his tuktuk, video below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzO9gqsyRrs5H5xYSsUlD0m2mCAvSsiAvsrN1Fcwrq5Qw4QMdpgBEeazTHlZIbqqLcYEC1xiy3uppJeiURiug' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>We stayed all inclusive and ate mainly curry for all meals although there were European choices too, this is aubergine brinjal, corn and carrot rice, poppadoms</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qHI-CS0bkVun_AJYhBSGS2KmDVI5l3FAYtjvXCjQPbISmAvdG9xvlY3LX5Bqv-gBCM-ZIspvjKhGEj3Rfb5410y_zFSz-Y1n2ZhyphenhyphenTqQq0RsP2w2iGhkEvKwMd_jafScKR1XR4dUgVeS_uicnd2JxW2NaueY1tvvFvSEeC7yKXs7Iwomj4WcgmY-2rOk9/s4624/20231123_204111.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_qHI-CS0bkVun_AJYhBSGS2KmDVI5l3FAYtjvXCjQPbISmAvdG9xvlY3LX5Bqv-gBCM-ZIspvjKhGEj3Rfb5410y_zFSz-Y1n2ZhyphenhyphenTqQq0RsP2w2iGhkEvKwMd_jafScKR1XR4dUgVeS_uicnd2JxW2NaueY1tvvFvSEeC7yKXs7Iwomj4WcgmY-2rOk9/s320/20231123_204111.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ckW6vIcPC8sWgTkETQM7rYW48yTDy4aaKR0LmLWg33brTwc0UWQibpe3J5IWjmCUU3Wfv7R7Xw6TuCbZEDeKid5oa4_uaA4vnSBIpklsxjO7ijhJsg-nu5axFi1TJqT8Dh3CFYFDSmBtTzzp4JVM3WPPyWE3p57D5dL-2JxRMMjJ55eHEpnHhFajB5Bu/s4624/20231121_073725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ckW6vIcPC8sWgTkETQM7rYW48yTDy4aaKR0LmLWg33brTwc0UWQibpe3J5IWjmCUU3Wfv7R7Xw6TuCbZEDeKid5oa4_uaA4vnSBIpklsxjO7ijhJsg-nu5axFi1TJqT8Dh3CFYFDSmBtTzzp4JVM3WPPyWE3p57D5dL-2JxRMMjJ55eHEpnHhFajB5Bu/s320/20231121_073725.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Below lentil dahl, vegetable rice, poppadoms<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatOShaO-kns7khBoyAoA2d7Cb6RgQhJ5eeklgM70wLct8Jy9wjczfP4jtnLcpTFwdvWYgt7V8C0wgQtq850vIV06n7q_FNV59PGX7rtnih8JUQB4mkbrFoOU-0ERE0XGoGvSsIydvbSZa8NfOH2CyzSSpUnvMvbVyMFSUUla1h6bpQBo25EX8qoCit4lJ/s4624/20231122_195427.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatOShaO-kns7khBoyAoA2d7Cb6RgQhJ5eeklgM70wLct8Jy9wjczfP4jtnLcpTFwdvWYgt7V8C0wgQtq850vIV06n7q_FNV59PGX7rtnih8JUQB4mkbrFoOU-0ERE0XGoGvSsIydvbSZa8NfOH2CyzSSpUnvMvbVyMFSUUla1h6bpQBo25EX8qoCit4lJ/s320/20231122_195427.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EOnlQQqMio8-I-UDVcrNufVVsLmf9Kp55yUuOm9VV3Wy0BDK_faLU7k8uNgbXoYJwBIpmicX4VV9I1xy3UtIjDK58d-OSinJNTAUWvJZiq9CcscNzd_UXYCUJ_sRD69rTbNgacqFDk-BywxUNfpj9EHWuxiJXhbW4OZEqI-IG9exrZagQDFD79EYT2QY/s4624/20231125_081542.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EOnlQQqMio8-I-UDVcrNufVVsLmf9Kp55yUuOm9VV3Wy0BDK_faLU7k8uNgbXoYJwBIpmicX4VV9I1xy3UtIjDK58d-OSinJNTAUWvJZiq9CcscNzd_UXYCUJ_sRD69rTbNgacqFDk-BywxUNfpj9EHWuxiJXhbW4OZEqI-IG9exrZagQDFD79EYT2QY/s320/20231125_081542.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Below, breakfast egg hopper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-xaic23b4bn_DLIrsTKFei4tNoVmX16XpMDNRvTs1CGuk8Ye2LOclA7GT-0nMJc2Rmba7CabkFiRJ2pskLuJ-SJq9ed3yE8kkLQLI2lTrF7T3pXsBBvvOXboOzbKZmD9HL-LtYHJr_T7H7hzKb6_Pck-7XHLlAhzntgUniGH6Iasq1wdvNe176ePTsYO/s4624/20231125_083233.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-xaic23b4bn_DLIrsTKFei4tNoVmX16XpMDNRvTs1CGuk8Ye2LOclA7GT-0nMJc2Rmba7CabkFiRJ2pskLuJ-SJq9ed3yE8kkLQLI2lTrF7T3pXsBBvvOXboOzbKZmD9HL-LtYHJr_T7H7hzKb6_Pck-7XHLlAhzntgUniGH6Iasq1wdvNe176ePTsYO/s320/20231125_083233.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our bed was given daily towel animals or flowers and special birthday one for hubby! and the flower displays around the hotel changed daily too.</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pj8L9s_HNYJnxGD3CkKfZ9F-YRrsF2s1CzrNz-4VqMYH86ACsV4RyPHmose2QI7lVLBEjqAmSheJyWeizVMUN3WM9Zdvu_mDF5OzN57Y7n8h371wOK0divqDNP-xVQ3WJ-Jz5EKv61LqVC6JOMgeKLJeonOvqbhXFUIfcTUA8wPaO_M5iE4AhTCZUKRd/s4624/20231125_121511.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Pj8L9s_HNYJnxGD3CkKfZ9F-YRrsF2s1CzrNz-4VqMYH86ACsV4RyPHmose2QI7lVLBEjqAmSheJyWeizVMUN3WM9Zdvu_mDF5OzN57Y7n8h371wOK0divqDNP-xVQ3WJ-Jz5EKv61LqVC6JOMgeKLJeonOvqbhXFUIfcTUA8wPaO_M5iE4AhTCZUKRd/s320/20231125_121511.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Lassi and salad lunch<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpbOL_Cx4UKGyIjaMRFCcOMrAeU-OQj5ntSNQtFoePksGvGx2dxn6GT0mBQq9e8LcjVgbWORSVG5VXpFBhL2rcQcQCaLRhYMXIU188x3SrgMaP8aIgRse2Rjl9lePSSd5Z1mzN7lNUTziJEpzu6Bsuvpgkxf34dvS-tGWiPq7h6a8H3BTZY9DgE4qdGc6/s4624/20231125_131009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpbOL_Cx4UKGyIjaMRFCcOMrAeU-OQj5ntSNQtFoePksGvGx2dxn6GT0mBQq9e8LcjVgbWORSVG5VXpFBhL2rcQcQCaLRhYMXIU188x3SrgMaP8aIgRse2Rjl9lePSSd5Z1mzN7lNUTziJEpzu6Bsuvpgkxf34dvS-tGWiPq7h6a8H3BTZY9DgE4qdGc6/s320/20231125_131009.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_h6X6tOlW9lI-UjjXgyRsrWootPC8r95oZs2Q2Cri23TGMPtJKx1QEuMl9rqpUkC0Yvs1Ra-ES0jn5ce5k05G6k11dts-JktivIDC9O7bQqdaBtgAMkM-2oUwkJV9zFszlSQVGAcE4wKMnXaKEmH3OqnsXz6WieYFbdYXt1oRP2n7-YDlqygNEs_evPEV/s4624/20231125_144827.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_h6X6tOlW9lI-UjjXgyRsrWootPC8r95oZs2Q2Cri23TGMPtJKx1QEuMl9rqpUkC0Yvs1Ra-ES0jn5ce5k05G6k11dts-JktivIDC9O7bQqdaBtgAMkM-2oUwkJV9zFszlSQVGAcE4wKMnXaKEmH3OqnsXz6WieYFbdYXt1oRP2n7-YDlqygNEs_evPEV/s320/20231125_144827.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R3PXkaQGYbd6pFBtwWviuK7o47YE9tEM6alop2I9aPdgAsvtJEkVpu92P4-2VDshwkRh7QESOYYFpT99j6Im1vOMvOkJW52Ry72PGalyKup7Nc5FrEKjPpteIswC0Vw23d2T5u3pkWjMDqwmlPibRhDUCq0NhLuUXM_oxA-PXrPyDQRiEZz8NaoxXaUN/s4624/20231125_144857.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R3PXkaQGYbd6pFBtwWviuK7o47YE9tEM6alop2I9aPdgAsvtJEkVpu92P4-2VDshwkRh7QESOYYFpT99j6Im1vOMvOkJW52Ry72PGalyKup7Nc5FrEKjPpteIswC0Vw23d2T5u3pkWjMDqwmlPibRhDUCq0NhLuUXM_oxA-PXrPyDQRiEZz8NaoxXaUN/s320/20231125_144857.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The hotel hosted a classic car club annual event so we got to see some beautiful cars, my favourites were the morris minors, in the 70s they were top sellers in Sri Lanka, some Russian holidaymakers I befriended admired the fabulous green vw campervan in broken English (and also fed and shared their sun bed with one of many stray dogs). </div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL39-QJARb6cSsE_KN_qCyV0Kf5uwbTh4GJ82e1Jb79OIUFTdUxhoTlM-yHmW1IM8s7Jk2YWIIFNjdCAiYyWtcYMjdqt3uGtJ90WZvPtDfMZg-0qQpxWYEWCioz2u9x4KnmNWcNYM01F-9eGNi2YmyowcLxg8Az3oQ6YW3g7Bl6n0GwHkx7OluBydGy4i/s2880/20231126_104556.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpL39-QJARb6cSsE_KN_qCyV0Kf5uwbTh4GJ82e1Jb79OIUFTdUxhoTlM-yHmW1IM8s7Jk2YWIIFNjdCAiYyWtcYMjdqt3uGtJ90WZvPtDfMZg-0qQpxWYEWCioz2u9x4KnmNWcNYM01F-9eGNi2YmyowcLxg8Az3oQ6YW3g7Bl6n0GwHkx7OluBydGy4i/s320/20231126_104556.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Aubergine curry, steamed veg, spicy rice<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvaSjUd6rJIZ77UmHLXs9MTLBzreFwxQjFxnimdtm_apKwq_ya0H2LXaMtI7oGiKLCosSFSI3PVu0TX16N5fmGRAF5sQq4cTG7AeeC2KD-39wv5DFrZ2t2-Vj7VjURruSZojQ9nk96h4QFW7iROOXOmVQEuZUMYJJAlu5YPV48gcjmZMW2oXQafJceHhW/s3840/IMG-20231120-WA0005.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvaSjUd6rJIZ77UmHLXs9MTLBzreFwxQjFxnimdtm_apKwq_ya0H2LXaMtI7oGiKLCosSFSI3PVu0TX16N5fmGRAF5sQq4cTG7AeeC2KD-39wv5DFrZ2t2-Vj7VjURruSZojQ9nk96h4QFW7iROOXOmVQEuZUMYJJAlu5YPV48gcjmZMW2oXQafJceHhW/s320/IMG-20231120-WA0005.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>The hotel grounds were beautiful with tropical flowers and coconut trees right to the beach, the sea had strong currents with no swimming/red flag which is not unusual at this time of year. 2 holidaymakers who ignored the red flag had to be pulled in on ropes as the current took them too far out.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim757xoOoAsWTP5MwNBy8D7IVPk_XFUljaf3qzkWIMUkj264zn976omEMR8UNf2g8BOP_dnPbNRCu2XJgOMJsbvOphyFCBOZZDZjq6Qg8XgwoVOk1jMuaM81-tG137ckxEPpU2a65hI_CfLAVQlr8ywHoP_b8R2_IbIrloQ0BHn9aVALDq_hgUZsH3345m/s4624/20231130_093810.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim757xoOoAsWTP5MwNBy8D7IVPk_XFUljaf3qzkWIMUkj264zn976omEMR8UNf2g8BOP_dnPbNRCu2XJgOMJsbvOphyFCBOZZDZjq6Qg8XgwoVOk1jMuaM81-tG137ckxEPpU2a65hI_CfLAVQlr8ywHoP_b8R2_IbIrloQ0BHn9aVALDq_hgUZsH3345m/s320/20231130_093810.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There were giant bees with cartoon eyes </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglHDZWlxsd_iBJwKlORg4rCxJSmhzkTB-wE5bVSNIolpxZD55RuGb8YJ2lPJn9ghWZ7WAvTf52yAsJ2Q_Y3MTTFSkAeG0Fxr9fJj-8jQKhtBmEPH298q8aE0LlaXpqRZjiZZc0_86riV1mjKOGqurTo-xZasZ9vKl1GUkyzA3OUP9G6kE_4Tz3WZNupsw/s4624/20231130_093917.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglHDZWlxsd_iBJwKlORg4rCxJSmhzkTB-wE5bVSNIolpxZD55RuGb8YJ2lPJn9ghWZ7WAvTf52yAsJ2Q_Y3MTTFSkAeG0Fxr9fJj-8jQKhtBmEPH298q8aE0LlaXpqRZjiZZc0_86riV1mjKOGqurTo-xZasZ9vKl1GUkyzA3OUP9G6kE_4Tz3WZNupsw/w300-h400/20231130_093917.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div>We had some rain but plenty of sunbathing, and spectacular sunsets.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVMpD4A6RVkiwLVsNTzSUfUaiDfevLcyTfcr0AZm2FAm3gex-ctQUkB9mQ5ox4NtNCjoZ1Ju23fFM4_KVGovCeCnJv3mL0H2DjZBhmZ7T0vP3p5jRAvirRu0x6Gf8MhgMTqBb1Zk3VOp-TuixB0w8ECNCGqRL6iypVMqBch1fPAZMuBreiwGWLZkrv0tF/s4624/20231130_180330.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVMpD4A6RVkiwLVsNTzSUfUaiDfevLcyTfcr0AZm2FAm3gex-ctQUkB9mQ5ox4NtNCjoZ1Ju23fFM4_KVGovCeCnJv3mL0H2DjZBhmZ7T0vP3p5jRAvirRu0x6Gf8MhgMTqBb1Zk3VOp-TuixB0w8ECNCGqRL6iypVMqBch1fPAZMuBreiwGWLZkrv0tF/w400-h300/20231130_180330.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACOuPDSz081oEZLNRBD5Tt19-fgQ5EmOww6vG7q4KGi05oZ7zPNpBuxQSPN0NeeRRykS7YEpkGCHksNAU3Ik5HM8LgWdCU7aKnTpd70IrZc2x8CyOaQAJ7eVrfUhKGxRHRZwo59rOoisntnwEifwqEzPi7WSocFa-UbO_BfQcJY-GiNbB6oKn52qIIpb0/s4624/20231130_093407.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACOuPDSz081oEZLNRBD5Tt19-fgQ5EmOww6vG7q4KGi05oZ7zPNpBuxQSPN0NeeRRykS7YEpkGCHksNAU3Ik5HM8LgWdCU7aKnTpd70IrZc2x8CyOaQAJ7eVrfUhKGxRHRZwo59rOoisntnwEifwqEzPi7WSocFa-UbO_BfQcJY-GiNbB6oKn52qIIpb0/w400-h300/20231130_093407.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>My kaftan was a last minute sale purchase from Monsoon UK. Orange is my favourite colour.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-CnKqOZdWHPk0sd_nDBeLr0thLUJ_CWNGgltE6LlKYrmusG1vt8y8FeSp66DaD58oHw-nL6C1kRa26AsBLrwU2IlD97DpLHpZoBUar8_8r7m0eTByplrDjCqsEkp8rsYPHy0aGnNgS6PCco1pBVI5KYQqI56I5HkiBYMb7G5P6ZcnKgmNeP8S9pOlYor/s2048/IMG-20231130-WA0009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-CnKqOZdWHPk0sd_nDBeLr0thLUJ_CWNGgltE6LlKYrmusG1vt8y8FeSp66DaD58oHw-nL6C1kRa26AsBLrwU2IlD97DpLHpZoBUar8_8r7m0eTByplrDjCqsEkp8rsYPHy0aGnNgS6PCco1pBVI5KYQqI56I5HkiBYMb7G5P6ZcnKgmNeP8S9pOlYor/w300-h400/IMG-20231130-WA0009.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5LI6lIKrIrZOjbzdtLNiVWQOnDqKNwzHaMbDCvFWI_BXNHwnBptWHIuQ2bhR4I8ukX1Em90icV4-zlPp5R-7cTUzNX2TAIvOhLUAwIau-nYGIKuI62d3ne7mp5IUKiREjQ3jzF7Ir0kNciaP0-QUEfFTPrx4agnW3CtcnewlWGct_3I84Iy7UhuAUHut/s4624/20231129_220202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQcCMTR9O3DJaLMIHvIa9gjOyQM-Lqq0TXOvI4rxTu3smkdxvoL_xYkZA9SxOynMopRCPOW-thAEcWqtCyweeAQ1tt6EqifWf3qqCkhyphenhyphenGWLHmTSaPS7SnHguo9ra3yV0AVKrIbx98LDnM3BoKjID9FJiyw7PMLdLDhwlxD9VLCo7e6roVMcEalOS24eej/s2880/20231127_141246.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQcCMTR9O3DJaLMIHvIa9gjOyQM-Lqq0TXOvI4rxTu3smkdxvoL_xYkZA9SxOynMopRCPOW-thAEcWqtCyweeAQ1tt6EqifWf3qqCkhyphenhyphenGWLHmTSaPS7SnHguo9ra3yV0AVKrIbx98LDnM3BoKjID9FJiyw7PMLdLDhwlxD9VLCo7e6roVMcEalOS24eej/s320/20231127_141246.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3wnCxjZULIlrncEqzh7wmM0kTBGh5z_RXDIrIV9QHeAifPPexF9sST4-CsJJtXHRmqGApeepLr1JyrcO7EaMWREuB3M9vygNnG-fYyQ2bIGGdBnk7kdiXi60w0pO-onVRzu3ok6rOMVQPzRq84zrruIIm9smAtUIZXbq-SX2rXXlllRvL3WcTepZoPUa/s2880/20231127_140528.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3wnCxjZULIlrncEqzh7wmM0kTBGh5z_RXDIrIV9QHeAifPPexF9sST4-CsJJtXHRmqGApeepLr1JyrcO7EaMWREuB3M9vygNnG-fYyQ2bIGGdBnk7kdiXi60w0pO-onVRzu3ok6rOMVQPzRq84zrruIIm9smAtUIZXbq-SX2rXXlllRvL3WcTepZoPUa/s320/20231127_140528.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Below are pics around and about Ngombo, which had a large fish market.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuB165M1CAa06LH95CdNV_OMXQi-b32F3nPDuY9c5NYGZFVWcBnWnQW_NwSodO9b_YY4F-4GPerEhFUOt6pbnhp4xobjUpsiSPM3UvxoWUbuazX_Spn8-wS8qFhOmOFDESORK-tf1-8VJFhm3R-5IXNuTUPJ6QoDqrn-EJrNRve3WR9KjxTDbsKC-keS2/s2880/20231127_140306.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmuB165M1CAa06LH95CdNV_OMXQi-b32F3nPDuY9c5NYGZFVWcBnWnQW_NwSodO9b_YY4F-4GPerEhFUOt6pbnhp4xobjUpsiSPM3UvxoWUbuazX_Spn8-wS8qFhOmOFDESORK-tf1-8VJFhm3R-5IXNuTUPJ6QoDqrn-EJrNRve3WR9KjxTDbsKC-keS2/s320/20231127_140306.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvnMg4ljKDEc-4TUjQYw05zptK2tkxWDnc-L3dWkrJRr_RFv0l-3JUOUMPVhfUsbwqMBxG_E2YK0qVZHowTHDFTZdB_kpwHzrMqnoOzq70E07k5mliC15NK9uuRayDbqJfcrxujSNOGcFlpWs48ooMmtkhRjUWHDzGLPneNUPM6Zhh5WaFF5gk1Uee_1a/s2880/20231127_140103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvnMg4ljKDEc-4TUjQYw05zptK2tkxWDnc-L3dWkrJRr_RFv0l-3JUOUMPVhfUsbwqMBxG_E2YK0qVZHowTHDFTZdB_kpwHzrMqnoOzq70E07k5mliC15NK9uuRayDbqJfcrxujSNOGcFlpWs48ooMmtkhRjUWHDzGLPneNUPM6Zhh5WaFF5gk1Uee_1a/s320/20231127_140103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XHWiq9a81rCLy9Sw9J8c66JFzy162Q6nao14bGeQDEKSXtUW1stgXxexOulRYaq45-099jctUikeTdeRZ9GuAnzGgbF0tsWB2diY_m9Dp4QlmLc4xQ8VYl0Kcz4Aj2qKGFjoZV9PxHsoIMfvxSSqGb_fldVo68dv4nSnSxZbhtShVDX3lfGS7zE7vunP/s2880/20231127_131026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XHWiq9a81rCLy9Sw9J8c66JFzy162Q6nao14bGeQDEKSXtUW1stgXxexOulRYaq45-099jctUikeTdeRZ9GuAnzGgbF0tsWB2diY_m9Dp4QlmLc4xQ8VYl0Kcz4Aj2qKGFjoZV9PxHsoIMfvxSSqGb_fldVo68dv4nSnSxZbhtShVDX3lfGS7zE7vunP/s320/20231127_131026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>We visited the Ngombo fish market, by tuk tuk and then train. We returned on the river in a small boat.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDO5JKfaTr_I3EOuAe8wJiR36DXqK0bG5Bk9qIVtS1387CeFxSJPmaJpIJ8V21U2nI3BDVLuv4Uszx4U1FPE6VI7uUmFNyOO4TR87asgHuHYvC1KNals9jVtjyqChDw52s7TtkmPn0BgKncnKCx6j4SfxLptngaIQX4M-7kHMouNuVKwfZ6N-LyLITAN2J/s2880/20231130_130138.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDO5JKfaTr_I3EOuAe8wJiR36DXqK0bG5Bk9qIVtS1387CeFxSJPmaJpIJ8V21U2nI3BDVLuv4Uszx4U1FPE6VI7uUmFNyOO4TR87asgHuHYvC1KNals9jVtjyqChDw52s7TtkmPn0BgKncnKCx6j4SfxLptngaIQX4M-7kHMouNuVKwfZ6N-LyLITAN2J/s320/20231130_130138.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWXBbap3FpxbicHD3O7jf3uyFfbnrkjjK431dGwCS85axtz0fL9LlFluIXaTdm1tJ5N5QxbSxgh4lzfjNrefJebsBho6aZCWj-Lw9FQNZ0eQqU3fSzWd6XEIoKM_VuQBNiRl9Khkt8hSXQGSTcv4-qyl0W279cwif0KrsCIZw9v8dYtCg8VGg28iYveUD/s2880/20231130_130044.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWXBbap3FpxbicHD3O7jf3uyFfbnrkjjK431dGwCS85axtz0fL9LlFluIXaTdm1tJ5N5QxbSxgh4lzfjNrefJebsBho6aZCWj-Lw9FQNZ0eQqU3fSzWd6XEIoKM_VuQBNiRl9Khkt8hSXQGSTcv4-qyl0W279cwif0KrsCIZw9v8dYtCg8VGg28iYveUD/s320/20231130_130044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pti1G4WZbK16oCpRmmjyMmSse8z7u4NFvSjcEaajiv55ALm52pN7-xCbPb7O-rMgSzy55XxWJX-K_C3cgBDPnC78kERSI7C4N6uCK5cQh2WzlGA3aM7bFrmV84rhnfhqtR3yQN_WfqgaGuJOM7LwsBAAAhwtp3oCJGd_c2TpWQMd8TTCuW7dE_SLrKxz/s2880/20231130_125943.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pti1G4WZbK16oCpRmmjyMmSse8z7u4NFvSjcEaajiv55ALm52pN7-xCbPb7O-rMgSzy55XxWJX-K_C3cgBDPnC78kERSI7C4N6uCK5cQh2WzlGA3aM7bFrmV84rhnfhqtR3yQN_WfqgaGuJOM7LwsBAAAhwtp3oCJGd_c2TpWQMd8TTCuW7dE_SLrKxz/s320/20231130_125943.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgs8xvSlvEEG4ZuTBaeRooaYd-taJOi0B8c60yReJSqUoDmIfwylzELji_SqibqTIk8I3Hx_p6RInHDEe6ovr1fBxuxsJKyk1wNBefypToGbAu-StnnNnIOy7QS-Nel_s011V-0YOi5Kq4QLs3AxiIqtMGSifTck1VDrR8hgTUjIB7uCBN_OLq_07RrSH1/s2880/20231130_125848.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgs8xvSlvEEG4ZuTBaeRooaYd-taJOi0B8c60yReJSqUoDmIfwylzELji_SqibqTIk8I3Hx_p6RInHDEe6ovr1fBxuxsJKyk1wNBefypToGbAu-StnnNnIOy7QS-Nel_s011V-0YOi5Kq4QLs3AxiIqtMGSifTck1VDrR8hgTUjIB7uCBN_OLq_07RrSH1/s320/20231130_125848.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Evenings in the hotel are relaxing and quiet... </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHrpdLqkD7Uix1rAmxclkb_JHVZbFuXNIewow0xCixhuyl9fLfxO3LNFbccMcxvQRG5F7lcjy3hy2wihiDZMwK78na_dmJeiK_OxpaZY7EmOx3ay_ji0PJoAJDsegGXVyQR1T2Uvbkt3vOXb2Z6BQVtkjoxPZdgKEyaDBubbYuWhKOGZNd-svERgnCSNh/s2048/IMG-20231130-WA0007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHrpdLqkD7Uix1rAmxclkb_JHVZbFuXNIewow0xCixhuyl9fLfxO3LNFbccMcxvQRG5F7lcjy3hy2wihiDZMwK78na_dmJeiK_OxpaZY7EmOx3ay_ji0PJoAJDsegGXVyQR1T2Uvbkt3vOXb2Z6BQVtkjoxPZdgKEyaDBubbYuWhKOGZNd-svERgnCSNh/w300-h400/IMG-20231130-WA0007.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>Above : My shawl was bought on a previous trip to Darjeeling night market, wrap skirt is from Naked Generation and top from Anokhi Delhi 2019.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CmB04iMjTY9vc8oiK_X3uu9Db3hRr00XWRbbIZtV8fL1fO-si8Yz2RhIzwvNd86nizdPJaE0BilUUqWWw-_K897iJ1EieLxH1J0zLwv2dO1O5XHcVkDdtDDvUhQKa_7fAqk1caRkfAiAa2611RP6Rs3fWEr6Fw6ChyoXEgU_K4bvRNaNfEwkH7Rxnq_k/s2048/IMG-20231130-WA0008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CmB04iMjTY9vc8oiK_X3uu9Db3hRr00XWRbbIZtV8fL1fO-si8Yz2RhIzwvNd86nizdPJaE0BilUUqWWw-_K897iJ1EieLxH1J0zLwv2dO1O5XHcVkDdtDDvUhQKa_7fAqk1caRkfAiAa2611RP6Rs3fWEr6Fw6ChyoXEgU_K4bvRNaNfEwkH7Rxnq_k/s320/IMG-20231130-WA0008.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FLTMjaS6eXSxnnXHzQuqtkGlUAcU5DppLEGFVugAkbH_zvd-tXKN8n-tbmkgFzDBu2BJ9Yh6Er03WACbb03_E8kync6jDzNDiB-T0kDjdpLueZH-wleZKStsUktKKNJYHvWI1goW0jljV_FcJPF_2C2NgbTa7vl5dbJSx3q11-jq1qiU7UrR-D4enLL1/s2048/IMG-20231128-WA0000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FLTMjaS6eXSxnnXHzQuqtkGlUAcU5DppLEGFVugAkbH_zvd-tXKN8n-tbmkgFzDBu2BJ9Yh6Er03WACbb03_E8kync6jDzNDiB-T0kDjdpLueZH-wleZKStsUktKKNJYHvWI1goW0jljV_FcJPF_2C2NgbTa7vl5dbJSx3q11-jq1qiU7UrR-D4enLL1/s320/IMG-20231128-WA0000.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There were stray dogs around the grounds. one slept on our doorstep every night and followed me everywhere sleeping under my sunbed during the day, i fed him but there are plenty more and they need vaccines and care. We suggested the hotel have a donations box do tourists can contribute for their care.</div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzB501SYGSupU6ZioB3lbAxBL9XRAQTeHTvkgddk8dJwbb5pLWrsYUqI2dPGhWG_rrWKPJz0NyiHEnGWiKWohLVsNZmf8F3YD1KBOT1QsjeX3JFm3fB46-aFdpNalYtHeqQkYNSIMpgRQDL3xumMvBJGQdFRecqGzCrhwLHGVcWuqNWDMv5oGCbxIdwgp/s3840/IMG-20231120-WA0000.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzB501SYGSupU6ZioB3lbAxBL9XRAQTeHTvkgddk8dJwbb5pLWrsYUqI2dPGhWG_rrWKPJz0NyiHEnGWiKWohLVsNZmf8F3YD1KBOT1QsjeX3JFm3fB46-aFdpNalYtHeqQkYNSIMpgRQDL3xumMvBJGQdFRecqGzCrhwLHGVcWuqNWDMv5oGCbxIdwgp/s320/IMG-20231120-WA0000.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Christmas decorations went up in the hotel on 1st December</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfMgBKmmx30Up76l-ZDG8j20zLV233YomDZ2LaDU-WLjVvjkc5nJQKn7KfaKImNaIJT_xrUEbmYS1OAIs9Ica-7AcSK6s8Q-AYw3WBYgIQA0FQvTiKF5bBzo1swIyOTvj2GrKC919EV-3xESWplgoAXG8TxxWdm9vazw0ETqnTTDgqctr2id1UOp_6sGo/s4624/20231202_134251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfMgBKmmx30Up76l-ZDG8j20zLV233YomDZ2LaDU-WLjVvjkc5nJQKn7KfaKImNaIJT_xrUEbmYS1OAIs9Ica-7AcSK6s8Q-AYw3WBYgIQA0FQvTiKF5bBzo1swIyOTvj2GrKC919EV-3xESWplgoAXG8TxxWdm9vazw0ETqnTTDgqctr2id1UOp_6sGo/s320/20231202_134251.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p>It was a lovely holiday for total relaxation but now it's back to reality!</p></div></div>Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-75296536636754259702020-01-19T11:40:00.004-08:002021-11-25T22:38:07.708-08:00Dubai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Update: apologies, I don't often check this blog as since Covid arrived, travel has been on hold of course - so was surprised to find so many nice comments - thank you so much for leaving comments :)</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On the way home from India, we stopped in Dubai for two nights, staying at the Sheraton on The Creek. we had a good view of boats on the river and the City beyond.<br />
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Buying perfume oil in the Mall, on the recommendation of local ladies who were keen to give suggestion. I chose something floral.<br />
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In the shopping Mall, there is an aquarium, you can see lots from the outside, we didn't have time to go inside - we should have planned better! Wearing my comfy Anokhi loose trousers purchased in Delhi.<br />
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Water feature in the Mall, this has synchronised water jet display at certain times of the day, the water makes lovely fountain patterns in time with opera music, it's beautiful and attracts a huge crowd.<br />
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Birds, display in the Dubai Mall shopping centre.</div>
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Lunch (vegetarian curry with bread and rice) at the Dubai Mall shopping Centre fast food floor.<br />
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There are lots of displays around The Mall like this lovely camel,it's really luxuriously designed.<br />
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We went to the gold souk at night, it's a large area of streets and alleys fully of gold jewellery shops like this one. If you go on to browse some of them will offer mint tea. There is no pressure to buy, and it's the best place to buy as the gold is sold by weight, there is room for a little discount if you bargain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UnFjPGGF_y3g9NZWgu7AmlwrmvItdwtIN0JX1dymQmkMWVA8tHmiGxh8pCse1KHcNaxcRTsknzuGD9VOlf9wke9lXu-lvdLEnS6rQ9dbWwXoYoi68RqfiogxD6MDycHrS2ZmS5P6X88N/s1600/IMG_3060.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UnFjPGGF_y3g9NZWgu7AmlwrmvItdwtIN0JX1dymQmkMWVA8tHmiGxh8pCse1KHcNaxcRTsknzuGD9VOlf9wke9lXu-lvdLEnS6rQ9dbWwXoYoi68RqfiogxD6MDycHrS2ZmS5P6X88N/s320/IMG_3060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We used the Dubai metro to get around, it's very modern, efficient and easy to use.<br />
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We ate at a café close to our hotel in the evening, this was falafel in a bread roll with salad.<br />
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This was a nice break on the long journey home, the hotel had a small pool with sun deck so we spent time either exploring the shopping or resting around the pool until it was time to go home.<br />
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-86839782364747172062020-01-06T01:47:00.002-08:002023-12-08T21:33:53.243-08:00Agra, Jaipur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We used tuk-tuks frequently during our travels, they were the most affordable means of transport although not many are as glamorous as this one, being used for a wedding. The fumes/dust are unpleasant and they don't feel very safe, although the drivers are expert - it can be hair raising when traffic comes at you on the wrong side of the road (frequent occurrence) or cows walk in front of you! On some roads the traffic was so thick and somewhat unsafe we were unable to cross on foot, when we did we learned to keep moving and traffic somehow drives around you. If you stop, you will interrupt the flow over everyone!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVU6VWyn0_R1CmFvVomRxKjcM27C4mvhu39XKGE7peXOrUrSxVtij8mJ_-bSA7cE5E_szL755JiD1PT_uUslKijKPvLur-SI0GtnTP_M9xKYqq2YWIJS9JLJWQ29tnUfxBbG9rmxOc5RQD/s1600/IMG_0420.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVU6VWyn0_R1CmFvVomRxKjcM27C4mvhu39XKGE7peXOrUrSxVtij8mJ_-bSA7cE5E_szL755JiD1PT_uUslKijKPvLur-SI0GtnTP_M9xKYqq2YWIJS9JLJWQ29tnUfxBbG9rmxOc5RQD/s400/IMG_0420.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The main event on our travels in India was to see the Taj Mahal.</span></div>
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This beautiful building/masoleum was built by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan to hold the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who was his favourite and mother of 14 children. His tomb is also there.</div>
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We learned that the real tomb where the Shah and his wife have been laid to rest is actually in a crypt below the ground floor level and not accessible; what we see as tourists is actually a replica tomb. </div>
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We needed a guide as there is so much detail and beauty here to appreciate, every surface is inlaid and decorated (inside and out) with semi precious stones). We learned that the inscriptions above were carved larger at the top than at the bottom so that it would appear the same size right to the top when viewed from ground level.</div>
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We visited the Pink City, Jaipur. The city was painted pink in honour of a visit from Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, it is the colour of hospitality. There were a lot of stalls along the roadsides selling printing blocks, this region is known for its beautiful hand block printed cotton (as in the skirt I was wearing at the Taj Mahal!).</div>
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Below is the spectactular Palace of the Wind</div>
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The buildings are made of the most beautiful red sandstone. It makes a huge impact as you enter the city and, of course, the Hawa Mahal, Palace of the Winds (above) is astounding. I think it's the most amazingly clever building I have ever seen. It was designed so that the ladies of the palace could observe everyday life from the secrecy of the many intricate windows, without fear of being seen themselves. The design also ensured the building was very cool and comfortable.</div>
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The ladies could also look into a courtyard garden and markets were held there so they could buy trinkets and fabrics from hawkers without being seen.</div>
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Below is the Amber Fort, the mother of pearl and mirror work inlaid to the walls of this beautiful building is another sight that is somewhat overwhelming, it is just beautiful beyond words.</div>
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Wearing Anokhi block printed wrap top and patchwork skirt (both preloved EBay) quite a</div>
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few of the clothes I found on eBay and charity shopping and squirreled away for this trip, were actually made in India! We had a 15kg luggage allowance so everything in my case got a lot use!</div>
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Tourists are discouraged from the riding the elephants here, a practice the Government is</div>
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now trying to phase out. These elephants are well cared for but we chose not to ride them.</div>
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Jaipur is becoming a dry state, we found it difficult to buy alcohol. Not everyone would mind, but we looked forward to a cold beer or a rum and coke at the end of the day. Some backpacker hostels will get it for you from the Government run shops if you ask the day before, and a few 3 star motels have beer. The main hotels will sell alcohol at very high prices. Staff in our hotel were willing to go to the Government shop for us (there's usually limited opening hours and long queues of Indian men!) but luckily we had bought rum at Delhi airport and hung on to it so didn't miss out. We also found a hostel that had chilled beer and gave us free freshly cooked poppadoms, which they ran across the road to get for us! We always negotiated what we were paying for our beers throughout our trip, before sitting down, and always paid for the first one up front to ensure no misunderstanding, you can usually negotiate well down to half the hotel prices if you bargain, the place is not busy and they want you to stay. A friendly conversation, rather than a hard haggle.</div>
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The rest of my pictures are randomly taken around our travels through India, where many modes of transport were seen - we didn't try them all!</div>
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camels seen coming in to Jaipur</div>
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elderly couple, Delhi</div>
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Rickshaw drivers, Delhi</div>
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and random things of interest, especially food!</div>
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snake charmer, Jaipur</div>
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I got very close to this charmer but later a guide told me he had once seen a snake leap from the basket, I will be more careful next time!</div>
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I am making a short video which I will post a link to soon.</div>
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-88820635918982356892020-01-06T01:46:00.000-08:002020-01-06T01:46:01.002-08:00Kerela, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We stayed at Marari Beach Hotel, Kerala. Having
spent weeks touring Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Varanasi we were glad to
slow down the pace and enjoy the relaxation of this beautiful eco hotel
owned by the CGH Earth Group.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xBGDQA6VJsEVuEI7ZHZQZa6-mL9bfXy7NBQQEDqeU-6BWejndkgbl_c4yfcZXBiP9K2276asgFtTwPGooh5dkaP0Ti8fHa1mKodvUO0iUq-aLyLeK97OyBhyA46UPmunWsAvBrw17eXH/s1600/243212E7-294F-42C2-A567-9F5FCFC8E125.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xBGDQA6VJsEVuEI7ZHZQZa6-mL9bfXy7NBQQEDqeU-6BWejndkgbl_c4yfcZXBiP9K2276asgFtTwPGooh5dkaP0Ti8fHa1mKodvUO0iUq-aLyLeK97OyBhyA46UPmunWsAvBrw17eXH/s320/243212E7-294F-42C2-A567-9F5FCFC8E125.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GkG9mFTPaBIgWrzuHN5NcvvdrNup2TnGmV_JaU4lIov4KEm_KoKiihCXWgEPcAUlxfkYOTTT_Lr0HlD3yQxb6HvD2sa-wjSYUhmDpucl6XsDeYwd3IE_6uWXnEXjD6A0hQGjsR9pKN7a/s1600/IMG_2215.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GkG9mFTPaBIgWrzuHN5NcvvdrNup2TnGmV_JaU4lIov4KEm_KoKiihCXWgEPcAUlxfkYOTTT_Lr0HlD3yQxb6HvD2sa-wjSYUhmDpucl6XsDeYwd3IE_6uWXnEXjD6A0hQGjsR9pKN7a/s320/IMG_2215.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">we ate vegetarian curry for breakfast/dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Kerala is populated
by the Malayali people, with roots of Sri Lankan descent and their own
Tamil/Sanskrit based language, Malayalam. When we arrived in Kerala
the first thing we noticed was the difference in the writing on
billboards compared to other parts of India we visited. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fPiHPhEBZSOkYIbC0_jNQdNbzf-Z6FehYbQ-z14H16K6h1cnP193nUyo-S-VRp5E5j1qK6WCXJRTRysqi_fckCN_x0fcxrgOw4sJ1eaOk3jHQ_vxnp1AgJvjkYT8jSHr5lSISKsKy3vR/s1600/IMG_2702.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fPiHPhEBZSOkYIbC0_jNQdNbzf-Z6FehYbQ-z14H16K6h1cnP193nUyo-S-VRp5E5j1qK6WCXJRTRysqi_fckCN_x0fcxrgOw4sJ1eaOk3jHQ_vxnp1AgJvjkYT8jSHr5lSISKsKy3vR/s640/IMG_2702.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Marari Beach Hotel </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The hotel grounds had a butterfly garden (with black and white
butterflies the size of sparrows), many birds, wandering cows, coconut
palms and many dragonflies. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RJ7nY2OXd_C1YFmF4ZR74g6-jeSPkrelxwKwusltekOkWnJ_ROX5U0Mf1LxL7qjqP-qEfKHaLG4PDD31OOl9H-wbY7w9OP1R1laRx14vkjg8OVtaIX_FJftCIGlqbK-weztLa1iou5tz/s1600/IMG_2975.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RJ7nY2OXd_C1YFmF4ZR74g6-jeSPkrelxwKwusltekOkWnJ_ROX5U0Mf1LxL7qjqP-qEfKHaLG4PDD31OOl9H-wbY7w9OP1R1laRx14vkjg8OVtaIX_FJftCIGlqbK-weztLa1iou5tz/s400/IMG_2975.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mineral water pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This was a peaceful,
restful resort with a great emphasis on health and well being and
focusing huge effort on respect for the environment. <br />
<br />
If
you are interested in the way the CGH Earth Group manage their hotels
and produce their foods, they have a Facebook page and a website.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BG4v_faM5j-lqTcCHVaX8JywhgkP1Mc0G8TnBQ4D5cXKatZw9TulHsJ7IMT3W0OSwvxzdTaEO-SEZRqBWpdztIGbwM6RVAmnafxTNHE8V7Vx99jEJxwa4ZpSldRyqMfNRiJs1APTcbQS/s1600/IMG_2731.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BG4v_faM5j-lqTcCHVaX8JywhgkP1Mc0G8TnBQ4D5cXKatZw9TulHsJ7IMT3W0OSwvxzdTaEO-SEZRqBWpdztIGbwM6RVAmnafxTNHE8V7Vx99jEJxwa4ZpSldRyqMfNRiJs1APTcbQS/s400/IMG_2731.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
The bath water is sourced from harvested rainwater and the
swimming pool is chemical free, using salt mineral water that is
anti-bacterial and good for the hair, skin and eyes. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkSPLaqvCoHiM196CoFBZkd0vLMc4HM51UdSGmsRPUEMAoSrm3CBEtGqUu46rRWL_IND9KrcLXQdNSAExl7H84ce4Vkl_-nBbLj9-PEICFKTSpsgGlOEVsYn2ed1BB37mupsZ1q63wrim/s1600/IMG_2986.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkSPLaqvCoHiM196CoFBZkd0vLMc4HM51UdSGmsRPUEMAoSrm3CBEtGqUu46rRWL_IND9KrcLXQdNSAExl7H84ce4Vkl_-nBbLj9-PEICFKTSpsgGlOEVsYn2ed1BB37mupsZ1q63wrim/s320/IMG_2986.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the hotel offers ayervedic doctors/medicine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The hotel has many eco friendly features
which we had not experienced
before: Drinking water is processed by reverse osmosis method (for the
detail on this see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis) in
recycled glass bottles. There are Ayurvedic doctors on hand who can
prescribe a suitable diet/herbal medications for those who have come to
stay for recovery from illness.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mDsV6BJCnh1DN8Gyl1iBIHthku2fY6xNU9u2472tkiRtLHq864_tF-ZUZrA4-mjVz_ebg-QY4aj2hyIoOgqGFSLBs5018Eif7ZDVBoeJus87YS8gCmd82lYmuYx-RBHCDSyVPI1fAA2l/s1600/IMG_2990.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mDsV6BJCnh1DN8Gyl1iBIHthku2fY6xNU9u2472tkiRtLHq864_tF-ZUZrA4-mjVz_ebg-QY4aj2hyIoOgqGFSLBs5018Eif7ZDVBoeJus87YS8gCmd82lYmuYx-RBHCDSyVPI1fAA2l/s320/IMG_2990.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The hotel had direct access to the public beach, which was sandy and the sea warm.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4px-AHr5b4aXxooeUdhEujW6hkJJbUwfOeNCUW81x4-_DKd9aP6qFbFpEOIxEeV7Yr1Yk3_YAg1jQoQdZlk5YXUkKR1jLb3y024w46DWD_cfMYlQGSPlOqzCVVoBl4xjL00I7za8drKv8/s1600/IMG_3019+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4px-AHr5b4aXxooeUdhEujW6hkJJbUwfOeNCUW81x4-_DKd9aP6qFbFpEOIxEeV7Yr1Yk3_YAg1jQoQdZlk5YXUkKR1jLb3y024w46DWD_cfMYlQGSPlOqzCVVoBl4xjL00I7za8drKv8/s320/IMG_3019+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">relaxing on my verandah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Food is provided by the organic farm kitchen onsite, there
is great emphasis on Ayervedic health which is evident in the healthy,
varied menu.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDHCu7WYpGmxx5Sf0lJd4ssI02181Z2A_ACn0QUc0Wbsc-HY4l9mZovziESHZ42b5pes3Jya1AFoFM6IPj1hqC3ftrDLI7_ZsOv7mpGwgkePRoi0W2cexvk0lWRRs7tkXKKCj4bHHn8ov/s1600/IMG_3001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDHCu7WYpGmxx5Sf0lJd4ssI02181Z2A_ACn0QUc0Wbsc-HY4l9mZovziESHZ42b5pes3Jya1AFoFM6IPj1hqC3ftrDLI7_ZsOv7mpGwgkePRoi0W2cexvk0lWRRs7tkXKKCj4bHHn8ov/s320/IMG_3001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cookery demonstration for guests (curry sauce base)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4npfGQoavH5FTsgQPY8l54Yfs6lXYdMV1cFHXRJKoqwBshidjGOL3WmtyFAtBaN55DFw2GMblUgX9koVPewGUegrEwHRhgfMKUBT5cFLDSSY6CVUvJsYBJ7XT_psTd2KAdd0j8rRbjbRS/s1600/IMG_2977.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4npfGQoavH5FTsgQPY8l54Yfs6lXYdMV1cFHXRJKoqwBshidjGOL3WmtyFAtBaN55DFw2GMblUgX9koVPewGUegrEwHRhgfMKUBT5cFLDSSY6CVUvJsYBJ7XT_psTd2KAdd0j8rRbjbRS/s320/IMG_2977.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mineral pool and a separate supply of fresh water/flowers for the birds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I went to a lecture on Ayervedic medicine and two cookery classes which
were complimentary and well worth the time. There are 5 acres of
organic garden that supply the majority of food to the hotel guests. I
also learned about an experiment the hotel is working on to grow food
soil free in water fertilised by fish.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRi5HjjbseUIOuSKEJHnEf5uTXO9ACUrSIYze0vRffqdJPImm5YgXJsd8Aw-8SATQV_iQjMtaqxmkIAU0oW89MNasqKvPbX8In9VYT5LIH0Wv_iiZA23POIVK8-MX0LFiC9U9syxM32aI/s1600/IMG_3006+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRi5HjjbseUIOuSKEJHnEf5uTXO9ACUrSIYze0vRffqdJPImm5YgXJsd8Aw-8SATQV_iQjMtaqxmkIAU0oW89MNasqKvPbX8In9VYT5LIH0Wv_iiZA23POIVK8-MX0LFiC9U9syxM32aI/s320/IMG_3006+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chef showing me the organic garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The cottage style rooms have beautiful open air bathrooms (bathing to
the sound of birds and seeing butterflies flutter past is wonderful)<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekw_t5eIWj7YN5pdpSiIFdfApcSVAEjnBHbywsxvJEyM2yWxJCl2oyakTWhYfcNDbhxvB_j-nmDN6ZvqC-5Rat7DG2KyQcKKSm2UYCyMFtMibPLxWq8O0OYgSrvEndljOp475oKcnF_O-/s1600/IMG_2690.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekw_t5eIWj7YN5pdpSiIFdfApcSVAEjnBHbywsxvJEyM2yWxJCl2oyakTWhYfcNDbhxvB_j-nmDN6ZvqC-5Rat7DG2KyQcKKSm2UYCyMFtMibPLxWq8O0OYgSrvEndljOp475oKcnF_O-/s320/IMG_2690.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">open air bathroom and shower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
There is very little outside
the hotel, just homestays and a few little shack type shops selling
basic supplies for the locals and canned drinks to tourists.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_3jY8XFZxmf2nWCPrphd18s87FPsyOJwYNTe-EGTzfhp6tKrzu4oLQUaEKL8llhFcoEQqRk1wZWuehzoDK4wgaaUc58vtSL65sDMuWgfDt5PmZsV5STWUCXpMTT3Gq3wc9uuublI49z0/s1600/IMG_2709.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_3jY8XFZxmf2nWCPrphd18s87FPsyOJwYNTe-EGTzfhp6tKrzu4oLQUaEKL8llhFcoEQqRk1wZWuehzoDK4wgaaUc58vtSL65sDMuWgfDt5PmZsV5STWUCXpMTT3Gq3wc9uuublI49z0/s320/IMG_2709.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">local shops</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb8vaAyZti1o2vXzfPENVZcSXTDRgTrVUNwMYtXIUm70W45uXpM9uNHjfQjKuQz47o3vmlgw9G2Ayk0DJLPQYuLHxLsulRAkxa6PAFDTipTakMn-5Axm6HykVn1aAvmpo8EWwuRBdLhNr/s1600/IMG_2700.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitb8vaAyZti1o2vXzfPENVZcSXTDRgTrVUNwMYtXIUm70W45uXpM9uNHjfQjKuQz47o3vmlgw9G2Ayk0DJLPQYuLHxLsulRAkxa6PAFDTipTakMn-5Axm6HykVn1aAvmpo8EWwuRBdLhNr/s320/IMG_2700.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is a typical signage and the food is in someones house/homestay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEj7CAVU7NHi02wr0cqIS8oVRghcB3db-LxsBM-wSI1D51tiYVLSR7Zqg81vfMySj1i6EqChP9evWASkg7SugqlTjIFzj395CWPYS2-vP7E1FCPDZRPuQfKHS1H7LDOOq6Iy3QX0SLeJF/s1600/IMG_2693.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEj7CAVU7NHi02wr0cqIS8oVRghcB3db-LxsBM-wSI1D51tiYVLSR7Zqg81vfMySj1i6EqChP9evWASkg7SugqlTjIFzj395CWPYS2-vP7E1FCPDZRPuQfKHS1H7LDOOq6Iy3QX0SLeJF/s320/IMG_2693.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">homestays are plentiful</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKp0XN8Nge3W2ps0B5iJHK3Z7-IJe6riiFiENV2vcOgk8xhF_Z08HRUhUi6ScDNXrfHAIxGiE1USD2beCFbVkucTg0K7rpMq9LPJCh8UOjI-xjjj714LO5zptRFwtpDb9l51tw6bIQrd5/s1600/IMG_2701.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKp0XN8Nge3W2ps0B5iJHK3Z7-IJe6riiFiENV2vcOgk8xhF_Z08HRUhUi6ScDNXrfHAIxGiE1USD2beCFbVkucTg0K7rpMq9LPJCh8UOjI-xjjj714LO5zptRFwtpDb9l51tw6bIQrd5/s320/IMG_2701.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The
nearest town is a 30 minute tuk tuk ride away in Alleppey, there is a
small supermarket here and a market. It's the hub of the backwaters of
Kerala and where you pick up boat rides or homestays on housebouts <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Boat on the backwaters of Kerala</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoZkUUuYTdIe6Q7lX_aW5gNGh6v-F1htuiG2QUYyBrOOyrkX9HTwa5pBLE8RBJjWiWzFYEn6bzJRcObE3JSmYyB3czyNyC4R_16TUuxkhau22jKRTQ_s2eO8lHQwNdydANIKY7W5YjSqh/s1600/IMG_2824.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoZkUUuYTdIe6Q7lX_aW5gNGh6v-F1htuiG2QUYyBrOOyrkX9HTwa5pBLE8RBJjWiWzFYEn6bzJRcObE3JSmYyB3czyNyC4R_16TUuxkhau22jKRTQ_s2eO8lHQwNdydANIKY7W5YjSqh/s320/IMG_2824.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The boat was comfortable and gave us a wonderful view along the lakes and rivers of everyday life in the area.<br />
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There
were many people bathing, washing clothes or pots and pans in the river
and along the bank we could see all their colourfull houses, the men in
the fields bringing in sacks of rice and tapioca and children playing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwt1NrU1GXhsvb9jemt-NqjToME6CTuhsTo6syPbfQJGhnxENe5rfh1FrHscSZy3dsX-7T1AG52vWk9HsJH5YXP_l8VmGFETiaEzrRy8l9Nys_sHJoxiQG5_NOAnx1eOuq0URhMAKm4X2/s1600/IMG_2900+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwt1NrU1GXhsvb9jemt-NqjToME6CTuhsTo6syPbfQJGhnxENe5rfh1FrHscSZy3dsX-7T1AG52vWk9HsJH5YXP_l8VmGFETiaEzrRy8l9Nys_sHJoxiQG5_NOAnx1eOuq0URhMAKm4X2/s400/IMG_2900+%25281%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">loading sacks of rice for delivery from the fields </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Throughout our adventures we have eaten curry every day, for every meal and never got tired of it.<br />
Although
we experimented with caution in some of the cities, we found that
eating a large breakfast, skipping lunch and eating a light dinner kept
us within our budget and was more than enough.<br />
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Feeling a bit jetlagged as we only got back 24 hours ago,<br />
so I will be back soon with more posts on our stops in Varanasi, Delhi, Jaipur and Agra...</div>
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-47223630286678926832019-12-23T21:40:00.001-08:002019-12-23T21:44:08.726-08:00Varanasi, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We flew to Varanasi from Delhi arriving early evening, dropped our bags off and immediately hailed a tuk tuk for a white knuckle ride to the River Ganges where there was a fire ceremony going on. This happens every evening and involves music, much painting of faces and bowls of fire which are passed through the crowd by a guru, if your face is painted you are blessed and touching the fire is a cleansing ritual that everyone participates in. There was a lot to see here and we arrived very late so came back the following night to see it all again!<br />
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It is very colourful to watch and very easy to get swept into the atmosphere as you are drawn into a huge crowd, the surge is towards the Ganges where there are many platforms, each with it's own guru, flowers, people putting little floating tea lights into the river. People shave, bring a change of clothes and then immerse themselves in the water for purification. It is believed that bathing in The Ganges ends the cycle of life/death and cleanses the soul of sin. <br />
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At night there is a central section where people beg, it becomes
pedestrianised for about a mile and is crammed with cows, people
heading to the fire festival and yet more stalls selling trinkets and
food<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>The bracelets are very pretty,but most of them are made of </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>very thin glass so not a safe souvenir choice for children.</i></span></div>
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The funeral fires: <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3248208/Where-funeral-fires-forever-burn-Incredible-photos-Manikarnika-Ghats-holy-festival-Ganges-Hindus-make-final-journey-moksha-reach-nirvana.html">Daily Mail link with explanation and pictures</a><br />
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We spent a morning at the edge of the Ganges watching cremations take place. We didn't have a guide but had read up beforehand and found the link above helpful.<br />
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It takes about 300 kilo of mango wood to burn a body, which takes about 3 hours. We saw the bodies lined up on the ground in shrouds, decorated with orange cloth and marigold flowers. Cows wander along and eat the marigolds, dogs also wander amongst the smouldering embers as a cremation comes to an end, they will scavenge in the ashes and are kept back by relatives tending the body. The ashes are scooped up and thrown into the Ganges River at the end of the process and the funeral pyre is quickly taken over by the next cremation, it's a continuing cycle throughout the day. Mourners mostly don't object to the presence of tourists, provided they do not to take pictures of the bodies and kept a respectful distance. <br />
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We found the best observation point was directly above the pyres where the mango wood was stacked. Tourists take boats out and observe from the water, but you can see and experience everything better where we stood.<br />
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The procedure is respectful but we did not see any relatives crying or sad, completing the life cycle of a relative is seen as a positive event, their cremation releasing the soul to nirvana.<br />
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Vendors along The Ganges at Varanasi... snake charmer to the left...<br />
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Early morning at Varanasi Ghats: there is a market with school children walking in groups and vendors selling food and trinkets. .<br />
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Taking the tuk tuk from the hotel was hair raising, we went several times and the journey varied between about 25 minutes and 45 minutes depending on what route the driver took and traffic, which was solid. Traffic appears chaotic with vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road, frequent prangs and cows sleeping or wandering on the roads. You have to walk about a mile from the beginning of the market area as it is pedestrianised beyond this. At night it is very crowded and there is a good atmosphere. I think Varanasi is well worth putting into your itinerary of India and was probably my favourite of the tour.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>tip: agree the price for your journey by tuk tuk before you get in, have the right amount of money ready at end of journey and if your driver is good, get his name and have him meet you the next day if you want to go out again - drivers are keen for business and will argue over you which can waste a lot of time! </i></span> <br />
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next blog post will be Agra and Jaipur.</div>
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-44675833569581909012019-12-14T10:24:00.000-08:002019-12-14T10:24:24.030-08:00Delhi, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi and welcome if you have followed over here from my Wood Fairy blog where I posted about Kerela, I will duplicate that post over here too and try and keep all my travels in one safe place on this blog. We have so many photographs, probably thousands, and some videos but it's taking ages to sort them, download and make into blogs or videos so I will do short posts as and when in no particular order :) I might have to do more than one post on Delhi as we went there twice and did so much...<br />
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On arrival in India, our first night was spent at Surayaa Hotel, we got there very late, ate a fabulous curry and took a quick
walk round the vicinity to check out surroundings. Lots of stray dogs,
market stalls of flowers, traffic, dust, fumes and noise.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Delhi, Surayaa Hotel area</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fresh fruit juice outside the hotel</td></tr>
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Day 1 we had curry breakfast at hotel, Indian masala
tea (cardomon, cinnamon, milk) and ventured out. A 15 minute walk
across ridiculously heavy traffic, negotiating tuktuk, rickshaw, cars
and lorries, not to mention mopeds driving on the wrong side of the road
and cows sleeping on roadsides, walking across traffic or standing and
staring into space. We made it in one piece to the Metro, bought tokens
in the automated machine, (having Googled the metro route we carried a
list of stops/3 changes for route to Connaught circle and on to Chandni
Chowk in the heart of Old Delhi). Connaught was mainly expensive
designer shops ( not our thing) so after walking round the entire
perimeter to get our bearings, we moved on to Chandni Chowk market area
which was much more interesting. I really recommend using the Metro in Delhi as it is very clean and efficient, they have women only carriages and the ticket machines are easy to operate. You can see the route displays inside the train in English and many people are friendly and helpful if you are lost.<br />
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We went to Chandni Chowk to see the
huge market constructed of a labarynth of alleys and lanes running off
the main route full of sari silks, Indian clothes, shoes, trinkets and
onwards to the fruit and street food area. We saw monkies running along
the tops of traders shacks and swinging from electric cables. Cows
were everywhere and many
dogs. It is sad to see some people and animals that are homeless, hungry and sometimes injured, but this is very much a part of India, not something a lone tourist can change and something we had to learn to accept.<br />
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<br />
There
is huge poverty here and we were constantly approached by a range of
begging children, disfigured adults and touts wanting to show us places
to shop, all just trying to earn a crust any way they can. We saw a
long queue of poor migrant workers and homeless getting curry and rice
from religious, charitable organisations. There is food available daily
from these food stations, not everyone is homeless though, some people
are visiting family in the nearby hospitals and are displaced/sleeping
outside. No doubt these food stations are a welcome help.<br />
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<br />
We
found the food market full of stalls laden with fruit and vendors
cooking up various deep fried spicy delights, rolling bread dough and
stirring pots of curry. We were warned by some locals though that the
oil used to cook streetfood in the markets is often recycled from
restuarants so not particularly clean or healthy.<br />
<br />
Getting
the metro was fairly easy with the help of locals, fun, and the best
way to get around, also a welcome bit of air con away from the smog.
The week we visited New Delhi had been on the news due to the high smog
caused not only by traffic fumes but the burning of crops nearby which
the Government had banned but were unable to enforce.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dJykyxDA8DczaiGEYDJuSMR0E0Xx-MlMhaYpX1ltuZbKiVSKzYEAatk1jBE7xHEtihSuImrJDIWoRqQiVfUgYezw3fWwnuTkd_WRIGcwszKkDtf413CmAH02oEVJexINf8IWyhFUDpsW/s1600/IMG_2068.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dJykyxDA8DczaiGEYDJuSMR0E0Xx-MlMhaYpX1ltuZbKiVSKzYEAatk1jBE7xHEtihSuImrJDIWoRqQiVfUgYezw3fWwnuTkd_WRIGcwszKkDtf413CmAH02oEVJexINf8IWyhFUDpsW/s320/IMG_2068.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metro smog advisory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Schools were closed due to the smog and we
took the precaution of wearing dust masks when we were in traffic.
There was a smog indicator at one of the metro stations which was
displaying 463 on the 500 scale of severity. We found that riding the
tuk tuks also exposed us to traffic fumes and poor visibility. That
said, it's an experience not to be missed and the smog was unavoidable.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Day 2 we took a guide for the day and an air con car and saw Humayuns tomb<br />
On
which the taj mahal was modelled 85 years later. This tomb is smaller
in scale but displays all the familiar features and design of the Taj
Mahal. Built in 1562 by the moghuls it was influenced by Persian
architecture.<br />
<br />
Lunch was bananas<br />
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<br />
Qutab
Minar. A Unesco world heritage site, this is the oldest brick minaret
in the world built on the remains of an earlier hindu temple, any human
images were defaced by the muslims when they took the temple over and
built their minaret, but other detail remains. The minaret contains in
its structure an iron which does not rust. Our guide, Sunny, shared my
interest in Eric von Daniken (Charriot of the gods) and we discussed
theories on the possibilities of alien influence, he found a video on
his phone of what appears to be a human form flying around the minaret
which was seen only a few years ago. My imagination was captured by the
strange iron that does not rust and, for me, made the excursion take on
a new dimension - were we looking at alien influence during those
times?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">structure contains iron that does not rust </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We
took a rickshaw ride around the moslem quarter for a bit of fun and
headed back to our hotel for a sauna, tea and cake and a freshen up.<br />
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<br />
Our
evenings were spent in the Upgrade bar, a short potholed walk from the
hotel where we negotiated our beers down to half the hotel prices and so
came back again. We found Mcdonalds and Domino Pizza when in need of some carbohydrates! but mostly relied on a large hotel breakfast and evening meal as we didn't have time to search out restuarants .... Delhi was exciting and hectic, riding on tuk tuk's was essential. The smog was awful but we had a great time!<br />
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-27230702699522151932019-09-17T23:47:00.003-07:002019-09-18T03:22:00.768-07:00Spain September 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just back from a budget 4 night break to Spain. We stayed at Melia Benidorm (collecting loyalty points) and flew with Easyjet. This is the view from our floor into reception - all the 'gardens' are of rooted, living plants on each floor and are maintained by a daily gardener. Our hotel is on the 'New Town' side which is full of lively bars and sky scraper hotels and where the original 'Benidorm' TV series was filmed (we visited Neptunes bar and The Palladium on our first night).<br />
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Our sons joined us and enjoyed the night life in the 'New Town' area, but we all preferred to spend time in the much prettier 'Old Town' which is full of little tapas bars and narrow, winding streets with rickety houses.<br />
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<br />
The weather wasn't great, there was torrential rain/lightening on arrival at Alicante and that evening we learned that Spain was experiencing the worst weather since 1978 with floods in Alicante and nearby areas although Benidorm itself was fine. The Government issued a red alert so all the hotels that had trees were forced to close the pool and grounds due to potential storm damage, ours was therefore restricted for the best part of our stay and also the beach was red flagged so no swimming - the sea was very rough. On our last day, Sunday, the red alert ended and we had sunshine all day and were allowed out to the poolside.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pool area closed, balcony was nearest we could get!</td></tr>
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<br />
Below was a very pretty house with garden next to the famous Carrero del Gats<br />
(alley of cats) I have tried but unable to find why it is called this! we only saw 2 cats here and they weren't telling. It's right next to a lovely Dutch bar and seems to be famous not for cats but for giving a view of both beaches (Lavente and Poniente) if you stand in the middle of the alley and look left then right.<br />
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If you can't see the video below of the firework fiesta, I have uploaded one on Youtube here<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/xO5caS3HnoI">https://youtu.be/xO5caS3HnoI</a></div>
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We were lucky to be in the right place at the right time to see a local fiesta of fireworks, it hadn't been advertised (the main Fiesta in Benidorm is not until November). This started at 2am when tourists were scarse and appeared to be for locals only, police were present and also Red Cross but it was peaceful, although you wouldn't get this close to fire in the UK. People strap homemade metal contraptions to their backs and tape the fireworks on so that when lit they are like human catherine wheels with sparks flying out everywhere, there is much running and jumping in and out of fire along the route. The procession went on for over an hour with pipers playing all the way round winding streets and ending in a spectacular display at the Centre of Old Town. We joined the procession through the town, it was very smoky which is why some people had covered their heads/faces - I went to bed with my hair smelling of smoke and my arms smarting from stray sparks!<br />
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The reason for the fiesta was hard to fathom, the locals said it was 'Drunk Fire' rooted
in history of the battles between the Moors and Christians, which took place over control of Spain in the 13th to
15th century.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjrH1ljynUv09SZ42cLLw2KGhOm802IYRtSiE0iXWJQlcQSRQYR3009aoDa0CZYGLvp21QFRyll9FeJJHgAEqh0c0E59iFftcss5ab9-7FyvJgT2jQ8TqkL3hNeiwTh4uP7pgQiEkMRvH/s1600/IMG_1811_Moment%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjrH1ljynUv09SZ42cLLw2KGhOm802IYRtSiE0iXWJQlcQSRQYR3009aoDa0CZYGLvp21QFRyll9FeJJHgAEqh0c0E59iFftcss5ab9-7FyvJgT2jQ8TqkL3hNeiwTh4uP7pgQiEkMRvH/s320/IMG_1811_Moment%25282%2529.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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We came to Benidorm in 1982 for our honeymoon, my inlaws came too (and also my 'boss' from work and his family!). My in-laws were regular visitors over the years and liked this bar (Tony Moran's Bar Rumbo) in the Old Town - so of course we had to put in a visit once again - and here we are - 37 years later with our boys visiting for the first time to carry on the tradition, we got a very warm welcome as the original owners son still runs the bar!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLoQBK2Hguk43rry8TbJQqcZqV0qESi3Oe8upJHYRZBe_e7QYMv9VCPcBUz1M8erZFHmQLWmjQx1yc_SrCWrpzkpALKwwoIOTQBVKZA1XGVQVKIJEttIV6nx6pPPzDVyEnrNi-554oHAnH/s1600/IMG_1776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLoQBK2Hguk43rry8TbJQqcZqV0qESi3Oe8upJHYRZBe_e7QYMv9VCPcBUz1M8erZFHmQLWmjQx1yc_SrCWrpzkpALKwwoIOTQBVKZA1XGVQVKIJEttIV6nx6pPPzDVyEnrNi-554oHAnH/s320/IMG_1776.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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These kind of bars are plentiful in the narrow streets of this area and known as Tapas bars as they offer traditional Spanish snacks like spicy meatballs, olives and crusty bread. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQa5AVeP72C7t54b6Lr9MMlT3UBIgfasxMVhyphenhyphenb5wueln9lMS-OB4_K9dTjkVrpBAJSfEyrjRpleYoEMI8wMAiWtp3C7862wsVYXjrbrLUO82X67D4rKVSILF84bRfiAb5V5Xgiiq2eopF/s1600/IMG_1869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQa5AVeP72C7t54b6Lr9MMlT3UBIgfasxMVhyphenhyphenb5wueln9lMS-OB4_K9dTjkVrpBAJSfEyrjRpleYoEMI8wMAiWtp3C7862wsVYXjrbrLUO82X67D4rKVSILF84bRfiAb5V5Xgiiq2eopF/s320/IMG_1869.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
This spectacular door is to the church of <b>San Jaime and Santa Ana </b>and is the oldest church in Benidorm, 18th Century. Inside lies the<b>Virgen del Sufragio</b>, so called due to her intact discovery among the ashes of a ship in the year 1740. In November the church door is surrounded by a halo of flowers.<br />
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So, a lack of pics of the beach due to the unexpected weather! but we still had a good time. Here's the view from the Old Town looking across the beach to the New Town.<br />
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p.s. I decided to keep my other blog Betty-thewoodfairy going after all for all things mostly un travel related :)<br />
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-41326239571447571612019-09-01T08:50:00.001-07:002019-09-01T08:50:28.168-07:00Cape Verde<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"> It takes a long time to become young: Pablo Picasso</span></div>
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We visited Cape Verde for a week in February 2019 to celebrate my 60th birthday. Travelling from the UK it is a short. direct flight, guaranteed sunshine and complete rela<span style="font-size: small;">xation, a treat from hubby to feel totally pampered on my birthday we stayed a week, which is enough, if you have itchy feet like me!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgbuuwFv7y5VbK08FvokwPL8VQODuMWt1RsWSec58OeccI4EUnhoTsI7GV8PMmNQ3t4O7qm0znTdkn47AZ-BnGi21woTzXAwi3eUCT-a28Pm6uW6y7Wo0-mbOUZFQJcvj5Wc-64XF-ZIx/s1600/20190223_105112+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgbuuwFv7y5VbK08FvokwPL8VQODuMWt1RsWSec58OeccI4EUnhoTsI7GV8PMmNQ3t4O7qm0znTdkn47AZ-BnGi21woTzXAwi3eUCT-a28Pm6uW6y7Wo0-mbOUZFQJcvj5Wc-64XF-ZIx/s320/20190223_105112+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Cape Verde is in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Western Coast of Africa close to Senegal and Gambia and approximately a 6 hour flight from the UK. It's amongst an archipelego of islands forming the crossroads to Europe and belonging to the Macaronesia Region.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cN7ZwWTPEBK6VTm0N9PiQhTnOeCdWkfO3VboPsAvX0VCELuTWsiJ8RYXBdwnKZHV-Rb7jBKAwA9WuwoqcSVI7wO-e9ccIpyLXV3uOqcP_SXKjtxRpafK45ij0_5Kj5Qf7abRocDIuqZ4/s1600/P1020253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cN7ZwWTPEBK6VTm0N9PiQhTnOeCdWkfO3VboPsAvX0VCELuTWsiJ8RYXBdwnKZHV-Rb7jBKAwA9WuwoqcSVI7wO-e9ccIpyLXV3uOqcP_SXKjtxRpafK45ij0_5Kj5Qf7abRocDIuqZ4/s320/P1020253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">When we visited, it was the beginning of the International wind surfing championships, but you would never have known (no promotional leaflets/info from the hotel) many professional surfers were there for the GKA Championships. The sea was, literally, ferocious, some parts of the beach were out of bounds to tourists with waves as high as houses. We were disappointed that we were not able to swim in the sea at all (although at the public beach down town the locals were fearlessly doing so). Nonetheless, the championships took place further into town and many coloured surfboards could be seen daily from our location as the championships went ahead. Infact, on a visit into town, it became apparent that the locals from age 6 are more than capable of handling the waves and the public beaches were full of youngsters practicing their moves on surf boards - they could definitely promote Cape Verde as a destination for extreme sports!!! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHWjLjAZcxGGfD8fTSc6P7YHDKAseadbM2E4fAzWWVNd2MvEypkbDS4fTfJ42Mb5umtL_g_6R3vlpYgEWyuNtMxL-QJQ7k42ATIm3Xo_o1Zy9XJzAe0cKl2XQmUCh23KAmxPI7hDbFzrQ/s1600/P1020222+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHWjLjAZcxGGfD8fTSc6P7YHDKAseadbM2E4fAzWWVNd2MvEypkbDS4fTfJ42Mb5umtL_g_6R3vlpYgEWyuNtMxL-QJQ7k42ATIm3Xo_o1Zy9XJzAe0cKl2XQmUCh23KAmxPI7hDbFzrQ/s320/P1020222+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the beach at Sal. not safe for swimming Feb 2019</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We stayed in Sal, where there is very little vegetation and considerable poverty outside the hotels. Food is imported, mainly for the tourist palate. Our hotel would get a container shipped in fortnightly and the contents would be mostly unknown, so the chefs had to devise a menu around what came in. Outside the hotel they grow little more than a few vegetables over 11% of the land for their own domestic comsumption (corn/casava). The island is volcanic and barren. We had plenty to eat being rich tourists, but it weighed heavily on my conscience, as there is a stark contrast between the reality outside and the luxury of tourism within our hotel, it's very tangible. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx199C1UiyTq4JfIq6PHmnpkr9Yet78dEeAySy9vFijE7T3G0Lih8zBurnTLQTVSwU4Qt_MI9d7FUwBQqqNLvcTTVfQB7ouIqr9gm3oinh4RrJ5pkqokeNqURzPZ7eADtNHT6YsimrsJpF/s1600/IMG_0699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx199C1UiyTq4JfIq6PHmnpkr9Yet78dEeAySy9vFijE7T3G0Lih8zBurnTLQTVSwU4Qt_MI9d7FUwBQqqNLvcTTVfQB7ouIqr9gm3oinh4RrJ5pkqokeNqURzPZ7eADtNHT6YsimrsJpF/s320/IMG_0699.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the road into Sal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">That said we had a wonderful holiday on sandy beaches in an all inclusive environment, cared for by staff who were attentive, all of which we signed up for on this trip. This was not much of an adventure, just total relaxation. </span><br />
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-80564929656077590392019-08-29T03:30:00.002-07:002019-08-31T10:54:39.286-07:00Istanbul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"> Hi folks, this blog is all about travel plans and adventures past and future, hope you will enjoy it. Come and join me (use the follower button) leave a comment so I know you are there, thanks!</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> 🛪</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is a link for you to cut and paste that takes you to Youtube.com and a very brief video of what we saw in Istanbul, Turkey. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vV2wNoxPqo&list=PLMDXD-Fgw64_Qk9wpeSwaLkR6iLYfuVp6">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vV2wNoxPqo&list=PLMDXD-Fgw64_Qk9wpeSwaLkR6iLYfuVp6</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> ''We' is always me with my hubby, who is mostly in charge of
the camera (and the budget!).</span></div>
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We flew to Istanbul during Ramadan. Everywhere was crowded, especially the park around the Blue Mosque, where many families came in the evenings to eat dinner after sundown. There was a fabulous atmosphere as in the late afternoon/evening the park was packed with thousands of people. Lots of interesting food was being set out on huge sheets, toys for children, cushions and blankets. The women spent ages arranging place settings, fruit and water on the picnic sheets while more and more people arrived. We stayed quite late watching as our beautiful little guest house,although tucked away, was within walking distance of the Blue Mosque. We were aware that there had been a previous terrorist incident here and I honestly did not even think about this, everything was very peaceful although police were very visible.<br />
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We stayed at Yusuf Pasakonagi in Istanbul very near the Blue Mosque. The staff there are extremely friendly (so are the local cats). It's next to a fish restaurant but there is no odour, just a lot of friendly cats wandering around looking hopeful. As a veggie I didn't eat there but it was popular.<br />
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A gem tucked away down a cobbled road, neighbours were little old ladies in wonky wooden houses and a duck with his own paddling pool.<br />
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We ate in local cafes, sometimes outdoors, we ate baclava in the rain under plastic covering, snacks in the market and main meals in cafes (no alcohol mainly, most places are unlicensed unless you go to tourist restuarants, which we avoided). Some cafes had blankets on the chairs to snuggle up in, it was chilly when the sun went down. Below is some street food we ate next to the tramline in a busy place where there was a long queue at a canteen style place opening on to the road, we were seated at basic metal chairs/tables on the pavement alongside trams whizzing past! you had to keep your elbows in!<br />
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Below was a 'sandwich' I enjoyed which was a cheese filled pastry, it was just the job for a quick snack. Everything, no matter how small, fast or simple, was served with care and presented nicely wherever we went.<br />
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Below is a Turkish pizza (we call it Turkish slipper!) and in the background some lovely crisp, hollow bread that was hot and delicious.<br />
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After rain for 2 days our last day was gloriously sunny. It was a celebration of Attaturk that weekend and all public transport was free. We took the tram and then the ferry over the Bospherous to the other side of Istanbul to explore the food market. To see more of that you need to go to my video link at the top of the post. In the markets we found a whole road would be devoted to each product, so you would get a road of dried fruits, a road of pots and pans, a road of nuts and pulses, and so on. The colours, smells and sounds are intense, the vendors want to invite you in to buy and are persistent, but we like this and don't mind at all. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">window of blue mosque (photographs prohibited within)</td></tr>
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The blue Mosque looked more of a soft grey to my eye but I can imagine in certain lights it would appear blue. It has presence, you can feel it is there, even without looking at it. It is, indeed, a special place and I can understand why so many faithful flock here. It is undergoing
extensive rennovation but its beauty was accessible. Inside it was cool and calm, photography was discouraged and not allowed at all during prayers though, so I only took a snap or two of the fabulous stained glass, it was very dark in there. It smelled of wood, you take your shoes off and walk on soft, red carpet. The exquisite
tiling inside and stained glass windows were worth the long queue to get
in. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynNFTl7mBOs3mXRkslRcZPVEsx8cniM1puLqjNkQoHdFmcJrve6O4uSIFBYVMbGKRACyIAq9tayjTwM5FvPvx0Fnv-fpvGrLv4ZpxLMIZtIBbHEjJVnFxZvesxdJ2VhEEEU0glo_4v2U1/s1600/P1020299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiynNFTl7mBOs3mXRkslRcZPVEsx8cniM1puLqjNkQoHdFmcJrve6O4uSIFBYVMbGKRACyIAq9tayjTwM5FvPvx0Fnv-fpvGrLv4ZpxLMIZtIBbHEjJVnFxZvesxdJ2VhEEEU0glo_4v2U1/s320/P1020299.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Basilica</td></tr>
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The Basilica was cool, a great place to go when you are overheated. It was crowded though and I had to wait a long time to get this lovely pic of Medusa washing her hair. It was drained of the water when we visited as undergoing repair/rennovation, but that did not detract at all from it's beauty. In fact, it enabled us to see in detail the various chambers. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStObK9tsS_n5fAJFRy_dMbexXDjv4h2a3kuwb_Ry_xbdD_l4WfWI2mJf45BIC4eMfUJCSPR52V4H5TT_EYUC15DR3iqClEGmJX1PLHzJlT9vy94c35vD3P975itPc2IYeKiasWHHKmdEi/s1600/P1020320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStObK9tsS_n5fAJFRy_dMbexXDjv4h2a3kuwb_Ry_xbdD_l4WfWI2mJf45BIC4eMfUJCSPR52V4H5TT_EYUC15DR3iqClEGmJX1PLHzJlT9vy94c35vD3P975itPc2IYeKiasWHHKmdEi/s320/P1020320.JPG" width="320" /></a>We visited the spice market twice, because we love the atmosphere, smells and sounds. People are so friendly and interesting, young lads keen to direct you to their family carpet shops just cant be ignored, learning multiple languages to engage with us tourists, we felt they deserved our attention, we didn't want to buy carpets but we appreciated their efforts. They will happily walk with you chatting for some time in the hope you will return to them. Some are from rural areas (a tulip farmer, sheep farmer and a chap from the Atlas mountains) visiting just like us tourists for the Summer and not seeing their families for months.<br />
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We discovered delicious pomegranate syrup to drizzle on salad,... turkish pastry filled with potato and spinach, fresh hummus served with flat bread and olive oil, home made lemonade and a dish called teste, a kind of stew slow cooked in an earthenware pot of delicious vegetables, caramelised with intense natural flavour, warm and filling. There are various meat versions too.<br />
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We used the public tram and ferry to get across the Bosphrous. It's crammed but fun. The weekend we visited there was free travel on all transport (we still had to get a ticket but people were very helpful, no problems at all).<br />
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More food! kebabs in the market and below people preparing to break their fast at sundown during Ramadan, it gets dark after 9pm but long before that thousands of people are here with their picnics spread out, preparing to eat together, there is music (men only) and everyone is very happy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2-PpMB6oD8hyphenhyphenlPxSIBPwSk_povVOZTUMsij7MXMj8zUWbZb9fw8EX7ged_197d5MZYn2V2DOsMHZIGocr3od2xSEMcz9BCjruH77-LsDr5wIGSF7XSAHFuWbF2rRLuH-JqTTooOrwiol/s1600/IMG_0989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2-PpMB6oD8hyphenhyphenlPxSIBPwSk_povVOZTUMsij7MXMj8zUWbZb9fw8EX7ged_197d5MZYn2V2DOsMHZIGocr3od2xSEMcz9BCjruH77-LsDr5wIGSF7XSAHFuWbF2rRLuH-JqTTooOrwiol/s320/IMG_0989.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in the market, nuts and pulses</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KbLhAdXsYeW6IHrKESkoHRQ8bX_claC3EpdVGmFxHPck_fU4YSY5U7z2Rxtns0HRsZa-0rnAva2K-vO7HZaCHAZl_BsiTixzlTgJM1F27Q_bgDAoqmvG5jRqarylU2EVg3AFrllH0gWV/s1600/IMG_0981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KbLhAdXsYeW6IHrKESkoHRQ8bX_claC3EpdVGmFxHPck_fU4YSY5U7z2Rxtns0HRsZa-0rnAva2K-vO7HZaCHAZl_BsiTixzlTgJM1F27Q_bgDAoqmvG5jRqarylU2EVg3AFrllH0gWV/s320/IMG_0981.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in the market, spices</td></tr>
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We like fairly active holidays and did lots of exploring, but still had time for calm evenings watching the cats outside our hotel and sipping a cold beer. I would stay at the same guest house if I returned, mainly for it's proximity but also the friendly staff, it had a traditional bathroom where you wash over a bowl with running water.<br />
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Bed was comfy and breakfast was delicious (continental, help yourself). What shone the most was the staff, young people, mostly University students, working very hard but always with a smile.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju27TRA93JW3MOExW8qrCDl8oplkgLCuy58kCQcwOTGSb15qoAeXWF1ie7Sw_fnYuUGRMHCeE8NoNEh-9JYXW3x3gtQ2Yu3YRGvtwzWdfGd8fFF9E15Csn9y9EcwKFrwWH3QE6syjphEnB/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju27TRA93JW3MOExW8qrCDl8oplkgLCuy58kCQcwOTGSb15qoAeXWF1ie7Sw_fnYuUGRMHCeE8NoNEh-9JYXW3x3gtQ2Yu3YRGvtwzWdfGd8fFF9E15Csn9y9EcwKFrwWH3QE6syjphEnB/s320/IMG_0962.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">traditiional shower facilities</td></tr>
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-67497439023717565722018-06-12T08:38:00.002-07:002019-08-31T11:00:33.243-07:00Hong Kong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We spent four nights in Hong Kong at the Harbour Grand Hotel, this was our fourth trip but we had not been since 1994. We found a new airport, many new buildings and the disappearance of red, British, post boxes (presumably due to the hand over to China). Not much else had changed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star Ferry</td></tr>
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We used the MTR (mass transit railway) to Central and then the Star Ferry across Hong Kong Bay to Hong Kong Mainland - <span class="st">Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry</span><span class="st">. The main shopping area is known as Kowloon and most places of interest are on or near </span>Jordan and Nathan Roads. <br />
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We took a nostalgia trip to Chunking Mansions on Nathan Road. According to Wikepedia over 4,000 people live in this block and it is 'nearly the cheapest accommodation in Hong Kong'. This tower block is somewhere you would either steer clear of or go out of your way to find depending on whether you like small, crowded spaces that smell strongly of curry and spice! We expected to find it had been demolished but were ecstatic to see it looming in all its shabbiness as we love exploring in there and have enjoyed curries there on previous trips.<br />
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It is a hive of activity. The upper floors have a variety of rooms/rentals, middle floors are restaurants and lower/ground are a warren of small Chinese/Asian shops and booths selling fast food, electronics, household, haircuts, toiletries, shoes, clothes, anything and everything in a very compact environment. The traders, predominantly Asian, call out and do their best to engage, asking what you are looking for and assuring you they or someone they know can provide it.<br />
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From here we had forgotten the way to the Bird Market and had heard from some locals that it may have closed down due to bird flu scares so walked up to the police station for reassurance and directions. Just one stop on the MTR to Mongkok and we were there. It had been modernised slightly with new seating and hanging space for cages.<br />
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Some of the older local men take great pride in their birds and bring them along to compete in their birdsong, hanging the little wicker cages up in a row and sitting down to admire and socialise. This is also where song birds are sold and tiny newly hatched birds can be seen hand feeding from vendors. The cages and pretty china feeding bowls are also sold here and the live food for the birds.<br />
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Next is the flower market, very close to the bird market, where wholesale and retail shops take over a whole road, crammed with every kind of floral bouquet, display and houseplant you can imagine. Orchids are very cheap here and I saw varieties that were new to me. In particular, tiny little yellow ones. Elderly street vendors sell ribbons and gift cards.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yellow orchids</td></tr>
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The Ladies Market is just off here and is full of cheap clothes and trinkets, visited by a large mix of locals and tourists. About a mile walk from here is the Night Market which is similar but much bigger and also has fast/live food (frogs, fish, etc) and small street cafes with communal tables outside where we drank beer and observed what the locals were eating (noodles,meat and vegetables in a clear broth). <br />
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Back in Kowloon we found the famous Sam's tailors (suits made for royalty and stars) and then sought out what is locally known as 'Bhuddist Food', vegetarian restuarants that offer meat substitute dishes made from taro which is similar in texture to soya or quorn protein and shaped/flavoured to look like just about anything. Meat eaters could be confused as the menu will state the dish the taro resembles and it is very authentic : i.e. chicken, fish, liver, beef, pork.<br />
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We had sweet and sour 'chicken' Here the dessert was a goodwill freebie but we had no idea what it was and nobody could tell us! Meals in this type of place are around £7 a person for a main course with rice, shared side dish of vegetables and a pot of Chinese tea.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unknown dessert</td></tr>
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Back at our hotel we had a luxurious room with a bath and shower, view of the Harbour (extensive building works going on) and a sunny spot by the pool. We only ate breakfast here but it was substantial: vegetable and lentil curries, a variety of croissants and pastries, cereals and full English breakfast to choose from. Just round the corner there was a kiosk where we ate falafel, salad wraps (standing up booth) for a few dollars and a supermarket where we stocked up on bottled water, crisps and made cheese sandwiches up in the room for late night snacks!<br />
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Street food: I saw a queue of locals at a stall for what I thought was tiny donuts being deep fried, placed on skewers and smothered in chocolate sauce (I asked for lots of sauce!), having eaten half of mine I asked some youngsters what it was and they couldn't stop laughing when I told them I'm veggie as it was fish balls in gravy! not pleasant to my taste but all part of the experience! I finished it off with good grace :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fish balls in gravy</td></tr>
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Hong Kong has something for everyone. There is a tram ride to the highest point (The Peak) for fabulous views over Hong Kong) and Stanley (small beach area) but we ran out of time and luckily had seen before.<br />
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That's it ... until the next trip!.....</div>
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-70567196719414704512018-06-07T13:20:00.003-07:002019-08-31T11:00:46.169-07:00Vietnam: Saigon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City, locals still prefer to call the
city Saigon - we queried this, they think the old name is prettier, easier and it is in no way disrespecting HCM himself, of whom every single person we met had a story to tell about his kindness and generosity, likening him to Ghandi.<br />
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there's plenty of familiar outlets here - McDonalds - offering Vietnamese coffee, which was<br />
very nice and almost as good as the one we had in the Sapa village and a Domino pizza.<br />
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Indian restuarants, we went to this one twice it was so good - bucket of curry anyone?<br />
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more markets and shops selling fresh product (jackfruit)</div>
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Saigon has a population of eight and a half million, of which
over 7 million own a moped. The city is stacked with mopeds, traffic is
slow but furious with mopeds cramming the streets and parked so densely
on pavements that pedestrians can't get by without jaywalking. It is
not uncommon to find mopeds coming at you on the wrong side of the road
and yet it all works somehow.<br />
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To be honest we didn't want excursions here, the city is heaving with traffic and the popular destinations are the French built post office, Government buildings and well manicured public gardens. We preferred, as we have throughout this trip, to go to the local markets and living quarters and explore, eat outside, wander around and take it all in. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post Office, French built during occupation</td></tr>
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Everyone in Saigon is immensely proud of their country and Government. I asked why we didn't see any uniformed police or soldiers on the streets and was told there aren't any, only plain clothes/secret police and they aren't needed much. Anyone doing anything very bad is 'removed' punishment is very severe and crime is therefore low. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xgY7d1e2oPkBpvCd94RRPaKh7PJIYKgQwPTzbUq2fcHC5mb4z2a2th5l-WYOBNA83o5-B8Zh9EBKrDjeV7dXDfOZrQAlL1DZ9hq3XroLTPHGcv8f0FIRWAOQwCqI242hzpSWyIPFsC4L/s1600/P1010816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xgY7d1e2oPkBpvCd94RRPaKh7PJIYKgQwPTzbUq2fcHC5mb4z2a2th5l-WYOBNA83o5-B8Zh9EBKrDjeV7dXDfOZrQAlL1DZ9hq3XroLTPHGcv8f0FIRWAOQwCqI242hzpSWyIPFsC4L/s320/P1010816.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from hotel, Saigon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Crossing roads is scary,
lorries and buses rule,so you give way to them as not all vehicles stop
at lights. The pedestrian rule is give way to big vehicles, then step
out bravely; locals flap a hand by their side in bird like fashion to
indicate they are on the move, the mopeds will weave around you, dont
step back and dont run, a steady pace is the trick. If you stop, the flapping hand stops too.<br />
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<br />
A
city of many contrasts with streets of high rise buildings with pavements
that fill up in the early morning to sell street food, fruit and veg,
nuts, everything on little stalls, mopeds or hawkers on foot, more
intense at night competing with a variety of traditional and modern
restaurants selling local food but also pizza pasta and just about
everything in between.<br />
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There is a vast
market selling food and spices, it has a big undercover section in the
middle full of literally hundreds of small stalls selling cooked meals
with a few chairs, tables or benches crammed with people, mostly locals
but also backpackers. Everything is super fresh, cooked on the spot on
small burners.<br />
<br />
We spent our evenings in open front
street cafes watching the world go by and ate good Vegetarian food at
Ganesh, an Indian restaurant,with no expense spared as it was our last
two nights there and so good we had to come back . average £14 for two
with beer, full of Indian diners, hardly a westerner in sight. Also the
inevitable Mcdonalds that was great for air con cool down after the
sweltering heat outside, average 30 degrees with 80 per cent humidity.<br />
<br />
We
visited the Reunification Palace and saw the vast state rooms and
learned how the Viet Cong crashed the palace gates and took back power
from the Southern Army, raising the now familiar red flag with yellow
star and signaling the end of the Vietnam war.<br />
<br />
Chinatown
within Saigon houses the Chinese community, their businesses (tailors,
laundries) in narrow streets crammed with food stalls traffic and people
and holds some beautiful Buddhists temples. People were friendly
without exception.<br />
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<br />
Cu Chi Tunnels<br />
<br />
The drive here was interesting, we had our own van and found the landscape turn quickly into jungle. There are a large number of vast orchid farms on the route, polytunnelled and gated - I asked if we could take a look but was declined, the growers don't want visitors.<br />
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American artillary, some of which was recycled by the Vietnamese to make their own weapons, including hand made rifles. Vietnamese soldiers had to carry a toothpick between their teeth, to remind them not to make any noise. If they forgot and the toothpick fell out and got lost, they would be severely punished.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoS49RNIrHQMUyFl0ypeDtyh33IjVCUqoOgSdpJuXxhFFz1fxx4-U5302ifGdP4MLJbD5CcLfrCoO1NvmdphOD_VYymMjK-n_BvFULFMfX6mw3hD_cz88ICa6kyFyyZl4bVbluWiQG1rV/s1600/P1010793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoS49RNIrHQMUyFl0ypeDtyh33IjVCUqoOgSdpJuXxhFFz1fxx4-U5302ifGdP4MLJbD5CcLfrCoO1NvmdphOD_VYymMjK-n_BvFULFMfX6mw3hD_cz88ICa6kyFyyZl4bVbluWiQG1rV/s320/P1010793.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">map of the tunnels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
At Cu Chi we had a guide supplied by Kuoni Travel who apologised for the 'propaganda' video (which I enjoyed). There is a point where you can enter some tunnels, which have been enlarged to just about fit a small westerner (me). I had trouble getting out of one and had to be dragged out but could see when in there the tunnels go down deep and narrow eventually they join chambers where people lived, slept and cooked. There was an air vent system to take fresh air in but also to take cooking smells and smoke out, some distance from the tunnels - cooking was only done in the early morning as the smoke was not seen in the morning mists.<br />
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This American tank will never leave as the jungle has grown around it. When the Vietnam War was on, this area was not as dense with jungle, in fact it was quite open in places which makes it all the more remarkable that these clever people managed to stay hidden below ground.<br />
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<br />
These are an ingenious invention, shoes that leave prints going the opposite way, they fooled many an American soldier.<br />
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After Saigon, we took a flight to Hong Kong.... next post.<br />
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-14828724819862195922018-05-31T00:42:00.002-07:002019-08-31T11:01:27.629-07:00Vietnam: Hoi An<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Arrived at the beautiful Palm Beach Resort a 20 minute drive from Hoi An. The
rooms are huge, with heavy wooden furniture, tiled floors and enormous
bed, air conditioned. Bathroom has giant stone bath with rainforest
shower. We had breakfast only here but it was a feast with a very
extensive buffet offering European and Asian food. They made me
vegetarian asian crispy pancake rolls daily although there was always fish and meat
versions available to help yourself to. Fruit in abundance, rice, lentil curry, soups, steamed vegetables, cereals, breads and a variety of juices. We
didn't need lunch and ate dinners outside in local places<br />
.<br />
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It's the only hotel I have ever stayed in where there is no shortage of sunbeds or towels and you can swim in the pool at night!<br />
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Hoi An is a Unesco World Heritage Site where part of the town is closed to traffic other than bicycles and rickshaws. It is picturesque, colourful and very French/colonial.<br />
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A ticket can
be purchased in town to access up to five of the many tourist attractions -
the most popular being the Japanese bridge. A £4 ticket gets you into 5 places of interest of your choice. You could get by without the
ticket but if you want to explore inside the ancient houses and temples (including a
small one inside the famous Japanese bridge) it's great value. The old houses are very dark inside but are designed around an open courtyard area where originally they would have cooked and relaxed. We visited at night so I would recommend daytime visits if you want to see well and get good pictures.<br />
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If you order a meal in the smaller street bars,
they will often bring it from somewhere else, it could be cooked in their home round
the corner, in another bar, who knows! but it will arrive by moped in a
pot balanced precariously and the driver will run in with the steaming
pot straight to the kitchen, seconds later it's on your plate! Pizza, curry, noodles, all delivered by moped to the kitchen.<br />
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The market sells fresh vegetables, fish and spices during the day then turns into a tourist/clothes and
street food market at night. There are plenty of places to eat or sit
and drink beer all around the outskirts of the market which are nicer than the very cramped food areas inside. This is where I
tried some of the delicious food - the one below is an egg pancake with mashed
banana inside and chocolate sauce over the top, chopped into squares and
eaten with a stick. It was hot, delicious and very filling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5lkxIV0vDXgZgY4aeKk45FnvtZFhnUOL1nLo6WFud6qJtOo6L56txY8KrvgK2vKpgkoHABvfGOWN7cvguGG59X9iVkYCo7xQ27VGOvCTNgezFrK7W2sSGn6UQ-haRK2WCkXEbvCgvxIV/s1600/P1010575_Moment%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5lkxIV0vDXgZgY4aeKk45FnvtZFhnUOL1nLo6WFud6qJtOo6L56txY8KrvgK2vKpgkoHABvfGOWN7cvguGG59X9iVkYCo7xQ27VGOvCTNgezFrK7W2sSGn6UQ-haRK2WCkXEbvCgvxIV/s320/P1010575_Moment%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pancake with mashed banana filling, hot, filling, delicious street food</td></tr>
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There were 'ice cream' curls: made from crushed/chopped
strawberries, prepared on dry ice and then spread with some
condensed sweetened milk, the pulp freezes instantly and is scraped off
into 'curls' presented in a little paper cup.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8tBS8Jk4HCY1CrHsOz3ASxgAKcCHYgqH8AaZ_-qThOTyHzoEOlhLpqxN6WgoS9F5M8Q_V4vpFaGIIW1A_IuaVHAoL3XEWWrdf0KHLPTBjoySLpc1RmY0GYjkzgoltHMCPzomuHxLW5Q6/s1600/P1010664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM8tBS8Jk4HCY1CrHsOz3ASxgAKcCHYgqH8AaZ_-qThOTyHzoEOlhLpqxN6WgoS9F5M8Q_V4vpFaGIIW1A_IuaVHAoL3XEWWrdf0KHLPTBjoySLpc1RmY0GYjkzgoltHMCPzomuHxLW5Q6/s320/P1010664.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chips and beer, Hoi An market</td></tr>
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I bought some lightweight cotton wrap beach trousers and an open back top for only a few pounds after some bartering. There are many shops selling coffee and it's a good place to buy the traditional Vietnamese coffee filter pots.<br />
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Beautiful
silk lanterns are on sale here. When shopping you can expect to
bargain 30% or more off (about £3 each) so
having had the fun of the barter, you could pay a little more if you want to walk away feeling you were fair. People aren't poor by their own standards, but their lifestyle is very different to ours (one elderly lady was so
surprised at my paying a bit more after a hard haggle that
she hugged and kissed me, a lot!).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">silk lanterns on sale on street corners and in the market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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You can get one of the
many brightly painted boats below or a little rowing boat above to take you along the canal. Night times are best as the rowing boats are lit by
silk lanterns, the scene is absolutely beautiful, as are the streets (it is a requirement in the area for
the shops to maintain lanterns at night, they run on cables across the
streets, failure to comply can result in a government fine).<br />
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Around
the bridge and river at night there are many young and elderly people
selling little 'helicopters' for a few UK pence that you can release
into the sky like bright blue and white fireflies - they 'die' quickly
but last just long enough to make a wish!<br />
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Throughout Vietnam there are Bhuddist, Hindu and Animist temples. In Hoi An the temples we saw were Chinese.<br />
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We were told that the wooden doorways deliberately have a 'step' so you lean forward as you enter, forcing a bow of respect towards the inner alter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZO_iCiJpqQiVPWjdMcp79GGrCry3uqywbZz1atkoisraPzACe9yr0qWyoTUbWwSb88JkF_BYFN_KH8hVGzBUwpVTOcVCj-44KqS1QNT0W2o25E4QhBw7hAEu5jnabT3qSFLbvLZGsb-F/s1600/P1010567.MP4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZO_iCiJpqQiVPWjdMcp79GGrCry3uqywbZz1atkoisraPzACe9yr0qWyoTUbWwSb88JkF_BYFN_KH8hVGzBUwpVTOcVCj-44KqS1QNT0W2o25E4QhBw7hAEu5jnabT3qSFLbvLZGsb-F/s320/P1010567.MP4" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">toad is a popular street food here (we didnt try this one!)</td></tr>
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The school run, not a car in sight. people carry babies in </div>
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body pouches to squeeze the whole family on their mopeds and the school</div>
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bags are either placed on the handlebars and/or the footwell. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">navy silk flippy skirt, charity shop find!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YvDkgMeRH-jVih61HN-ln1jE4g8zu91GZBULOfQXN5OevlYYr0_6KKIYdSyXZ8Dfmktu3NDGPpoyRSasm21aKPzK1x7VN04lABV10lyV-km6yP6eDoyLCXB8VyXKXoPKnXUDkpfKfdwU/s1600/P1010582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_YvDkgMeRH-jVih61HN-ln1jE4g8zu91GZBULOfQXN5OevlYYr0_6KKIYdSyXZ8Dfmktu3NDGPpoyRSasm21aKPzK1x7VN04lABV10lyV-km6yP6eDoyLCXB8VyXKXoPKnXUDkpfKfdwU/s320/P1010582.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">inside one of the ancient houses within the town that are now museums</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">temples abound, the smell of incense is overwhelming at times</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQwYNoz4Ttz2xGDuC_kWgkQDFQVhCuwpxrrro8_6HJnf1rHWmevak4SZZS7_gRnLiosCGPyJsl7CCvzW-gxF3X_7CWhSn9bEowfD1WvTvxJ4fpJ9yYBNWIzyGGtCJb9uz6LrZcBGKOI5w/s1600/P1010667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQwYNoz4Ttz2xGDuC_kWgkQDFQVhCuwpxrrro8_6HJnf1rHWmevak4SZZS7_gRnLiosCGPyJsl7CCvzW-gxF3X_7CWhSn9bEowfD1WvTvxJ4fpJ9yYBNWIzyGGtCJb9uz6LrZcBGKOI5w/s320/P1010667.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoi An market, we had chips and beer whist watching brisk sales</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Y6J3BTvBBkzJaqHltwEZx8DDTOOfTxW5j1faKMMDvxdhfY4oaI4nJuJ2oj9uk4rK9D-UjFbVM8ZPkMMrnk8dxqDuB5mE053-qhSBxvkEqON3CHabMzJviGSRHPozpImbtAhMuanrHT2/s1600/P1010683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Y6J3BTvBBkzJaqHltwEZx8DDTOOfTxW5j1faKMMDvxdhfY4oaI4nJuJ2oj9uk4rK9D-UjFbVM8ZPkMMrnk8dxqDuB5mE053-qhSBxvkEqON3CHabMzJviGSRHPozpImbtAhMuanrHT2/s320/P1010683.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our hotel lounge bar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4wQXliWz562wASKSenCvIh-ODeqtSOd63Hrfgj-VUZvZ5jywzAsws71rP4OgU3wu5y4-KwC9dD_dgKR_MhpynbiCvg8cBJSsY8Sdz_GT-wc1D4XAPq8ueO0Yq6g5jNTKf7TjQBiiIkoj/s1600/P1010695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4wQXliWz562wASKSenCvIh-ODeqtSOd63Hrfgj-VUZvZ5jywzAsws71rP4OgU3wu5y4-KwC9dD_dgKR_MhpynbiCvg8cBJSsY8Sdz_GT-wc1D4XAPq8ueO0Yq6g5jNTKf7TjQBiiIkoj/s320/P1010695.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jaeger beach kaftan (charitiy shop) split trousers Hoi An Market</td></tr>
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It is pleasantly hot on the beach from about 7am, early morning is a good time to sunbathe, as the day goes on it becomes too hot. We spent most of our time in the sea or shade.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp6aiEvRUrDW1KfASnNBv-FVj4a342M_HVqrDed8qpU0epu_5i2y7ZAyBwkoa9Idr7Qpg0jGIp5s8E7V8YaF-ILoA2DEwvYuxcKQVdCtAcTfsed92k_MJnIacBbgAP9JEXCb9LR2fGgCM/s1600/P1010666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp6aiEvRUrDW1KfASnNBv-FVj4a342M_HVqrDed8qpU0epu_5i2y7ZAyBwkoa9Idr7Qpg0jGIp5s8E7V8YaF-ILoA2DEwvYuxcKQVdCtAcTfsed92k_MJnIacBbgAP9JEXCb9LR2fGgCM/s320/P1010666.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
But the best time is to be had in the towns and markets, exploring and observing every day life,<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><i>Useful tip: always agree the price before you sit down to eat/drink so there are no misunderstandings, if it's beer on the street, it's easier to pay up front. If extra dishes are placed in front of you (black tea, spring rolls, breads) and you didn't expect them and don't want them, be firm as you will be charged!</i></span><br />
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-88587780565176585652018-05-25T11:56:00.002-07:002019-08-31T11:01:50.221-07:00Halong Bay, Vietnam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEcM0IbHdkWBupgomj1xL9GSjCrtUebxURLTytQAaFmKSA58pSxtE6mfM1Pr2zjYhxNRH8bgS_45juGUj6x5adGqAalGjDmMKfO-xroOMlj_mno_BITxUiGWyxgdX2Kchh2E6RmqhrE3y/s1600/P1010204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEcM0IbHdkWBupgomj1xL9GSjCrtUebxURLTytQAaFmKSA58pSxtE6mfM1Pr2zjYhxNRH8bgS_45juGUj6x5adGqAalGjDmMKfO-xroOMlj_mno_BITxUiGWyxgdX2Kchh2E6RmqhrE3y/s320/P1010204.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hang Dau Go Cave</td></tr>
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The next 3 pictures are from the website of Bhaya Cruises, who we did the trip with. We stayed one night on a 'junk' with our own cabin/balcony and visited a floating village and the famous Hang Dau Go (Wooden stakes) Cave full of spectacular stalactites and stalegmites although we only saw the main chamber of the cave and the time inside was 20 minutes. We docked overnight in the bay with beautiful views of the stone karsts. Halong Bay is a Unesco National Heritage Site and it is indeed beautiful, but has become a major tourist attraction. There was some polution in the bay (plastic bottles) and it occurred to me the diesel used on the many tourist junk boats could damage the water quality, which is the most beautiful emerald green.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_HqqChyagNkUBbAS07AgoxETk0PqpRD30MnDsK2KEmS_26eNnFY8YpxZZM5eWERXxPKpW7U8ADR0lRu4brVAX5pgHtej01DeRmheu2KKkWkbYtjHwR4TCUS538cn-b9El46KYotvBNjU/s1600/cruise+bhaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_HqqChyagNkUBbAS07AgoxETk0PqpRD30MnDsK2KEmS_26eNnFY8YpxZZM5eWERXxPKpW7U8ADR0lRu4brVAX5pgHtej01DeRmheu2KKkWkbYtjHwR4TCUS538cn-b9El46KYotvBNjU/s1600/cruise+bhaya.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">picture: lattesandrunways.com/ha-long-bay-with-bhaya-cruises-2-day-1-night-ha-long-bay-cruise-review/</td></tr>
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Our cabin, similar to below, was compact so difficult to get a good picture: </div>
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this picture is from Bhaya Cruises Website.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGQiNIapneuHWLOuwLaHVGiE3kM12VloSJRQbW42A3bcXIdadQ3aoHlbmTMDPSsf4Lg1GvoU1wN2DMPp4mYqt9KbsLrrWnymEjjLNR-89gVOIjQ53Er11ngHUxaABEe_omvEP5Knl2D6r/s1600/bhayaroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGQiNIapneuHWLOuwLaHVGiE3kM12VloSJRQbW42A3bcXIdadQ3aoHlbmTMDPSsf4Lg1GvoU1wN2DMPp4mYqt9KbsLrrWnymEjjLNR-89gVOIjQ53Er11ngHUxaABEe_omvEP5Knl2D6r/s1600/bhayaroom.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://lattesandrunways.com/ha-long-bay-with-bhaya-cruises-2-day-1-night-ha-long-bay-cruise-review/</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6DfOU9YDecjV6z1IED4X8rIDFbzq7QHkDXLBMfKWyJK4H3Q7umdn_QQ8lZdfI92VmAuWWz-YS5kFO0Mrb4dSwOFTrnCA1RnvqKun1YIsE0ZzPqaHCwf2kEsbYV3n6_sK3BCU6hc0T8Bz/s1600/bhaya2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6DfOU9YDecjV6z1IED4X8rIDFbzq7QHkDXLBMfKWyJK4H3Q7umdn_QQ8lZdfI92VmAuWWz-YS5kFO0Mrb4dSwOFTrnCA1RnvqKun1YIsE0ZzPqaHCwf2kEsbYV3n6_sK3BCU6hc0T8Bz/s1600/bhaya2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://lattesandrunways.com/ha-long-bay-with-bhaya-cruises-2-day-1-night-ha-long-bay-cruise-review/</td></tr>
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I couldn't believe our cabin on this little boat - it was like a tiny hotel on water, a feeling that you were stepping back in time, tongue and groove panelling and low lighting. Our cabin had room for a double bed, a balcony and (unexpected) a shower! Tiny but functional, I LOVED every moment in there and on the balcony.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_Scy058EjirrnFPx-xhy5_VSssdpihHzuPYugXyT2QFaCE7M2ie_yBS7dcfX34M_UdRgJ3OJEBy80jVibvwQi2SHJ9XZxiLoRvixYGJyR8vTGNNDOA9Hxb9uKn3fFsX-2oVK-ljxhOAO/s1600/P1010207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_Scy058EjirrnFPx-xhy5_VSssdpihHzuPYugXyT2QFaCE7M2ie_yBS7dcfX34M_UdRgJ3OJEBy80jVibvwQi2SHJ9XZxiLoRvixYGJyR8vTGNNDOA9Hxb9uKn3fFsX-2oVK-ljxhOAO/s320/P1010207.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">small 'beach' within the karsts/bay</td></tr>
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The boat felt like something out of a Harry Potter scene, a sort of magical adventure.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTi8X4B42OcIz1RmSM0J2V7ok4OWMLODzs6eApcHa_1syaUG4HM3ZpOlMMuM7gnoQ1QyAy6KSHl8DfnXBHKVNQBWlxuFd87p8aYBw6fhRt1U5jJ7a-x8TnaDglF0rkzA5ppC-xxO-QIUOW/s1600/20180419_161945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTi8X4B42OcIz1RmSM0J2V7ok4OWMLODzs6eApcHa_1syaUG4HM3ZpOlMMuM7gnoQ1QyAy6KSHl8DfnXBHKVNQBWlxuFd87p8aYBw6fhRt1U5jJ7a-x8TnaDglF0rkzA5ppC-xxO-QIUOW/s320/20180419_161945.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The restuarant on board</td></tr>
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Vegetarian food was prepared specially for me (I felt like a queen!) - Vietnamese type vegetable stir fry, rice, pancake rolls. Everyone else had a choice of a similar style meal with fish or chicken. Breakfast sitting outside was wonderful. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqjCbsTQmuxIZWaEpreLYjRAqRnqwb2tR4UuXZiJSH7m__d7OfWpdtR4WeGrDpmqWfKGduPGPHKFHP3joJTcOlAkuvOylDRy8rRzQZiALvdj6tZs5Zrgabi25TFuTxslEfvAtF88RPbRK/s1600/20180419_195905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqjCbsTQmuxIZWaEpreLYjRAqRnqwb2tR4UuXZiJSH7m__d7OfWpdtR4WeGrDpmqWfKGduPGPHKFHP3joJTcOlAkuvOylDRy8rRzQZiALvdj6tZs5Zrgabi25TFuTxslEfvAtF88RPbRK/s320/20180419_195905.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">food on-board</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uR9QDPcrs-k-K7idjEXhKp0aEkCkk_nlQwtJc2sZ_rxEFlJic1J4FG6XoxoRqBCMDjytRKjglMojO-nPAz9aqDEk7mI7-fyWnZ_FxRjWbmDU81Np2rxL_BzrmFcyzVuYxZw9YsvNPdBg/s1600/P1010196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uR9QDPcrs-k-K7idjEXhKp0aEkCkk_nlQwtJc2sZ_rxEFlJic1J4FG6XoxoRqBCMDjytRKjglMojO-nPAz9aqDEk7mI7-fyWnZ_FxRjWbmDU81Np2rxL_BzrmFcyzVuYxZw9YsvNPdBg/s320/P1010196.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">neighbouring boats docked for the night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNT7fm72wbPqXI-IWq8-92fn3Y1PmSIbknNdTmHtnrRbtgx_ELKyrLwZUrCxAKoTSIP5c73jDN77QJUupawwDkPhEdxGmhnJP957U0JtrJyWcxvjKrukf5XyApbouJi1f3dhIP0Q_z6S8/s1600/P1010190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNT7fm72wbPqXI-IWq8-92fn3Y1PmSIbknNdTmHtnrRbtgx_ELKyrLwZUrCxAKoTSIP5c73jDN77QJUupawwDkPhEdxGmhnJP957U0JtrJyWcxvjKrukf5XyApbouJi1f3dhIP0Q_z6S8/s320/P1010190.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from my balcony at sunset</td></tr>
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We fished for jellyfish at night off the back of the boat by torchlight ...then snuggled up in a cosy duvet in a luxurious cabin and woke up to a cooked breakfast, followed by a trip to a floating fishing village. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supermarket</td></tr>
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We were taken from our boat on a little tug to a rowing boat, and then local fishermen rowed us over to a floating village ... the village floats on empty fuel cans and a criss cross web of wooden boards. People sleep in hammocks in fairly open plan housing/hut type arrangements. Their food supplies are brought out by boat to them by locals and they make their living. fishing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5yAJgKlzx_QEWLw-rYR0dg6XpFH5Rpb42Y8v1QzO4zIRz2eVuglCT-invQvvj5hQTJnUmAUt0OdX4qKY6DqMhIa8nsnfZFLvuaBGUKIjukwo_GKOE7MMyG9INtgb5Qd_XzgBQeMEvX6M/s1600/boatman_Moment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="685" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5yAJgKlzx_QEWLw-rYR0dg6XpFH5Rpb42Y8v1QzO4zIRz2eVuglCT-invQvvj5hQTJnUmAUt0OdX4qKY6DqMhIa8nsnfZFLvuaBGUKIjukwo_GKOE7MMyG9INtgb5Qd_XzgBQeMEvX6M/s400/boatman_Moment.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rowing with legs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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These were not wealthy people, this is their lifestyle for generations, they have chosen to continue here and are proud of their village and don't want to move into the cities, some people have tried and returned as they don't have skills that can be applied. The Government wants the village to remain unchanged so tourism is controlled by employing the fishermen to row the tourists over and see the village. The Government has built a small museum which shows the way the people live and work.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the houses with hammocks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Footnote: I enjoyed the boat and the fishing village, which was a lovely unscheduled surprise, being a substitute for more caves and time on the little 'beach', this was due to the bay being overcrowded with boats like ours - schedules will change without notice. I would go again for the experience overnight on the boat seeing the beauty of the bay and its karsts, but not, to be honest, for the caves. </i><br />
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-87416866385477079482018-05-15T23:47:00.000-07:002019-08-31T11:02:04.934-07:00Vietnam - Sa Pa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I think this was my favourite part of our trip, the scenery, people and villages were so interesting and untouched. Everyone was very friendly and didn't mind us taking pictures.<br />
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<br />
We took the overnight sleeper train from Hanoi to Lao Cai,
near Sa Pa. Our carriage was the Victoria, it was compact and clean
with two attendants who brought cold beer before bed time and returned
in the morning at about 5am with croissants and hot coffee, there was a
toilet to each carriage and I think about 12 compartments with 4 or 6 beds in each.<br />
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The beds had clean fresh sheets and
pillows/duvet. Although the track is very noisy and bumpy, with stops
throughout the night, we managed a fairly good sleep over the 8 hour
journey. It's a great way to travel without 'losing' a day and a
fantastic experience. There was a toilet to each carriage!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIAUpUS-yjatU-2HvsZs4LCxeqcGrkcboyO5bFri0lktVYxMnPm-LNjRXQrEnK3RqX84dcDB197mYT3SJIrwP8p19rSoQfVHHy9y76ew4RVR8ufPsVKQbuuAchnI5GHYxxY2h6eRPp576/s1600/P1010282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIAUpUS-yjatU-2HvsZs4LCxeqcGrkcboyO5bFri0lktVYxMnPm-LNjRXQrEnK3RqX84dcDB197mYT3SJIrwP8p19rSoQfVHHy9y76ew4RVR8ufPsVKQbuuAchnI5GHYxxY2h6eRPp576/s320/P1010282.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our cosy train carriage, bunk beds with fresh sheets/duvets, wifi charge point, beer!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
https://www.victoriahotels.asia/en/victoria-train.html</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHf07phCZ-YFXJKyyZVM9nNqi3KVpvdz2RCyRE3-9CQJNd0e-2YUcsuONnTKMIX8ajojEwAgzw3Cmsym5u1CmFrLDaXflj-i_60lXkf5rh4if6sR_KqBB2WAaTB4npnxLlitSG2SWC8Sz0/s1600/P1010280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHf07phCZ-YFXJKyyZVM9nNqi3KVpvdz2RCyRE3-9CQJNd0e-2YUcsuONnTKMIX8ajojEwAgzw3Cmsym5u1CmFrLDaXflj-i_60lXkf5rh4if6sR_KqBB2WAaTB4npnxLlitSG2SWC8Sz0/s320/P1010280.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our friendly, uniformed host who woke us with croissants/coffee at 5am</td></tr>
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We
were met at 7am by our guide and driver/van for the 5km trek. We were the only ones on this trek so had our guide all to ourselves and learned a lot about the country, it's people and that inevitably tourism is impacting on rural life... and we were driven through
valleys into the mountain regions of Sapa, close to the border with
China. First we had some time on our own to expore the town of Bac Ha
where at 8am there was a busy market in full swing, selling wild orchids
(taken from the jungle), charcoal, wood, food, woven cloth and pots and
pans. Everyone was friendly and as interested in us as we were in
them. There were small hotels and guest houses in town with aircon so we
rested and drank coffee.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">selling wild orchid</td></tr>
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I wished I hand't asked to sit up front on this journey! the driver drove dangerously close to the open cliff edge with a sheer drop into the valley, there were times when lorries or bikes would come towards us on the wrong side. An hour or so drive upwards along this precarious
road with a sheer drop and uneven, crumbly surfaces and we arrived at
the village of the Red Dao. we walked through this and other villages
(Black Hmong, Gaiy, taking in the clear air and fabulous views of rice terraces and the most beautiful scenery. The
villagers were friendly and curious and followed us considerable
distances wanting to sell their woven cloth and bags but also just wanting to be part of the walk, they are learning English and try hard to build a rapport, they are very funny, happy people.<br />
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The lady above was in one of the hill villages, her 'shop' sells fresh tofu and she was busy making a batch. The living conditions were fairly basic but they have water, power and cling film! <br />
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This lady was not swotting flies, but waving cheerfully whilst resting at the roadside with her sugar cane, I thought it was very nice of her considering the sweltering heat and heavy load!temperatures averaged 36 fahrenheit, humidity was good in Sa Pa but in the towns/beach could be 80%.<br />
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<br />
There is an
opportunity for a homestay here and there are quite a few new build
homes in progress as this tourist opportunity is realised - but these
aren't the original tribal homes - which are very basic with earth floor,
no lighting or running water with one room serving cooking and sleeping
for a whole family, there are plenty of these and the amenities are
basic, hammocks rather than beds, cooking on small burners, people are very happy to show you inside their houses but I think as they get more tourism this will change.<br />
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Each
tribe has it's own traditional costume and they take great pride in
wearing it, not just for our benefit - they live and work in their
beautifully woven scarves and tunics although teenagers are adding Nikes and slogan t-shirts to the mix. The children wear these decorative outfits and can be seen in the main town market area and also in the villages, selling
trinkets like bead bracelets to tourists.<br />
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Red
Dao ladies shave their eyebrows and sides of their heads and wrap
their hair in red turbans with tassles and silver coins. In their
village we saw bunched leaves on sticks outside the entrance to a house
which is to ward off evil spirits as a new baby was within the house.
Marriages are arranged, around age 15 and involve a diviner who
determines compatibility. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fuZiWpueK3fDgVqXhofunCgb2o1-VCRlyoOsOf8QKE-KU7hxXxgxodyPRnTc1hs9yhJXH5HF8wwgUVKYkGWOe7XY9JTI49s_36LSFfyuC-ZZiFjNL4rsh-HlqnamCbGudjaNOMPQEL5_/s1600/20180421_072346.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fuZiWpueK3fDgVqXhofunCgb2o1-VCRlyoOsOf8QKE-KU7hxXxgxodyPRnTc1hs9yhJXH5HF8wwgUVKYkGWOe7XY9JTI49s_36LSFfyuC-ZZiFjNL4rsh-HlqnamCbGudjaNOMPQEL5_/s320/20180421_072346.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Red Dao lady was a very noisy market trader </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our visit to the market was not planned, it was a
'toilet stop' with a spare hour where we wandered off to explore on our own while our guide had a fag break! Yet it was probably the best part
of our entire trip as so many of the hill and valley tribes were here in
their traditional woven 'uniforms' selling their wares. We saw no
other tourists here either so got great photos!<br />
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People
all over Vietnam like keeping songbirds, they use very small wicker cages as in the
picture below and take their birds out from the home, as at
this market, because they like the birdsong and the older people 'compete' one birds song against another', which is undoubtedly
beautiful (although the quality of life for the bird is sadly
restricted).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9o2RzQLHG72hR7iiBSu4nYBGv60MSP2yKc0o_TQJnlX4IyJB-dO2F_sAGr98DNFB7yWhaD1DskcABr1kNoDC7yYiU6TueEf-Dm8BQqG8gYozIqCs1zZw2O1fIJYdiHqdN1f5CBc9lhpY/s1600/20180421_072424.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9o2RzQLHG72hR7iiBSu4nYBGv60MSP2yKc0o_TQJnlX4IyJB-dO2F_sAGr98DNFB7yWhaD1DskcABr1kNoDC7yYiU6TueEf-Dm8BQqG8gYozIqCs1zZw2O1fIJYdiHqdN1f5CBc9lhpY/s640/20180421_072424.jpg" width="384" /></a></div>
although
these people are making an honest living selling wild orchid, they are
taken from the jungle which is not particularly eco friendly. <br />
<br />
*<i>Not
all orchids are being taken from the jungle, this was a small market in
the hills; we also saw the most spectacular orchids in flower markets
all around Vietnam
... which I will show you in future posts ...which were commercially
grown on 'farms' of gigantic polytunnels to provide for the demand in
cities.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBYLwE3BQa_aju46eAD0L3FuuboKiamuCBZTGraimNd65oorw6ss5W_lIdNxloxLMvhIErNY1VsUVZCGltkljVNf0oBcIduYqsbt1-0Mrce0T8QMFGUVakyaolNjsl9DqGnTa25u4mdtb/s1600/20180421_072933.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBYLwE3BQa_aju46eAD0L3FuuboKiamuCBZTGraimNd65oorw6ss5W_lIdNxloxLMvhIErNY1VsUVZCGltkljVNf0oBcIduYqsbt1-0Mrce0T8QMFGUVakyaolNjsl9DqGnTa25u4mdtb/s400/20180421_072933.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVTjv1zIKhcA6ELEyraSSO2iUHHRaVAWZur5RTLQL_oVMurUu23vLzKXMJSVjlBG0-XHoZhq6Y-S_ztOJ61AXKAIVgPkDazLQTZFPl4EZVhOvaGuhlTkJe-7UtR-EMwUnJflFlQubXrt4/s1600/20180421_072848.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVTjv1zIKhcA6ELEyraSSO2iUHHRaVAWZur5RTLQL_oVMurUu23vLzKXMJSVjlBG0-XHoZhq6Y-S_ztOJ61AXKAIVgPkDazLQTZFPl4EZVhOvaGuhlTkJe-7UtR-EMwUnJflFlQubXrt4/s640/20180421_072848.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">young generation wear their tribal clothes with pride but a mix of western influence is seen here and there</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqr-sr_9z10FiMKb8ZbcLM0ZiUr_X01UbDSdF6Hso_VC6gTYZjfmJdwmuVjScm6odSIzE8K9prTRFR9a_NUNVdSaSVkFS6JebogvMbHlQLfGzMcSrCt-rKWD-E3Yfo1RHaP9-GGNFpUg8/s1600/20180421_072226.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqr-sr_9z10FiMKb8ZbcLM0ZiUr_X01UbDSdF6Hso_VC6gTYZjfmJdwmuVjScm6odSIzE8K9prTRFR9a_NUNVdSaSVkFS6JebogvMbHlQLfGzMcSrCt-rKWD-E3Yfo1RHaP9-GGNFpUg8/s320/20180421_072226.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby in backpack!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We
stopped at a little cafe/ home stay with a kitchen and a
few tables, the toilet was a hole in the ground affair(!) Our guide chose the traditional Vietnamese coffee. I shared his, which was delicious -
made with sweetened condensed milk in the bottom, the very strong
coffee filtered through these steel pots - it takes about 10 minutes so the glass is seated
in a bowl of hot water to keep it hot. The coffee has a strong
chocolate flavour. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5HeXht4aTXxPawuxjfXfhGX2R0PKT6qrjVPzC_6_YkFKbZvSa1xjxA4Ar5cIj4NlXr8gPf51UVUPJFwKG2wN8_VZO2h_4AN8m3k0YD8bHh4TeV428DV3jEh800ye47BXguBPmIYgnILF/s1600/P1010366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5HeXht4aTXxPawuxjfXfhGX2R0PKT6qrjVPzC_6_YkFKbZvSa1xjxA4Ar5cIj4NlXr8gPf51UVUPJFwKG2wN8_VZO2h_4AN8m3k0YD8bHh4TeV428DV3jEh800ye47BXguBPmIYgnILF/s320/P1010366.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">traditional Vietnamese coffee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It takes about 10 minutes to brew but the
wait is all part of the experience, sitting watching our coffee brewing,
chatting and watching a funeral group in progress in the valley below us, we were told this deceased was a prominent figure and would have many mourners so a buffalo was being prepared for the funeral feast. We
didn't take pictures as the locals would not have appreciated this but
it made an interesting spectacle of a whole village of Black Hmong men
lined up to show their respects, the buffalo in the background awaiting
his fate and the backdrop of the green rice terraces, the odd giant
tropical butterfly gliding by and heat haze of the early morning giving
way to bright sunshine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW6QkhHD24H2_rApQeTi3iNAU7HyQmuFsmUvxn_4uTPtVmloLZdJzcSqkjZmPSD5yLf4sTeYam-n4in_wHF4AuFdYGY-yxCjLXiIB6Bb4q5fpSMdmweSxOy54bI0AknCnzukvRuQ7_VEY/s1600/20180421_094000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1600" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW6QkhHD24H2_rApQeTi3iNAU7HyQmuFsmUvxn_4uTPtVmloLZdJzcSqkjZmPSD5yLf4sTeYam-n4in_wHF4AuFdYGY-yxCjLXiIB6Bb4q5fpSMdmweSxOy54bI0AknCnzukvRuQ7_VEY/s320/20180421_094000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We
were met at the end of our hike by our vehicle and taken up to the very
top of the mountains for two nights at the Topas Eco Lodge. The most
beautiful, calm surroundings, birds and butterflies, no tv or technology
(wifi in reception only). Minimalist yet luxurious in its simplicity,
bungalow style accommodation with spectactular views, rainforest shower
and fresh crisp sheets on the bed, an infinity pool looking out over the
rice terraces cascading below us like an endless stairway from heaven.
The sunsets and sunrises here are spectacular and unforgettable. So glad we stayed here rather than in town as this Lodge is very special.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
http://topasecolodge.com/gallery/</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01F_H_LzelOqlPAHCUAAs7RvVrlROfDMXkHcVGr1bmtUDb5joRjaInOaDt0YdRagsq4CL5cULY0sKvF79fMLynOgKky1Oa9iE2trQ-jUhBnKf9R1f4HJpAHtWkqrvmfs2zw8n0r0OQ5Ys/s1600/P1010362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01F_H_LzelOqlPAHCUAAs7RvVrlROfDMXkHcVGr1bmtUDb5joRjaInOaDt0YdRagsq4CL5cULY0sKvF79fMLynOgKky1Oa9iE2trQ-jUhBnKf9R1f4HJpAHtWkqrvmfs2zw8n0r0OQ5Ys/s320/P1010362.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">everyone in the mountains has an umbrella nearby for rain or shine<br />
it gets very hot up there even early in the morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This lady missed a tourist opportunity to sell some of her lovely woven bags. It's a very slow pace of life in the hills. I asked if the Government supports them or buys their rice but was told the people farm the land only for their own needs, there is little profit to be made so they are on the look out for sales opportunities with trekkers to boost their incomes, many want to leave and work in the cities, try, but then return as they don't have the skills to find work, nonetheless this way of life may not be sustainable much longer. Homestays houses were being knocked up by the dozen when we were there but the investment is coming from small business men and not the locals.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCt8XIwr76qwjjbcIJ5qWms-x5ypE2eQxb3Yos-ZVYP8FZtS4I7jubcSFFudIU2O_z0q_xeTmQrBJUGGG7YTm_yJ-Z8MDnqfwT_pEfoLHrLRVxykym6iICFN7UQKIutQvUV8ao331zPxT/s1600/P1010351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiCt8XIwr76qwjjbcIJ5qWms-x5ypE2eQxb3Yos-ZVYP8FZtS4I7jubcSFFudIU2O_z0q_xeTmQrBJUGGG7YTm_yJ-Z8MDnqfwT_pEfoLHrLRVxykym6iICFN7UQKIutQvUV8ao331zPxT/s320/P1010351.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cock fighting goes on here although officially it is illegal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Disturbing for us Westerners, some areas of Vietnam still eat dog. The meat is expensive, the dogs are bred specifically and considered a delicacy, so it would seem it is not extensive, but we saw some dogs being transported on mopeds on a major road to the North in awful cramped conditions and their fate was confirmed by our driver. It's one of the few things we may not understand or condone, but in another country you have to show tact and respect for their way of life methinks. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Mopeds are used to transport anything and everything, kids as young as 10<br />
can be seen riding around with all kinds of things on their bikes (it is illegal for children to ride mopeds but that doesn't stop them up here).</div>
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<br />
I may have some more pics of Sa Pa so will do another post if they turn up. Next I think it's Cu Chi Tunnels and Halong Bay.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><i>Useful tip: In vans/cars ask to sit next to the driver to get the best pics and don't be shy to ask them to stop if you want to get a really good picture sometimes, they soon get the idea.</i></span><br />
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1053450880375741042.post-50177404700142449122018-05-13T10:56:00.000-07:002019-08-31T11:02:29.535-07:00Vietnam: Hanoi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
We flew with Emirates, via Dubai. we checked in to the Melia hotel in Hanoi and, despite being tired after 13 hours flying, we wanted to get straight out to explore the town. It is very
busy with thousands of mopeds as well as cars and lorries and roads were
tricky to cross but we quickly got used to it, traffic doesn' stop for
you but goes round you so you just keep moving and don't step back!<br />
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<br />
Hanoi has a romantic, colonial fee. The earlier French occupation is evident in the style of the buildings all around the old
quarter of town where narrow streets are packed with rows of pretty, crumbling, pale ochre painted buildings with shops below and living accommodation above, their balconies crammed with flower pots, laundry and
singing birds in cages.<br />
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We saw many street vendors selling food from bicycles or carrying yokes laden with fruit, eggs or noodles in bags. Just about anything was available on the street, even a hair cut.<br />
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We
found plenty of places to eat in the side streets around the old French
quarter and ate well, enjoying
stir fry or steamed vegetarian noodle dishes. We did not eat from the glass cupboards around the streets like the one here though as in the heat they were like incubators.<br />
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Anywhere with a roof and a queue of locals was a safe betand we got to experience the atmosphere of the town by drinking beer in these little street vends. You just pull up a tiny plastic stool and become part of the scenery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDFvbzzX_ndGGgi-TkCIUkSQPjo8G7YxXDAa4vImGuxbcmlyvquUwRxdYdeeeJp4P_7pRo8TBs36ye8vKtMFVDvEIoEQJYbl4dUoqixutJz3gMeWJw-GoL23X3a0Kuh8sy9gSUwdXq7t2/s1600/20180418_092420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDFvbzzX_ndGGgi-TkCIUkSQPjo8G7YxXDAa4vImGuxbcmlyvquUwRxdYdeeeJp4P_7pRo8TBs36ye8vKtMFVDvEIoEQJYbl4dUoqixutJz3gMeWJw-GoL23X3a0Kuh8sy9gSUwdXq7t2/s320/20180418_092420.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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We went
to Ho Chi Minhs mausoleum, where he lies flanked by 4 soldiers aroud his
coffin who change over every hour to provide constant protection. W
were told how he brought Buddhism from India and how he lived a peaceful
life, empowering his people and ensuring improved standards of
education for all, he is revered by the Vietnamese people and likened to Ghandi. The houses he lived in were in the same grounds and were surprisingly minimalist with only his essential needs, heavy wood floors and furniture, no ornamentation or distraction.<br />
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Groups of excited chattering Chinese women grabbed me for selfies,
apparently they had not seen many westerners. The Vietnamese school
children we encountered were delightfully curious and invited me to
join their school photos.<br />
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People here can make money from recycling, we often saw people taking paper/plastic from the roadside late at night. I asked about this and learned that the wealthy Duong family had abusiness in recycling, during the Northern Vietnamese control his family fled in the 70s as refugees leaving everything behind, eventually building up a waste recycling business from nothing over 3 years in the USA. The then 15 year old Mr Duong is now a millionaire and at the invitation of the Vietnamese government, has returned and invested in recycling in his home country. He is known and loved in Vietnam as 'The King of Trash' You can read about him here <a href="http://www.calwaste.com/index.php?option=com_tz_portfolio&view=article&id=87&Itemid=463">Duong Vietnamese Recycling Millionaire</a> (Cal Waste Solutions/Duong family).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2l_zB7-ShvAG-iw2Noz4la0eMpRXE3eHKX526NsHnToB9ymD6sREfQ7MLMR7LlfFrtYHhfuC3YBeWhgXz5fZzUOoEVn4xeENCL-XPd1wH33Ph3BJd1UkbfC0s7xhd7LO5LC437Xn3eHvQ/s1600/20180417_213556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2l_zB7-ShvAG-iw2Noz4la0eMpRXE3eHKX526NsHnToB9ymD6sREfQ7MLMR7LlfFrtYHhfuC3YBeWhgXz5fZzUOoEVn4xeENCL-XPd1wH33Ph3BJd1UkbfC0s7xhd7LO5LC437Xn3eHvQ/s320/20180417_213556.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A meal for two with beer £6 in a locals cafe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Tipping is not expected and people don't want anything from you other than a chance to sell something at a fair price (whether you want it or not!), they were always friendly and most will try to speak English.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">Useful tip: if unsure of food, go where the locals are queueing, where it is fresh (alive) and being cooked in front of you. Street food is fine as long as you don't choose meat that has been sitting in a glass box for hours. I am veggie but had no trouble finding tofu dishes everywhere.</span><br />
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More posts to follow: Victoria Express train, Sapa rice terraces, tribes and market, Halong Bay, Hoi An/beach and Saigon (in no particular order probably!)<br />
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Elderberry-Robhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14197689596360708239noreply@blogger.com8