Same Same, but... a little bit different!

Wash rinse, repeat

mitann — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 18:25:00 GMT

We were in no hurry to get up and out. After spending a bit of time in one spot you often get bored and tired of it. This is the point when true vacation relaxation sets in. You feel compelled to do something, but it can often feel monotonous. As we get older we prefer this to ‘all inclusive’ which is all the same. We get a couple days of exciting tourist exploration, followed by a couple days of just cultural immersion.

After chilling in the hotel for most of the morning, we set out for the hop on hop off. The bus was a 40 minute wait, so we discovered a Sky Bar with a view of the stop. The beer was expensive but the view was perfect.

We boarded the bus and changed routes at stop 1. We decided not to wait 40 mins for the next bus, but walk for a bit instead.

Although most were very well marked, we couldn’t find the next stop. Instead, we flagged down the bus; we had told the guy we were walking so....they were watching for us.

We enjoyed the tranquility of the bus; taking in the local sites. This bus took us far outside the city where there was quad and camel riding. We stopped for a photo opt with some not so friendly camels.

There really is not a lot to say about Marrakesh. We enjoyed our time here, but this city is tourist hell. The market is largely a scam waiting to happen and the tourist sites are dishevelled and over priced. The food in the tourist areas is expensive and lacks flavour. Overall, it was nice to be here for weather and the experience was worth it. Our hotel was very comfortable and we had a very relaxing time there.

The morning after 1 Feb 2020; we set out for Casablanca on the train, fairly uneventful. After arriving, we walked the 100 feet from the station to our apartment where the maid let us in. There was a bit of double booking confusion, but it worked out fine.

After a quick walk through the market, we found some nosh for dinner. I was hoping for a fantastic shawarma like I had the last time we were here, but the downtown area only had the style we had in Marrakech (more a half circle instead of a roll). It was delicious however and the fries were amazing.

Walking around, the crowds were electric. Being the sabbath, people were out everywhere.

My last Moroccan bucket list item was snail soup. I love escargot, but I could give or take the snotty textured snails out of the shell. The soup, however was very unique, spicy, quite medicinal. It was good and only 5 dirhams (about 80 cents).

2 Feb 2020; Our last day was not unlike other vacations relaxing and time spent shopping. We bought a variety of spices, cookware and other small items. Time for home!

Photos: Wash rinse, repeat

mitann — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 18:07:00 GMT

To hop on or to hop off?

mitann — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 21:48:00 GMT

We started the day as the title suggests, City Tour Marrakesh; a hop on, hop of style bus service. It’s not free, but at about $16 each, it is of the cheaper ones we have done. The bus was standard and the route was short; albeit we only did one of two routes today.

We tour around for the approximately hour route, hearing the history of the city. The most interesting, to me, was the fact that the Marrakesh population is predominantly young with around 70 percent under 30.

We saw camels.

Nice warm sun.

And a Canadian flag... kinda.

We hopped off at our hotel and headed North.

Without a plan, we just wandered the streets just making turns following the crowds of locals. We even got stuck for a couple minutes in what I thought was local rush hour, but was more like a local dispute in an insanely narrow passage for cars, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians and my favourite, donkey carts!

We were enjoying the simple life of locals so decided to stop at a park.

And for some tea!

We surprisingly arrived to a neighbourhood that was suggested by our cooking class. The souk contained local made ceramics. To our surprise the prices were much higher than in the tourist areas for basically the same stuff. So much so that the vendor laughed at our first price and simply asked his son to return the merchandise to its place.

The walk certainly was not a waste, we enjoyed being out of the incessant pestering by vendors in the tourist areas!

Feeling confident that the market prices were fine, we found a nice vendor that let us look without being pestered. We purchased a variety of bowls at ‘fixed’ prices and he even through in a freebie.

We arrived back to our hotel and Ann took a nap while I got some provisions to make some Moroccan inspired risotto.

Of course I had to make chicken stock.

Fresh peas and mushrooms.

Olives covered in harissa were amazing.

We enjoyed a Moroccan bottle of wine and our delicious risotto and just relaxed. Best part of a vacation sometimes is just pumping the breaks and taking things slow.

Photos: To hop on or to hop off?

mitann — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 19:31:00 GMT

Dead Marrakesh

mitann — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 16:29:00 GMT

We got up a bit late this morning. Both jet leg and staying up late had us in bed until almost 10 AM. It was nice just to relax!

We set out for the Jewish Quarter, just south of our apartment. The alleyways were tight within the walled old Medina. It was very difficult to navigate to our list of places we planned to visit.

We stumbled upon a culinary arts museum and decided to check it out. It was not cheap at 120 dirhams each (about $18) but included food samples; more like mini meals.

The building was incredible; a restored large Riad, the new wood work was very detailed.

We sampled a variety of salads, breads and tajines.

Teas and pastries.

We were stuffed!

We resumed our trek to the Jewish quarter and were offered a variety of good and bad advice. We heard things were closed, we were going the wrong way, etcetera. We persevered and arrived to the old Jewish cemetery.

We learned that around the Spanish Inquisition, many Jews fled Europe and sought refuge in Marrakesh. They were not permitted the protection of the walled city of the Medina and they build a community just outside.

Although there isn’t much of a Jewish community remaining, the area has a charm that is different from the other parts for Marrakesh we visited. The children were on their lunch break and were grouped around sweet snacks.

The cemetery was like nothing we have ever seen. The graves were raised and appeared random. Signage exclaimed there was reason in the randomness.

Most amazing garden of rosemary!

Again another mix of good and bad advice, we found the last synagogue; the area once had 40. Even this last remnant of what once was, was half converted into a police station. It was interesting...

We wandered around shopping and admiring the process for drying dyed dry roses; used in a variety of vanity products.

We couldn’t resist the fresh squeezed orange juice!

We visited Saadien Tombs and although it was marginally interesting, it was 70 dirhams ($10) and we saw everything in less than 15 minutes (including using the washroom).

We grabbed a couple beers and enjoyed a cold one in our apartment. May have taken a short nap after the hours of walking.

Neither of us could decide on dinner, so we just shopped around the night market.

We are reserving the rest of our purchases for markets outside the tourist hell they call Jama El f’na. Yesterday, Ann wanted a Henna tattoo so she asked the price. Before she could even blink someone else was already starting on her hand, “you pay what you want”. (Warning to travellers these women are aggressive and actually want 350 dirhams) The work is beautiful but not worth what they are asking. When she was done I gave the lady 50 dirhams told her to take that or nothing and we left. The experience was a little nerve racking for us both and we decided the market buskers are quite a scam.

Pretty though!

After walking for a couple more hours we called it a night, enjoyed a beverage and wrote the blog.

Photos: Dead Marrakesh

mitann — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 16:28:00 GMT

Photos: The most authentic cooking experience!

mitann — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 19:58:00 GMT

The most authentic cooking experience!

mitann — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 19:52:00 GMT

After getting ready, we set out for our cooking class. It was relatively far from our hotel; 20 minute taxi or about 40 minutes on bus. We opted for the bus.

We arrived a bit early and sat for tea and coffee.

Brahim met us on time, was friendly immediately! He escorted us to his house; a 3 story town house in a modern Moroccan neighbourhood. They share the house with Brahim’s parents and 2 brothers. The house is modestly decorated, rustic but very comfortable. We sat in the living room / dining room and met his wife, mother and 18 month old son.

We were presented a giant array of breads, jams, tomato chutney, olives and ‘pancakes’ with honey. Everything was simple and delicious. We got to know each other and we presented (mother) a Canadian gift, maple syrup.

After discussing the day, Brahim gave us many choices of meals to make. He helped us choose beef tagine with apricot and prunes; and lamb tagine with vegetables (potato, zucchini, carrots and peas).

We set out for the market with basket in hand. Brahim purchased all the provisions at the local stands. Each vendor was specially chosen for their support of tourism in the area that doesn’t normally have any.

All the ingredients were extremely fresh, especially the oranges that were in season. Yum!

We purchased 1 ‘large’ gram of saffron from a trusted vendor; best quality I have ever seen (35 MAD or about $8, not much cheaper than Amazon, but hey, we got it in Morocco).

After collecting all our stuff, we headed back to the house and got straight at it, cutting onions, garlic, potatoes, etc etc. Brahim left to drop the bread at the community bake house.

We marinaded the beef and lamb in a variety of spices including cumin, turmeric and a couple mixes such as Moroccan 35 spice mix. The smells were amazing.

Without giving a play-by-play for the entire day, we cooked for several hours and that may sound like a long of time to some, but we enjoyed every minute. It was especially interesting to use the simple instruments, all while the kids ran around and played. It was like being part of the family. Their daughter, who is 4, goes to school from 0830 until 1200, home for lunch until 1500 and back to school until 1730. Cute kid.

Brahim took us to the simple, but charming community bakery; located in the basement of the community bathhouse (hammam). Moroccan’s like their bread fresh baked in wood ovens and for about 1-2 MAD per loaf, most families drop their daily nosh there for browning.

We finished up fried potatoes and set the family style meal. The smells were incredible.

What can I say, the food was amazing. The meat was tender, the spices came through in every dish. The salads were simple but very fresh.

Although we learned Moroccan style cooking, the experience was less a cooking lesson than it was stepping into the life of a Moroccan home lifestyle. Fresh shopping; simplicity of ingredients and cooking methods. While we cooked we experienced Moroccan parenting, laundry and their passion for their family. We met everyone and they were all very warm, very welcoming!

We made a special connection and were both present gifts by the family, Ann a pashmina and me a tagine. Very nice ending to a very nice day. This Air BnB experience cost us $50 each, which is of the cheaper cooking classes we have done. It was one of the most authentic experiences we have ever done while travelling.

After the 6 hour experience, We took the bus back to the hotel, drank some beer and relaxed. We were both stuffed and exhausted. Time to just relax!

On the move, Casablanca to Marrakech

mitann — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 17:37:00 GMT

We slept very well, so well we had a very hard time getting up. So much that Ann slept through my morning routine and coming back to bed with cold feet on her legs. So much that I fell back asleep and the 0900 alarm woke us from a deep sleep! Gotta get up, gotta get going.

Our train was scheduled for 10:50, Casa Port to Casa Voyagers; switch trains and then onward to Marrakech. We cleaned our apartment, packed and set out for Le Gare. Taxi was only 20 dirhams ($3) but what was better was the driver. He talked our ear off about the authenticity of Casablanca vs Marrakech. We think we agree, but we will see.

We arrived to the rail station about an hour early. We enjoyed a morning beverage and the warm sun; a nice break from the 2 days of rain. Casa Port is a beautiful station!

The train arrived about 20 minutes early and of course Ann had gone to the washroom in anticipation. I boarded without her which caused a bit of a panic when she was trying to get to the train. All was good, the train waited until the correct time to leave.

The first leg was fairly uneventful for the 11 minute ride. We got off at Casa Voyager, switch tracks and were boarded within 20 minutes. Our first class tickets were within a 6 seat berth, 2 Italians, 2 Moroccan women and us.

We chatted a bit and the 3 hour, beautiful journey, felt like it was over in far less time.

We had read that using the toilets at stations was frowned upon and this seemed a bit weird until you get into the washroom to see that it’s a toilet with an open pipe to the gravel below. Low maintenance!

The Marrakech train station was very nice! Cab drivers basically rob you, offering a 2km trip for 70 dirhams (only $10, but should only cost $3 at max). We took the local bus for 4 dirhams each (55 or so cents). Trip took 5 minutes.

Arriving to the Medina was overwhelming! The smells, sounds and shear number of people was a lot to take in. Our hotel was about 100 feet from the bus and very easy to find. After check in and checking out the beautiful apartment we were off again.

Our initial assessment of the area was tourists tourists tourists. That being said, the vendors, although aggressive, were polite and courteous. We walked the orange tree lined streets and enjoyed the sites and sounds.

After a short break in our room, we wandered out for a new adventure. Jama el f’na market is insane, intoxicating smells and filled with noises from buskers, snake charmers, food stalls and much more. It was a lot to take in; even for seasoned travellers.

We were pulled in every direction. Look here, eat this, have your picture with my monkey. It’s insane! The shops are filled with beautiful handcrafts, antiques, cloths, jewelry, tea pots, cutlery, etc etc etc etc. Everything was so interesting to look at, but the vendors are intensely aggressive.

Happily, our room is on the edge of the market and after about 40 minutes of unabated solicitation we just needed a break. Just a couple minutes before looking for some food.

We opted for something familiar and although it was good, it wasn’t great. The tea was the highlight of the meal. All said, a shawarma (weird one with no sauce) a panini pressed sandwich, fries and tea was 55 dirhams or about $8. It filled the gap, but didn’t have a lot of flavour.

The saving grace was the baclava. Oh yummy! Also 50 dirhams, but well worth it!!!

Photos: On the move, Casablanca to Marrakech

mitann — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 17:15:00 GMT

Shop until you freak at the spooky boutiques

mitann — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 17:32:00 GMT

Although I slept extremely well, Ann had jet-leg and was restless. At 0600 she gave up, made some tea. I joined her on the couch and we watched some TV and just enjoyed the sunrise on the ocean; lightning was incredible. At about 0730 the call to prayer started; at least it wasn’t two hours like the middle of day for the sabbath (no offence).

We had zero plan for the day, just in case we were tired. That being said, we shopped all day. When I say shop, I really mean just getting lost in the mall, Medina and everywhere in between.

We set out just looking for a couple beer for the room. We scored some German beer and Moroccan wine, just a 20 min walk away. We check out a variety of wet and dry markets; just normal Moroccan’s going about their lives. The olives were 18 dirhams ($2.50 CDN) a kilo and absolutely amazing!

We enjoyed a beer on the balcony of our apartment, the view was stunning, the wind was fresh and we felt very relaxed.

To our surprised, we heard a knocking at the door. It was the owner of the apartment, just seeing if everything was ok or if we needed anything. After hearing his interesting life story, he took us to the roof and oriented us to the city. He was very friendly, helpful and gave us some good advice.

We waited out a rain storm and then headed out for more exploration. We headed to the grand mosque and people watched... in the rain.

The ocean was very beautiful, blue and there were many locals fishing.

We wandered to the Marina mall; a Western style mall full of American stores, and fast food. Not that we wanted American style fast food but it was quite expensive but packed full of people eating KFC, Burger King, McDonald’s and a variety of other hamburger / taco joints. To me, this is always a sad sight.

We ditched the mall for the Medina and vowed to get lost again; a feat that really is impossible to plan. We made a quick stop at the famous Rick’s Cafe.

We barely made it into the Medina before I could not proceed anymore without eating some local street meat! The crowd illustrated a must have desire, the smell was intoxicating and the price was exactly right; 8 dirhams (just over $1) for a bbq sandwich; another 50 cents for amazing looking fries. The locals were clearly having fun, enjoying life and having a mid-afternoon snack. Ann’s French enabled the transaction even though I’m sure I could have ordered something.

We got the sandwich, loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, pickled onion and olives; not to mention the incredibly smoky beef bbq patties seasoned with a variety of spices. It was insanely good, fresh. I saved half for later but unlike shawarmas it did not age well.

The Medina is like stepping back in time. People were going about their busy lives cooking, selling and men were enjoying mint tea on almost every corner. People were incredibly friendly and we must have heard the word welcome over a hundred times. For a non-tourist area, it was heartwarming to be so welcomed into this ancient area of the city.

The city is full of street cats, this one reminded us of Bella in her younger years.

We wandered around for hours, just looking. The things you see in a market like this is incredible. You can almost hear the clip clop of horses on the cobblestone. Rain was a mess!

Fresh, old and new.

Cheap and expensive!

Pizza for dinner, cheap, had potential, but it was not great.

The local wine was very tasty!

Photos: Shop until you freak at the spooky boutiques

mitann — Sat, 25 Jan 2020 04:21:00 GMT

A New Adventure on a New Continent

mitann — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 20:09:00 GMT

Where to start? We took a break from blogging for over a year. Many adventures to be sure, but we really needed to focus on ourselves, enjoy our time and communicate less with social media, etc.

Well, the time has come, we are back to our adventures! Morocco!

We booked tickets months ago; fairly cheap $700; Ottawa to Montreal to Casablanca. Montreal Air Canada lounge is great! I would venture to say it’s the best, at least in Canada. The flight was fairly uneventful, we got some sleep, but with a 7 hour flight and 3 meal/drink services, you don’t get much time.

We landed right on time, 0800, cleared customs, got a SIM card (10€ for 10 gig, awesome!) and exchanged some cash we brought (USD, we read they didn’t exchange CDN $, but they do) and made our way to the train. Our hotel offered to pick us up for 30€ but that sounded steep (but would have been worth it if time was short). We bought our tickets to Casa Port, not far from our apartment (50 dirhams or about $8 CDN each). 50 minute wait for the next train, however.

The train was great! It is comfortable, clean, smooth and it felt authentic compared to being whisked away in a taxi. Seeing the countryside and rubbing shoulders with other travellers is always entertaining.

We made it to Casa Port (Port of Casablanca) and bought our tickets for Sunday’s travel to Marrakech (150 dirhams or about $22 CDN each for first class). We were going to take a taxi to our apartment, but we both just felt like walking a bit; our bags were fairly light but it looked like rain.

About 2 minutes into the walk it started to rain; no big deal, we were loving the 15 degrees, even a bit wet. That being said, we were in t-shirts and the locals were in puffy winter jackets. Construction pushed us off the main road into the old Medina, a narrow cobblestone stone maze of alleyways and “streets”.

Most of the Medina could only accommodate a small motorcycle or hand carts. It was surreal to say the least. People we going about their business on the Muslim sabbath, buying fresh fruit, vegetable and fresh meat; when I say fresh, I mean the chickens were alive and butchered to order (smelly, but really amazing spectacle). Fresh goat was hanging from hooks on random corners that apparently were souks (shops). It was incredible!

Getting lost in the old Medina while carrying our packs was definitely not the plan. Nor was getting soaked by the rain in the process. I wouldn’t change it for the world, it was very unnerving but cool! Google maps was useless in the narrow alleys and tall building and it was good old fashion kindness of the locals that helped us navigate out of the maze. In fairness, we only went in circles a couple times.

We arrived to where our apartment was supposed to be; actually passed it. Upon returning to where the GPS said it should be we heard someone yelling from an upper floor apartment; that must be our guy. We were sent up the tiny elevator to the room and we were very happy to see our beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean; from Africa!

After a well deserved nap, we headed out to do some exploring. We needed some groceries for the apartment so we headed to a grocery store. For the most part, it wasn’t any different than a grocery store in Europe, except no alcohol to be found. Oh well!

We explored around, found many food options but just got a shawarma! It was one of the best with crispy chicken flavoured with cumin, cinnamon and perhaps cardamom. It came with some store cut fries; all for about $3. Having eating them all over the world, I would say this was one of the best!

Being Friday, the Muslim sabbath, there were many people enjoying the boardwalk along the ocean. There were many vendors selling tea, cotton candy and snails! Although we didn’t partake in any of the yummy looking snacks, we loved the atmosphere of people enjoying their time.

The sun set around 8pm so we headed back to our apartment and relaxed.

Photos: A New Adventure on a New Continent

mitann — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 19:45:00 GMT

Photos: Getting Nailed in Dong Hoi

mitann — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 14:44:00 GMT

Getting Nailed in Dong Hoi

mitann — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 14:37:00 GMT

The train was not as nice as Europe, but far nicer than Thailand. It was really noisy in the city, and we were happy when it started to settle down. We only had 1 berth-mate, and he was getting off about 4 hours before us. We were exhausted and after a couple game of cards we racked out.

quick but with the noise, rocking and hardness of the bunk, it was not the best sleep. At about 3 am our berth-mate got up and ready; left shortly after. Tim couldn’t sleep so we played cards for a while.

Morning was refreshing and the scenery was stunning. Pictures from a train aren’t the best.

The train official gave us a 20 minute warning. We packed up and were greated by our shuttle. Was a pretty good experience, shuttle was very new and the drive to the hotel was far more chill than the other cities we have been to in Vietnam.

The hotel room was really small, but almost as nice as Ho Chi Minh city. After walking around a bit, we discovered we were really outside the main area of the town. We were, however, able to find a place to get acrylic nails done.

The lady did an amazing job. She took her time to ensure they were done perfectly; less than $20, and less than half the price of everywhere we have seen so far.

We were quite tired, so we relaxed for a couple hours. We ventured out for pizza, something that we knew we would get eventually. It was very good, thin crust and loaded with cheese. It was Hawaiian, but both of us found it difficult to detect the pineapple and peppers.

Walking back was majestical. The bridges are lit up at night, the streets have many lights and archways.

We grabbed some beer, cheapest yet and had an early evening in the hotel.

Photos: The Many Modes of Transportation

mitann — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:53:00 GMT

The Many Modes of Transportation

mitann — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:44:00 GMT

Although our room was small, and what can you expect from a small cruise ship, it was pretty comfortable. They had 4 pillows, 3 blankets and the rooms heating/cooling worked perfectly. Although neither of us is sleeping well, tonight was probably the best sleep for a while. Perhaps it was the swaying of the boat.

Morning came early, 615 for Thai chi on the top deck. We got up, dressed and after wiping the dreams from our eyes we found ourselves meditating/stretching in the cool morning air. It was quiet and peaceful.

That peacefulness did not last. The class finished and the day rush began. We had 5 minutes to be ready for breakfast, 20 minutes for the first excursion. Too rushed, but got to fit a lot into a short time.

We boarded the small boat at 0730 and arrived to the floating village, Vung Viêng.

Situated basically in the middle of nowhere, the people have a traditional lifestyle, no electricity and the make their existence by fishing and pearl harvesting.

We boarded our private boat with a local that acted as rower, power. She chatted with the other guides and we suspect she was somewhat of a matriarch of the community. She paddles us off the normal route and we enjoyed splendid views.

The pearl farm was interesting. They demonstrated how the artificially implant a small plastic bead and some dye that after about 3-10 years, depending on the desired final size, would become a farmed pearl. It was a serious medical procedure that 50% of the oysters die from.

Small ball is the before, the shinny bigger ball is the pearl.

Small, 2-3 years, Medium, 3-5 years, Large, 6-12 years.

We headed back to the boat, we given time to pack our rooms and then did a cooking ‘demonstration’. We made pork spring rolls and they held a competition. Who would think Tim would come second, only to a Korean women, on making spring rolls. Was worth a free beer!

Brunch

Our time had come to an end on the cruise, mixed emotions. We met a lot of fun people. We had beers with couples from Ireland and Germany. We chatted with a family in the US Navy, stationed in Japan. The stay, particularly Jackie, our guide through the attractions, and Hoang, the service director. The staff and people on the cruise made it a time to remember.

The shuttle back was not as nice as going there. We were stuffed in van that could fit 9 children, but we were 7 westerners. We arrived last and were crammed into the smallest spot. That didn’t last long until Tim rearranged the seating assignment. Begrudgingly, there was compliance.

The drive back did not seam as long. We stopped at the same craft spot and were at the Train station in good time. Tim had researched that if you asked nicely, the staff will allow you to use the staff storage area to leave you bags, for a small fee of course.

We headed to some of the attractions we missed the last time we in Hanoi, the tower and Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. We had to pass through security, but it was free. Interesting place which I could never ‘unpack’ without a tour guide or some serious research.

We headed back into the Old Town, stopped by our hotel to use the washroom and charge Tim’s phone. These people we so awesome, can you imagine showing up to a hotel inCanada a day after your stayed and asked for a bunch of stuff. They were great!

We headed back to the train, exhausted. After a short wait, we boarded and were happy to have just 1 berth mate. We pretty much racked out after a very long day!

Photos: Let’s Open the Windows Up and Cruise

mitann — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 10:52:00 GMT

Let’s Open the Windows Up and Cruise

mitann — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 10:40:00 GMT

It was an early start, pickup at 0730. We got up, packed and had a beer. Nothing better to start an early adventure. The checkout was a breeze and the shuttle surprisingly was exactly on time. It was amazing, comfortable and had wifi.

The drive to the rest stop was about 1.5 hours. Most of it was simply trying to get out of the city. We travelled through the country side, along farms, plantations and rice fields. It was pretty.

The ‘half way‘ stop was basically a tourist shopping area. They had very beautiful stone work!

The also had hand crafted pictures, made on site.

The sad thing about this Place was it was seriously expensive, even by western standards. A beer that normally costs 12 dong was 60. Most of the crafts were in US dollars.

We got back on the bus and the second ‘half’ was much longer. We arrived to the Paloma Cruise reception area just before noon. The checkin was seamless and the staff seemed friendly.

After going through security (basically just checking all people had paid) We boarded a small boat that would take us to the cruise ship.

We have a very full schedule ahead of us.

Our ship was pretty nice but it’s charm wasn’t realized until we boarded. Hoang, the Service Director, was a charming young man that was not only informative, but very funny. Throughout the trip he joked about singing, dancing and best of all, he performed his rendition of Thai chi, cutting the Mellon (no pic, so you might have to ask us for a demo).

The food might have been the highlight of the cruise, but I would be selling many other activities short. Here is lunch:

It was way too much food. Especially because I didn’t was fish, thanks Tim for always thinking of my needs.

The first excursion was to Caves of Heaven and Scenery, well, that’s the English name. It was incredible. We actually felt like we were catapulted onto a Hollywood stage!

Beach was nice, but too cold for swimming.

We went back to the main boat to change and get ready for kayaking. Although I sceptical, it turned out to be a very rewarding experience. My hips and back hurt!

We enjoyed happy hour on the top deck an we chatted with a couple from Ireland and a couple from Germany. Good fun.

The dinner was incredible. Pics can speak for themselves.

The final activity of the day was squid fishing. It was interesting, not going to call it fun. No one caught anything, probably because it is too cold.