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Pete’s 60th Birthday Trip
  • Sandra strongman

Pete’s 60th Birthday Trip

We are heading off for a month to discover Cambodia and Vietnam and to have a relaxing time in Koh Samui at the end. Follow our adventures!!! Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 13, 2018
    Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler
    Our balcony🤣🤣Our spa pool

    Cambodia - Phnom Penh

    May 14, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    We arrived after a long trip but lucky we could check in straight away. Freshened up and then out to explore. We were going to walk and just get our bearing but we were approached about taking a tuk tuk and he won us over! Chanty took us on a tour of the main city sights and then took us to the depressing Killing Fields, but that’s the next story. Great to be in a new country and to learn the history and story of the people!Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Cambodia - Killing Fields

    May 14, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    This was really confronting for both of us. For me all I could think was that while this horrific genocide was happening I was worried about boyfriends and what I was going to do with my life. I heard about Cambodia and pol pot and Khmer Rouge vaguely but nothing about what was really happening. This amazing city of Phnom Penh was cleared of all people and they were sent into the country to work in farming. There were no schools, teachers, doctors, hospitals etc and many educated people were told they were going to be sent away for retraining but they were actually killed. The terrible thing was this wasn’t done by another country, this was Cambodians killing Cambodians. The Killing Fields is just one place we’re there was mass graves for the people killed. Women, children - no one was safe. Over 8000 people killed and buried at this site. The Cambodian people are incredibly brave and strong. Really was an eye opener and makes you think twice when we complain about our lives.Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Cambodia - Phonm Penh

    May 15, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    So onto a nicer story, every morning so far I have gone for a walk along the river at about 6.30am. It is a great time to watch the Cambodians getting ready for the day. Lots of people out with their children or walking along the river doing exercises. A quiet time because the tuk tuk drivers don’t hassle you at all. It is warm but usually not too hot at this time. I watched them cooking noodles and soup on road side stalls for the locals for breakfast and it looks yum! We went out to dinner and sat by the river and watched the boats coming and going. It is the Kings birthday celebration and they have three days off to celebrate and the Palace is lit up at night and everyone is out with their families celebrating.Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Cambodia - Phonm Penh Last Day

    May 16, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Today is our last day here and tonight we fly to Siem Reap for two nights. If we were to come back to Cambodia we would probably catch a bus or boat to travel around but that’s but hard to know when you haven’t been before. This morning we went to the Kings Palace and walked around with a tour guide who lived through the time of Khmer Rouge as he was 7 at the time and he gave us another insight into what the Cambodian people went through at that time. The king at the time apparently sided with the Khmer Rouge as he believed in communism, I can’t believe how forgiving these people are, our guide said the people love the king, amazes me after what was done to the people. Anyway we toured the amazing palace and the grounds, and had quite a history lesson!Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler
    Our hotel
    View from our room

    Cambodia - Siem Reap

    May 16, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    After an incredibly short flight we arrived in Siem Reap. Basically got up in the air and the pilot; who was female and named Helen announced that we were preparing for landing! We spent more time in the airport than in the air. We arrived and it was wonderful. Siem Reap was much more relaxed than Phonm Penh and we arrived at a wonderful hotel, and the lady who checked us in was great and gave us heaps of information. We settled in then decided to go for a walk to the night market for dinner and do a bit of exploring. Well I had the worst glass of wine, Pete thought it was poison, it was just old and very yellow. Note to self - drink cocktails not wine! Had a wander round and then decided to find somewhere for dinner and head back to the hotel. Ok so we got completely lost and ended up on quiet back streets trying to find our way home. Eventually stumbled across our street and found a restaurant nearby for a late dinner. They only supplied beer but we had tonic and finally managed to get him to pour some gin (or maybe it was only water !!) anyway it was a good dinner and a bit of an adventure. Off to the temples in the morning.Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Cambodia - Siem Reap Day 2

    May 17, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Ok so today we got up relatively early and headed off to the temples. It was soooooo hot by the time we arrived but we pressed on. Sometimes I think we are getting old, no never (haha). We went to Angkor Wat first which was massive and absolutely amazing. Saw the mix of religions and had a guide who explained the history. Our guide said it was a quiet day but still about 1,000 people there. We walked through the Wat but came back along the moat where it was cooler and less tourists. We then went to an old Wat where they are renovating it where it has been over taken by the jungle and you can see trees growing around and on top of the buildings. Incredible to see and the blocks of rock that were moved to build these structures were massive. We were exhausted by the time we returned to the hotel, spent the afternoon by the pool and sleeping! Went out to dinner to Mali’s which is run by the top chef in Cambodia. It was amazing, food was fantastic and we had so much we walked home, without getting lost and collapsed on the bed. Love Siem Reap!Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Cambodia - last day Siem Reap

    May 18, 2018 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We are flying out to Hanoi tonight and so we had the day to fill in. Booked a tour to go to the Tonle Sap Lake and Kampong Phluk the floating village. Ended up just us on the tour with our own tour guide. Drove out to the edge of the lake and hopped on a little motor boat and drove through the village which is all on stilts. It’s the dry season so the water level is low but in the wet season the water is about a metre from the floor of the houses incredible to think there will be that much water in this area. Went out to a floating restaurant on the lake with a crocodile farm on it. On the way back walked through the town and stopped at a little English school and spoke to the kids so they could practice their English. Very cute kids! After the tour we stopped in town for our last Cambodian meal which was yummy! Spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and Pete getting a massage. Onto the next step in the adventure.Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Vietnam - Hanoi

    May 19, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Arrived last night at Hanoi airport, it’s been great because I have organised transfers so when we arrive tired we get picked up and taken directly to the hotel. Yes it might be more expensive than getting our own way there, but it is so much easier! We arrived at our hotel in the Old Quarter and were really happy with the room and the location of the hotel. So we checked in and cleaned up and then decided to go out for a drink and a walk, oh dear it’s after midnight and everything is closed! Lost a bit of time somewhere! All good we decided to go to bed and go exploring in the morning.

    When we woke up we headed out firstly to get some money changed as its Saturday and banks close at 11.30. Wow it’s not easy finding a bank that does currency exchange but finally did. We walked around the lake in the centre of Hanoi which was lovely. We found out today is Ho Chi Minhs birthday and so lots of celebrations around Hanoi. Very relaxed atmosphere and as we walked around we were stopped by two groups wanting to practice their English with us. I also came across a beautiful dog called Moon and she made me miss Keeno a little bit more. We watched a dancing and singing group perform on the street. It was really hot by lunchtime and we decided to go to a water puppet show, partly for the show and partly to get out of the heat!!

    While we were waiting for the show Pete suggested we walk to the river to have a look. So off we headed, crossed roads and motorways by shadowing the locals across the road. We made it across alive
    but the river was a huge disappointment being really just a floating garbage truck. So we headed back and went to the puppet show after a cooling Mojito. Really clever puppet show, and really cool!

    Returned to the hotel and had the complimentary afternoon tea which was amazing. Relaxing tonight and tomorrow heading out on a city tour before heading off to Sapa. Must admit we are really looking forward to getting out of cities for a bit!    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Vietnam - Hanoi

    May 20, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    Last night we wandered down the street and found a roadside cafe where we had an amazing hot pot which was yummy and we watched the rain pour down in a quick rain storm, very humid.

    We had a full day in Hanoi today (Sunday) so we organised to go on a day tour on a bus! At least it was air conditioned and we got to see all the sights of Hanoi. We went to the Ho Chi Minh complex and the line to get into see the body of Ho Chi Minh was two kilometres long and we decided we were not going to stand out in the sun for two hours or more! So we went to the next place the museum of ethnology and learned about how the Vietnamese people live traditionally. We then went to a laqueur factory and saw how they do the traditional artwork and of course they tried to sell us some. Then we had lunch at a restaurant that felt a bit like a Coles Cafeteria! Then back to the Ho Chi Minh complex to walk around the mausoleum and gardens! By this time it was incredibly hot and we all just wanted to stay in the bus. But on we pushed. We then went to the Confucius temple and walked through the gardens which were lovely. Last stop to a pagoda on the West River which was a Buddhist temple. We went back to the lake with the offer to walk back to our hotel or stay on the bus and get dropped off. Guess what we did? Stayed on the bus because we were hot and exhausted. We had already checked out of the hotel in the morning but they let us use the room for a shower which was just what we needed. We had about four hours to wait for the train so we sat in the bar and ate their snacks and had cocktails, then we went for a walk to find a torch which we did then we found a mojito bar where we filled in a bit of time playing Genga. Finally it was time to go to the train station where we found our two berth sleeper and before we knew it we were on our way to Sapa in an express train (which stopped all stations) and I missed them all as I fell straight to sleep. Very glad to be leaving the city for the country!!Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Vietnam - Sapa

    May 21, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    We arrived in Lao Cai at 6.00am after a great trip on the train, very relaxing and a good sleep. Much improvement on the bus I took 5 years ago.

    We were met at the train station and drove the 30hair raising kms overtaking on corners and driving at break neck speed! Still we arrived at the office of the Sapa Sisters trekking and were given breakfast. Met our guide
    miss Mu and we headed off. Took about two minutes to realise that my light pack was too heavy and it proved to be a hassle from the start. We went down our first track and there the trouble began, the track was steep,skinny and wet and muddy from the rain the night before. Mu had to take my pack after I fell twice on my bum and the pack was so heavy I couldn’t stand up. Thank goodness for the two local women who tagged along to sell us handicrafts because they held my hand and helped me down every difficult bit. Don’t think I would have made it without them.

    On the track Mu pointed out an indigo plant that is used to dye fabric for weaving and showed me how to get the dye out. Now I had a very muddy bum and indigo hands. Pete was busy keeping his own feet and all he could do was look on and laugh as I slipped down the hill on my bum! Very helpful haha! Still once the hard bits were over I managed and the views were amazing. We walked 10kms today through some rough and difficult terrain and by the time we stopped for lunch Pete hated me and I hated me! Both of us agree that we are probably a bit old for this type of trekking.
    Though we did get a round of applause when we made it up a particularly difficult hill.

    The heat was what made it difficult apart from the terrain, it was a relief when we had some light rain. We had lunch at a local house where we were entertained by a piglet knocking the chickens cage to get the rice. Very clever piglet.

    We were staying at Mu’s sister in laws house with the family and got a real insight as to how these people live
    with their pigs, chickens, cats and dogs. The whole family came for dinner and we drank happy water (rice wine) with them and met Mu’s son and husband. Communication was hard but we did learn how to say cheers every time they said just one more! Great experience, both exhausting and amazing. Lovely evening and they gave us our own room and made sure it was really comfortable. No showers and a squat toilet but amazing food and people. We were in bed by 7pm after and exhausting but incredible day.    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Vietnam - Sapa Day 2

    May 22, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today after a great breakfast with the family we left to continue our trek. It was to be 14 kms today and so we organised Mu to get a motorbike to take our back packs to the next home stay! Much better idea and we also decided to stick mainly to the roads to avoid me falling down again. Good plan if it had if worked! We walked for about three hours and went to Mu’s house where she cut pineapple for us. Mu works as a guide and her husband stays home and looks after their son. Apparently men think it’s good to marry a guide as they make money.
    The Vietnamese people work so hard in difficult hot conditions. Most of the rice paddies are for their own use not to sell and families help each other in getting the paddies ready. The children have to take the water buffalo out to eat making sure they keep off the paddies. It’s hard hot work for all the family. The local tribe women sell their work and sometimes this is the only money the family gets. I am truly amazed at their stamina.

    We stopped for lunch and met up with some other trekkers from Australia who gave me some drugs! Just panadol and Ibroprufen to help me get through. Maybe that was the problem I was feeling fit and pain free for the next part of our walk. We walked along the road past lots more paddies and the views were spectacular. On the last part of the trek we went off road and headed down hill into the valley where the home stay was. Only 30 minutes left and ‘bang’ my knee gave way and I did a somersault with my knee ending up twisted under me. I thought I was in trouble! Managed to stand up with help from Mu and a local lady and they helped me down the last bit of the track. Most embarrassing as there was a heap of trekkers following and watching the old lady - me - fall!

    Made it to the home stay with my new local lady friend helping, and of course I then had to buy something from her for helping me!

    Home stay is good but different from staying at the local house where we were the only tourist, here we have 11 other tourists. Still good to swap stories and experiences. Lucky our luggage turned up ok and we could have a much needed shower. Ate still more food and went to bed early but didn’t sleep until I found a fan to cool us down. Tomorrow looks like being a rest day for me, I’m stiff and sore and my knee keeps giving way! sucks being a cripple.... but wouldn’t have missed this for anything. Love the people, food and the culture .    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Vietnam - Sapa Day 3

    May 23, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    After a hot night we woke early and had an amazing breakfast of pancakes and banana with sugar cane syrup! Yum!!

    As I was not very mobile I decided to spend the morning relaxing and Pete went to the hot springs for a relaxing swim. The others went for a short walk and then returned and we had more food! Going to be fat as a pig if I keep eating all this food. As I was having trouble walking I was given a ride down to the road on the back of a motorbike, spoilt. We then had an hour drive back to Sapa town and waited for our taxi back to Lao Cai to catch the train. We wandered around Sapa, well Pete wandered I limped around! Had a funny ride to the train with one crazy driver. When we were waiting for the train had my runners cleaned for a whole $2.50. Great job they look like new again!

    The train ride was very good and we slept and got to Hanoi at 5.30am. Got ripped off by a taxi driver, who had the meter running while he was waiting for the train to come in, but at least we got back to the hotel. They were amazing at the hotel, organised for us to have a shower in the hotel spa and packed two breakfast packs for us to take with us to Halong Bay. Would definitely recommend the La Siesta Trendy in Hanoi.    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler
    Dragon Legend 1
    Our bedroomSundeck

    Vietnam - Halong Bay

    May 24, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    We were picked up from the hotel at 7.30 by a luxury mini van that was amazing, so comfortable with single reclining leather seats, wifi and heaps of room. Very nice way to take the 3 hour drive to Halong Bay. We arrived at the Port and was finally transferred onto our boat, which was fantastic. We started the cruise with a briefing. Our boat has 24 rooms but there were only 7 couples and 1 single guy, so we had heaps of room to move and we met all the couples and it was worth every cent! There is a mineral pool that is so warm, but a great place to sit and watch the scenery go by.

    We had a gourmet lunch, there is so much food and it was all delicious. After lunch we went rafting and stopped at a beach and had a swim. Afterwards we just sat around watching the scenery and relaxing! It is beautiful and so quiet. Really lucky to have this opportunity as in 2020 there will not be any more overnight boats in Halong Bay, for ecological reasons. Which will be great to protect this majestic place.

    Our dinner was spectacular with nine courses and sitting out on the deck as the boat quietly sits in the water surrounded by these amazing limestone peaks. Ended up going to bed pretty early as it had been a long day.    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler
    On our kayak
    Fishing boatGrace and StefanVegetable carvingBeach BBQPete in the spa

    Vietnam - Halong Bay day 2

    May 25, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    After a wonderful nights sleep we woke early and went up to the deck to do Tai Chi, but I could only do the arm movements as my knee is still a bit unstable. Pete was happy drinking coffee and watching. Great breakfast and then we went to visit a fishing village. Shame that it is really just a display village now with the government moving all the villagers out and moving them into the city and then just leaving the village set up for the tourists! Still it was fun going around in the bamboo boats and seeing how the villagers used to live.

    We then went back to the boat for a brief rest and the boat was moving further into the bay. We then went to a small island and everyone but me walked up a mountain and into some caves. I sat on the beach reading and waiting for everyone to arrive so we can have a BBQ lunch on the beach. We couldn’t swim because apparently there are big fish in the seaweed that attack swimmers so they wouldn’t let us swim!

    Back to the boat and another swim in the pool, some people (pete included) went on another kayaking trip, and i had a wonderful hot rock massage! Very good and super relaxing. When they got back from kayaking we had a swim behind the boat, though I felt a bit wary that those big fishes might have followed us, so quite happy to get back to the pool!

    We had sunset cocktails on the sundeck and then another incredible dinner. Another 9 course meal, there is so much food on this boat! The staff then made presentations to the honeymooners and a 50 year old birthday boy. Pete wouldn’t let me tell them this was his 60th birthday treat, spoil sport we could have got a cake ! Like we need anymore food.

    We have made friends with Grace and Stefan from Philadelphia who have just got married, they are good fun and are coming back to Hanoi with us to hang out while they wait for their flight. Should be fun.

    It’s hard to stay up late, I know we are old! But I think the heat takes it out of you too, and the wine probably helps too!    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler
    View from our room in Hanoi
    View from roomBeer corner

    Vietnam - return to Hanoi

    May 26, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    Woke up to our last morning on the Dragon Legend, and of course they fed us - breakfast at 7.30 and lunch at 10.30! Wow we were stuffed. All the time we were eating the boat was slowly gliding back to port and we sat in the pool watching our wonderful trip come to an end.

    When we got to port we decided we didn’t want to go to the village and walk around for three hours so we teamed up with Grace and Stefan and caught a private limo back to Hanoi to give Grace and Stefan an opportunity to spend some time in Hanoi. They left their bags in our room and went out to explore. We met them later at Beer corner where we had food and drinks and wandered slowly doing a bar crawl back to the hotel. We had a wonderful fun night and managed to get back to the hotel so they could catch the taxi to the airport for their flight home! We had a great night, but getting up at 3.45am for our flight to Da Nang was really hard work. Lucky we were pretty much packed and the hotel once again had breakfast packs (much needed) for us to take. We dragged ourselves through the airport and felt nearly human when we arrived in Da Nang, and so another adventure begins!    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler
    Our room
    Our amazing bathroomHotel foyerRoom with a viewPete heading off on our bike adventureHoi An by night

    Vietnam - Hoi An

    May 27, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    So after a flight where we slept most of the way, we arrived in Da Nang and took the 50 minute ride to Hoi An. This time staying in the La Siesta Hoi An which is just as lovely as the one in Hanoi and the staff just as helpful.As we were there by 9.00am they gave us breakfast and then our room was ready. It is an amazing room and we are feeling very spoilt. We took our time getting organised, spent some time in the pool and then we jumped on the bicycles and went for a ride around. What a beautiful little city, so relaxed and we had a lovely time exploring. Found a shop to order some shoes and boots and a bag to be made, will be interesting to see what we get!

    Seems hard to stay still when there is so much to see. Found the hotel where Bruce and Elinor will be staying and we will catch up with them on Tuesday. Dropped off some much needed washing and back to the hotel for a shower and then out for a walk in the crazy traffic to get into town for a dinner on the sidewalk watching the many boats with people launching floating candles. Lots of celebrations for Buddha’ birthday, and everyone seemed to be out celebrating.

    We finally succumbed to tiredness after being up since 4.00am and we again ended up home in bed about 9.30. The bed is massive and so comfortable I think I will sleep forever!!    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler
    Breakfast by the pool
    Beach day

    Vietnam - Hoi An Day 2

    May 28, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    So we woke up really refreshed after a great night sleep. No aircon, just a fan - heaven! I love being cool at night but the aircon really dries you out, but our room was perfect at night with just the fan.

    We took our time over breakfast and got ourselves organised to go to An Bang beach by the resort bus. Had a fabulous day just relaxing at the beach. One of the many ladies selling stuff on the beach managed to win me over with discussions about her children. I think that so long as you are happy with the price you should at least buy something. A lot of the people selling use this as their only income. Women look after the children, try to earn some money and a lot of the men spend their day drinking coffee in the coffee shops. So I’m happy to support the families in some way even if it is pretty insignificant.

    It is really a lovely beach and we enjoyed the day just relaxing there. Caught the bus back, picked up our washing and after a shower walked into town for dinner. We couldn’t believe the amount of buses and tourists in the old town. It was Buddha’s birthday celebration and so I guess it was understandable.

    So good having this relaxing time in such an amazing place!    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Vietnam - Hoi An Day 3

    May 29, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    We had to wake up early this morning as we were heading off for a walking food tour. This tour is run by Neville who is an Aussie that has been in Hoi An for 8 years and has set up this tour in conjunction with local Vietnamese. We set off with a small group walking through the market and stopping at local street vendors sampling new delights. Sooooo much food, we tasted 40 local dishes and didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day. There was a bit of history and local custom thrown in and we enjoyed the morning. Seriously hot though and we spent a bit of time by the pool when we got back. After cooling down we rode our bikes back into town to the bank and to try on my boots and shoes, which were great. Pete wanted an ‘Alan ManBag’ (from the movie Hangover) so we found a leather shop recommended by Neville and he found a great bag at a good price.

    We headed back to the hotel and got ready to go out to dinner with Elinor and Bruce (old friends from my Nissan days!). We caught a taxi to An Bang Beach and had a lovely night catching up on travel stories and sharing a lovely meal. Really good to catch up and hope to do some travelling together in the future!

    Again, we must be old but after dinner we were all happy after a relaxing time by the beach to head home to bed!    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler
    Latte and Vietnamese Pho
    Bike ridingBest shoe and leather shopView from our roomSkybarPool area

    Vietnam - Hoi An Day 4

    May 30, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Sad day to wake up and know it’s your last day in Hoi An. After another great breakfast, amazing mix of cultures at breakfast with a great latte and Vietnamese pho for breakfast, we jumped on the push bikes and headed into the old town to pick up my boots and sandals. Both were fantastic and I was really happy with them.

    About to head back to the hotel when I noticed a missed call from Phil, my Mum’s husband. I immediately had a scary feeling, so we headed back to the hotel. Unfortunately Mum was not well and was in hospital and I was pretty upset and scared and was contemplating heading home. After being reassured by Phil and nurse on call Jenny that she was ok and not to rush home, we decided to stay. Scary though being a long way home when something happens. Luckily the boys Nick and Hayden are also there to check on her for me! Thank you to Phil, Jenny, Nick and Hayden for helping me through this, and of course Pete for being there to hold my hand.

    Anyway after getting through this we headed to the airport to our next stop in the adventure Ho Chi Minh. An easy flight and transfer and we arrived at our riverside hotel Liberty Central, which has an amazing sky bar and pool area. After settling in with a couple of cocktails we went for a walk through town. Wow there are so many bikes and cars it is incredible and really dangerous crossing the road! We found a hidden supermarket on the 2nd floor of a building and went back to the hotel to feast on cheese and bickies. Stressful day with a relaxed ending!    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh

    May 31, 2018 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    Hotel is good but the thing we notice the most is that people in Saigon are not as friendly as in other places we have stayed which is a shame and makes me think they are too Westernised and are pretty much over tourists. Still we had a great breakfast and then headed off to explore, after I spoke with my Mum and felt that she was ok!

    First stop was the War Remnant Museum. This was probably for me one of the most distressing and emotional things we have done. I found the pictures of children killed by American troops and women who they suspected as being Viet Cong really sad and I had to leave the rooms with photos of this as I could not understand how this had come about. Between the Killing Fields in Cambodia and the history here in Vietnam, I am stunned at the realities of war. I know there are atrocities in all wars, including what is going on at present, but the senseless killing and devastation of peoples lives confounds me and I feel powerless.

    I have learnt so much about the history of Vietnam and surrounding area during this trip and as distressing as it has been, I finally have a basic grasp of what happened here while I was growing up. Really puts your life into perspective.

    We walked for awhile after this experience and went to the main market area and wandered around feeling overwhelmed. Headed back to the hotel stopping for some food and an incredible coffee experience for Pete, and egg Vietnamese coffee which he loved.

    After a brief time by the pool we retired to our room, yes more cheese and bickies and an early night before our Mekong tour tomorrow.    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh

    June 1, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    Today we decided to do an all day Mekong River tour. Better than being stuck in the city all day. We were picked up from the opera house at 8.00am and then had a two hour drive to the boat. Of course we slept most of the way, because it was early after all! We went to a village on one of the islands and had fresh fruit and were serenaded by some local farmers. We then went to a bee farm where we had honey tea which was yummy. Bit scary with all the bees around as we were trying the honey straight off the comb with the bees still on it.

    Then we went on the boat to another location and got in a tuk tuk and went through some windy skinny streets until we reached our lunch destination. That was an experience! We arrived and had a magnificent lunch and there was a elephant ear fish that looked amazing. Met a very cute dog too!

    After lunch we walked to the river and jumped into little row boats and we went through the canals around the islands. Then back on the boat for more cruising on the Mekong and returned to the bus for another sleep on the way home.

    As it was our last night in Vietnam we wandered off to find a decent restaurant. We stopped at a bar first off and played jenga which I finally won, also started to drink beer and it was quite good!

    Then we found a great restaurant the food was excellent, only problem was a very loud birthday party going on upstairs and there was ear splitting screaming and laughing upstairs which ruined the ambience somewhat. But the food was great and it was a good way the finish our last night!    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Vietnam - last day!

    June 2, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Today was our last day in Vietnam and true to last days it was pouring with rain! We went for a wander after spending the morning relaxing in the room. We stopped for coffee and did some people watching and then we went into one of the big department store to take advantage of the air conditioner and too see the amazing shops. Couldn’t afford to shop in them but it was fun looking.

    We went to leave and it was torrential rain so we raced across the road to another big store and found a food court where we ate and wasted our last few dong!

    We went back to the hotel after getting ripped off by a taxi driver! Dripping wet and ready to move on. Ho Chi Minh airport was great with soft and comfortable banana lounges to wait on. Pete and I did a jewellery purchase which even though it’s a fake I like it!

    Finally arrived at Bangkok at 10.30 pm and made our way to the Novotel reliving our meeting there 5 years ago!
    Off to Ko Samui in the morning.    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Thailand - Bangkok to Ko Samui

    June 3, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    After a great sleep at the Novotel at the airport, and after a couple of drinks at the sports bar and we were up and ready for the next part of the adventure. We realised Pete had left his iPad at the hotel, but lucky they found it and are holding it till our return. We then caught a short ride to Ko Samui and arrived at our favourite island. Unbeknown to Pete I had organised family and friends to be waiting for us at the villa and he got a massive surprise when we walked into the bedroom and everyone was there! Boy was I glad the surprise was over! The longest birthday celebration ever!

    The Villa is right on the beach and there is also a pool which is great for relaxing after a day out! We walked up to Som restaurant for lunch and quickly realised with Margs injured foot we would need a car! Lunch was great and it was wonderful catching up with Marg, Simon, Jude, Jenny and Judy. Pete and Simon are a little out numbered by the women but all good and it’s very relaxed.

    For dinner, as we were limited with the distance we could walk (Moses aka Marg) we ended up with the most expensive pizza ever! But it was fun and discussion round the table was lively. Really good catching up with everyone and being in such a fabulous location.    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Thailand - Ko Samui Day 2

    June 4, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    So after waking up in paradise and making ourselves some breakfast we went and organised a car! It is an Isuzu dual cab, so we have 5 inside and two in the tub! So Jenny and I are in the tub and Pete is the driver! So we head off to Nathon for some shopping and eating! Got more supplies and we all had some free time to explore, of course Pete, Jenny, Judy and me headed to the nearest restaurant for some light refreshments.

    Finally went home for some swimming and relaxing! Then a storm hit and we were rained in, and we stayed stuck on the deck losing power but having a great time.

    Then we headed off and Pete found us as an amazing hot pot restaurant, he is a great taxi driver, hasn’t lost the tub dwellers once! The food was fabulous and it was just a little restaurant off on the side of the road.

    Lovely first day together.    Read more

  • Sandra strongmanPete’s 60th Birthday TripTraveler

    Thailand - Ko Samui Day 3

    June 5, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Woke up to a beautiful day, rain was all gone! Marg and Simon decided to have a relaxing day at the villa to rest up margs ankle. And Jenny was on RDO and decided to stay home by the pool! Think she was just avoiding the tub. We also got the cleaners to teach Jennifer how to fold towels into a swan, and instructed her to make swans on her RDO! Which she did and we made her show us how to do it in case she had just paid the cleaners to do them! Haha but she does know how to do it so we will be hiring her as towel folder for the B & B at Yapeen.

    So Pete the taxi driver headed off with me, Judy and Jude. Jude had ordered some clothes from a tailor and wanted to see if she could change the material. After we walked around ten times we finally found the right tailor but the dress was already underway so no luck in changing it.

    Judy decided to stay in Nathon and do some shopping so we arranged to meet in a couple hours in our favourite beachside stop, well in Nathon anyway.

    So Pete, Jude and I headed off looking for a boat trip for some snorkelling. We found a great place for a coffee called the Sisters (I think) where Pete had the best crispy calamari yet. We drove around and finally got a good deal to take us out to two islands and so we booked it for Thursday. Then we set off to find Judy in Nathon.
    Back to the villa for swimming and relaxing before we headed off to explore Chaweng and to find the kick boxing stadium for those who wanted to watch.

    Great fun driving around with Jenny and I in the tub banging on the roof when we wanted them to stop. Well pete stopped about 20 times making Simon get out and check the exchange rate at different places! Finally found a spot and wow we got 30cents more than the first place! Haha!

    Found a place to park and then found a beautiful restaurant on the beach and enjoyed a lovely romantic dinner (for six). Then we walked back to the stadium only to find it was closed and the right kick boxing stadium was a long way away. A collective sigh of relief was heard. Then it was time for a bit of a cultural experience with us taking Marg, Simon and Judy to their first girly bar. They sat there looking like the three wise monkeys checking out the people and places. Well we had a lovely night of exploring and spending time together. One of the best things about this part of the trip is that it is very relaxed and everyone just does what they want and we get to spend time together too.    Read more

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