Living the retirement dream

We are sharing our ideal retirement experiences.

Hanoi Last Day

Can’t believe we have spent 54 days touring in SE Asia, but our memories of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia seem like a long time ago. We have been in Vietnam for 24 days and leave for “home” tomorrow and are we ready.

We have an early market tour with chef Mai. Note the buyer in the market on her motor bike. You have to be aware of them no matter where one is walking. WARNING some of the following photos may make you a vegetarian.
Chef Mai went through every green herb explaining what they were and how they are used in Vietnamese cuisine. She put a sprig of each one up to our noses so we could smell the aroma of each herb.
Looks like some great steaks there.
Not chicken but duck.
Video of live fish, maybe eels.
Video of live frogs.
Video of sorting good clams from bad clams.
At the end of the tour chef Mai took us for breakfast of Pho which Jim ate but after the market Sandy had lost her appetite and did not eat anything.
Our guide Sonny felt bad that Sandy had nothing to eat so he took us to this high end Vietnamese chocolate shop where he bought us some cookies. We purchased some chocolate bars to bring home for gifts.
We are now back at St. Joseph’s Cathedral to light two candles for friends.
Video of a funeral entering the Cathedral ahead of us. We used a side door.
Sonny had to ask some of the mourners for a lighter.
Another sign celebrating the 50 year anniversary of Reunification.
We wandered across the street to the Metropole Hotel. An old limousine in front of it.
Our guide Sonny picked us up later in the day in his private car, a very nice Vietnamese made Vinfast which is comparable to a five series BMW. He took us to his home where we walked with him to his daughter’s school for pickup.
Sonny and his very cute daughter.
Walking home, one of her school friends tagged along with us.
Wall mural adorns the alley way on the walk back to Sonny’s house.
Sonny serving up snacks.
Saying goodby to Sonny’s family. His wife is pregnant with their second daughter and due in July. He picked us up the next morning at the hotel and took us to the airport.
The 50th anniversary of Southern Liberation and National Reunification Day.
A sleep box in the lounge.
Our plane from Hanoi to Doha.
Goodby Vietnam

What a good time we have had being waited on hand and foot and staying in luxury hotels and a few great meals in fancy restaurants. The food in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia was memorable, Vietnam, not so much. It would have been much more pleasant without the heat but we survived. Being such a private tour we did not meet as many new people as we normally like to. Thank you Black Tomato.

Living our retirement dream

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One response to “Hanoi Last Day”

  1. Bill Boyle Avatar
    Bill Boyle

    Looks like Black Tomato delivered. Fabulous tour. And you guys hung in there til the end. You two should receive a medal for most engaging travel blog.

    Still am amazed what two generations and 50 years can accomplish
    in healing a war torn country.

    Bill

    Reply

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