Author: David Taylor

I enjoy cuisine from the street to the 5 Star....more street. Photography, Reading, Movies, Plays, Theater, and above all...Travel.
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PREPARING FOR DEPARTURE TO THE BALKANS….and DEPARTURE

3 Days and Counting
David’s stress level is increasing as D day approaches. The Itinerary has been written and rewritten many times. Most all necessary bookings have been made right from the Scottsdale computer is the spare bedroom. All systems are a GO and it’s time to saddle up and giddy up.
The last minute decision to do this trip was inspired by David’s poker buddy Muharem Beqaj or Burrito Mike as we know him. He mentioned he was returning to Montenegro, his birthplace , with his two teenage boys for two months to take care of some property he owns. He invited David to visit and after a week or two doing research, the trip in the planning stages and a round trip flight to Amsterdam was booked. David’s longtime friends in Amsterdam were leaving the day he arrived so the first few days would be short so more time could be spent there before returning to Phoenix. David was unable to find a place to stay with such short notice and finally called his friends for assistance. They agreed to postpone their trip a day so he could get a key and stay in their apartment for a few days before departing to Belgrade Serbia to start his Odyssey.
It was to be an Odyssey through the land of Alexander the Great with over 7000 years of history. Belgrade to Zagreb….on to Split , Dubrovnik, Shkoder, Budva, Ohrid, Athens, Tuzi, Sarajevo, Kosovo, Macedonia, Istanbul, Varna, Bucharest, Plovdiv, Sofia …back to Belgrade before returning to Amsterdam.

OK .. “D” Day
David is packing….and packing…and re-packing….and going to the casino to play poker! I’ll be flying over your house tomorrow! David wants to wish his darling Grand Daughter, Ellie, a Happy Birthday as he will be in Amsterdam that day. Bon Voyage all!

 THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU

David’s Delta Departure left Phoenix at 3:30 pm and arrived in Minnapolis , Minnasota at 8:30 pm with his boarding time for Amsterdam at 8:44 pm . Sitting in Row 32 made him very anxious with only 15 minutes to make a Gate that he didn’t know where or even what Gate it was. Pushing his way up front he disembarked the plane in time to see he had to make it to G4 and he was at F9. Well this was the best exercise he has had in the last six months. Arriving at Gate G4 he discovered the departure time was delayed an hour. His plane departed at 9:40 pm for Amsterdam. The Aisle seat was fine except the row in front and the one behind left about 18 inches for his long legs. Well nothing to be done as the plane was full. Thanks to Delta that they served dinner and his personnel Video computer in the back of the seat in front of him had a free selection of games, movies, news, documentaries, travel shows, etc . The best part was his flight attendant kindness. She poured him three LARGE glasses of wine while he ate and watched the new movie…The Adjustment Bureau. Excellent Si-Fi Movie with lots of twists and turns and a great ending. He watched Jamie Oliver , a chef that Jeannette and he highly admires. His seat mate, a young lady from L.A, was on her way to Amsterdam then on to Warsaw to visit both her Grand Mothers in Poland for two weeks then back through Paris to L.A. It is time for David to Nap before arriving in Amsterdam at 1pm tomorrow. It is hard to sleep when Dr Oz is on.

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AALBORG DENMARK AND OFF TO BALTICS WITH LEIF

David, ??? , and Leif when we first Met in 1990

David was exhausted when boarding the Northwest Airlines flight to Frankfurt, Germany via
Detroit at 9am Phoenix time.  The night before he had stayed up a little late playing Texas
Holdem on his laptop, sipping a couple Vodkas while having a joint before retiring at eleven .
It was always the same before an international flight.  A restless sleep with dreams about
missing the flight or forgetting the ticket when “bingo” it’s 5:30am , time to shower, eat,
disconnect all computers, TVs, etc  and WAKE UP.  That is not as easy for David, now 63 and
feeling it.  

He was sandwiched in between two ladies for an uneventful flight that arrived in Detroit
at 4:11 pm with his connecting flight boarding at 4:25pm at Terminal A at the other end of the
airport.  It was a rush  but the express train between terminals got him there in time to go the
bathroom before boarding the overnight flight into Germany.  He remembered a man from
Ohio, that occupied the aisle seat next to him, saying he flew into Poland via Frankfurt once a
month on business,  a forgotten movie he watched, and finishing his book in between naps.
 David was groggy debarking the plane at 7am to a cold 47% morning.  His bag arrived after a
considerable wait and he headed for Terminal 1 Section B to find his shuttle to the Hotel.  The
information clerk was all smiles while dismissing his questions and pointing to the door.  Did
she not understand English , hate Americans,  completely inept, or just rude?  He will never
know but after going back and forth twice to her, it became apparent that she did not have the
information he desired.  Time to find someone that did…a bus driver.  Not this bus …go up
there…not this bus…go up there…eventually he noticed a sign:  “Hotel Shuttle”  pointing….up
there.  When he reached  “up there” the shuttle was leaving as he frantically ran into the road
with his broken backpack and suitcase flailing his arms and yelling.  The bus stopped.  Yes you
have the right bus!
A short 15 minute 100mph  ride brought him to the front door…he thought the driver was
actually going to drive into the lobby…of the Post House in a suburb called Singlingen.  While
driving along at breakneck speed, David heard a noise, not unlike a Truck backing up…BEEP
BEEP BEEP   He thought it was some kind of governor on the car that went off when the bus
got over 100 mph but later, he discovered , while checking in, it was his SCREAM Alarm clock
in the suitcase, that was going off every 10 minutes.
David awoke after a four hour nap, very hungry so after checking his email, he ventured out to
explore the town.  First stop was an Italian Ice Cream Shop.  I mean Italian….expecting to hear
German, David was confused as this language didn’t sound like the German he knew.  He
ordered one scoop. He discovered in the headlines of the local paper…
Barcelona  beat Manchester United 2-0…I won the football pool and guessed the correct score!
I made a reservation to collect the money on the return home.
When David’s plane to Copenhagen was approaching the airport, he checked the time and
realized his connection flight to Aalborg was boarding 10 minutes after his landing.  When he
checked the departure board to find the gate his connection was leaving from it read “no
information available”.  He discovered that all domestic in country flights depart from
Terminal A on the other end of the airport.

 That was a mile or more so he walked a fast pace
until his leg started cramping up.  By this time he had made it to the center and decided to
check the departure board again it read  Gate 32 but still no departure time. It was ten
minutes past the departure time on his boarding pass!  He took up his stride again finally
arriving at Gate 32, the last gate in the terminal.  It appears the plane is late in arriving as the
Gate area was overflowing with anxious passengers.   Thirty minutes later the plane boarded
and after a short one hour flight landed in Aalborg.  Nobody was there to greet him.  He
walked to the main terminal wondering how he could contact Leif and wondering what
happened to him.  He didn’t have his address or phone, only his email on a computer with a
dead battery and missing an adapter plug to connect to the Danish system.  He went to the
information desk to see if the attendant would look up Leif’s number in the directory and call
for him when Leif showed up with his children Josephine and Lukus.  He and David both had
put on some weight and aged a bit.  
The short drive from the airport brought him to a modest
home on a dead end street in the village of Aalborg where Leif grew up in the same home that
his father grew up in.  The house was sold after his Mother passed away a few years earlier
and this home was a rental.  In Denmark, renters can’t be evicted as long as they pay the rent,
unless the owner wishes to live in the house themselves.  This provides security for the renter
to improve and plan his life.

Puk, Leif’s young Vietnamese wife greeting them.  She was from Hanoi and her father had
been a Colonel in the North Vietnamese army when David was serving the US Army in
support of the South Vietnamese during the war.  Her Mother had visited last year on a 3
month Visa and they visit her in Vietnam when possible.  Leif is still on Maternal leave from
work.  When a couple have a child they both get 32 weeks paid maternal leave to care for the
child.  She was attending College to get her Master’s Degree in Forestry after transferring her
credits from University of Hanoi when she immigrated to Denmark.  Her English was very
good as her Danish.

  The first evening went well and the next morning she left for school
while Leif and David took care of the children, went shopping and visited three stores looking
for an American adapter plug for the computer.  Eventually David discovered he could “jerry
rig” a Danish plug to fit his computer enabling him to recharge the batteries.  That evening
Puk arrived to prepare dinner shortly after Leif and David had returned from shopping and
were relaxing with a beer.  She was upset the the baby’s diapers hadn’t been changed and
requested Leif to light the grill to start dinner.  A beer or two later, the grill was not lit and she
stormed off  upset leaving Leif to finish cooking the dinner.
 David and Leif ate alone that night, watched an old Walter Matthau movie and
retired rather late.  During the movie, they had been discussing their past friends and times
together when Leif mentioned he had an affair with Jeannette when visiting David in
Amsterdam.  David knew a lot of men that boasted on conquests but not many over 50.  Maybe
it also made him feel good to have married such a young woman…was she another conquest? 

Leif was still sleeping when David took his shower and greeted a friendly Puk and her
children.  She asked David to accompany her to Aalborg for an African/Danish festival to
raise money to help Africa.  To his surprise she gave him the key to the bicycle.  This would be
an adventure and when Leif was through with his breakfast, he would drive down and meet
us.  It was a very pleasant bike ride into the city where they locked up there bikes and
strolling into the center.

  David finally got some Danish Krones from the ATM as his Euros
were no good in Denmark.  It was a pleasant day and David and Puk had a nice time together
visiting the booths and tasting the food, but Leif never showed and the children were getting
tired and fussing a bit so we rode the bikes home to find Leif hanging up the laundry.  He
was hosting a small pot luck party that night and wanted to get the grill cleaned up , the house
in order so to speak.  His friend Jon stopped by to assist him assembling a bunk bed he
bought for his children. There  was a lot of preparation for Leif’s Saturday evening Poker
Tournament and Pot Luck dinner.  His friend from Skagen arrived early to help him assemble
a bunk bed for his children.  It appears Leif is not much of a handyman and avoids work as
much as possible. Puk helped and after assembly they realized the bunk was too big for the room
Furniture was rearranged and they managed to fit it in.
 David busied himself preparing
vegetable kebabs for the grill that evening.  Lots of peppers, onions, mushrooms,and zucchini all
cut into one inch squares as best as possible.  He put all into a pot with lemon juice ,oil and

seasoning to par cook briefly before putting on he skewers.  Lin, another Vietnamese  girl
offered her assistance .  Together they added some cherry tomatoes and managed to make
about 15-18 of them.  When David asked Leif how many people would be at the party, while
they were shopping, he replied 6…there were more like 18.  As the rest of the guest arrived,
Leif broke out the beer and Soren,the  Skagen man, started the grill while others prepared the
chips for the game.  

The women watched over the children while helping prepare the table and food.
When the game started there were 9 players and David won the first hand with a full house
putting everyone on guard.  Muller, an online Poker player who has supported himself for the
last two years, asked David if he was a shark.  Sometimes it is unlucky to be lucky so early.  
David found himself requiring a re-buy half way through the game and then was knocked out
at about sixth place.  Soon the game was over and the table cleared for all the food.  Grilled
sausages, hamburgers, ribs, chicken , corn on the cob and of course vegetable skewers all
accompanied by salads and bread with lots of 6.8% beer!

The second game started and ended with David placing first and winning over  120 dollars.
Coffee had been served with whiskey and the families retired but the singles stayed to drink
more.  Soren, who did all the grill cooking was spending the night and taking advantage of it
by drinking large glasses of Rum.  He was the last to be carried to bed.
The next day, David took him up on his invitation to visit Skagen.  Soren had started drinking
beer in the morning so asked David to drive.  No rest.  It turned out to be a good experience
for David as well as his visit to Skagen.  

FOOD PROCESSING PLANT ON WATER

They stopped in Frederikshavn shipyard where Soren
worked and he took David on a tour.  They even boarded a Shrimp boat docked from St John’s
Newfoundland and went from the engine room through each floor to the Bridge where David
introduced himself to the Captain that inquired as to just who the hell were we and why were
we on his boat.  Skagen quickly took over and explained he worked in yard and we all quickly
became friends.  The captain showed David some photos of his trip to Skagen so he could see
what was coming up.  They left the ship and finished the drive to Skagen arriving at his home
that afternoon.  After a nap and getting settled, they went to his sisters home for another BBQ
with about 10 of the family.The BBQ was Sausage, Steak,Pork with Bread and Salads. A young
boy had some yogurt when he first arrived and kept looking at me inquisitively.  Later I saw him
get on a trampoline in the yard and he was quite good at it.During dinner he came over near me
and I commented that his skill on the trampoline was very good. He stared at me for a minute
and just said…”I love you” and ran off. 

That evening Soren suggested they ride the bicycles to the beach to watch the Sunset.  A
tradition in Skagen as in other special areas of the world and it was well worth the bike ride.  
The problem was David’s bike had little air in the tires and every time he tried to coast, the
bike would almost stop.  He was tired when arriving and it was cold. 

The next day, Soren recommended taking the bikes into Skagen for the day before David had
to return to Aalborg on the train.  David insisted the bike needed air , he got air, he sailed
around Skagen with little to no effort. They rode for hours to the beach and the Northernmost
point of Denmark, then returned to town for some Fish and Chips…meager two small pieces
with chips in a cup for $15.  Prices were noted to be double that of the US for food. The visit to
Skagen proved to be a good experience.

 

Taking the train back, David had to transfer in
Frederikshavn and was told the conductor will collect the fare but when he offered, the
conductor said it was a holiday and if you didn’t have a ticket, you didn’t have to pay.  David
arrived at the Aalborg train station to an almost empty Aalborg.  They were all with family or
at the beach?  He found a Cafe in the center and ordered Lasagna and Red wine.  Soren had
called Leif and requested he pick David up at the train station at 8:30.  David wandered around
and after a beer in an outdoor Cafe he checked his bag out of the locker at the train station and
waited for Leif.  Leif arrived with some speakers in the trunk to deliver to a man he sold them
to over the internet.  Expecting an early evening , David was tired and looking forward to bed.
 Never expect anything when Leif is involved…he never ate with his family that evening , which
is why David scheduled a late pick up.  David wanted to give Leif some time with his family.
 Leif was ready to eat and drink.  They stopped at Muller’s home, his friend and Leif picked up
a sandwich to wash down with his beer at Muller’s.  After two beers, we decided to visit the
neighborhood bars.  There we each bought a round, then a customer bought a round after
introducing himself to David….the “foreigner”  .  

Leif took David home for a Whiskey and by
the time he bedded down it was almost 2 am and David was tired.  The next day was laundry
and packing.  It was a do nothing day.  David spent the afternoon reading up on poker.  
Another BBQ that evening and early to bed for the trip to Copenhagen.

Now it was time to hit the road. Leif and I drove to the Free Parking Lot at the airport, left his
car and headed in to pick up our boarding passes.  When we arrived at the security gate check
point, the agent told Leif he couldn’t bring the two beers he packed for us while we were
waiting. He asked if I wanted to return to the lobby with him and drink a beer but I refused
and went on in through security and boarded the plane.  He arrived shortly and after a brief
flight where we were served free juice, coffee, etc, we were off the plane and buying our train
ticket to the center of town.

  The hotel I booked was nearby and Leif joined me .  He had to
wait until 11pm  for his friend to meet him before he could bed down.  I unpacked and we left
to get a bite to eat at a Thai restaurant.  He asked if I wanted to take a walk and work off the
meal.  We walked and walked the shopping street of Copenhagen until reaching the harbor.  
While on the way, we encountered a block party.  Quite a bit of one long street was blocked of
f with a Caravan selling beer and the other end with a stage and a DJ playing Rap music.  All
along the way were people on bikes selling beer or just sitting around on the ground drinking
it.  Lots of people standing up  and mingling.  It was difficult to get through but everyone
seemed friendly.  I might add that anywhere in Denmark and at any time of day , it is no
uncommon to see a Dane walking down the street drinking a can of beer.  Leif knew a little
place where we could have a beer so we stopped into this cozy Jazz bar.

 I kept wondering if he
was going to walk me back because I was tiring of all the beer and my cold had gotten worse.
 I needed to get something other than cough drops.  He gave me directions to a 7/11 as most
shops were closed by now.  I found some pain and fever pills as well as more cough drops but
no decongestants.  I returned and had a brandy and coffee while Leif continued to browse the
newspaper. Then he announced that his friend didn’t live far from there so he would just stay
there until his friend arrived.  I left and walked home in the cold with a cold feeling miserable.
 On the way, I noticed the block party was louder and more bosteious.  Police had cordoned off
the whole neighborhood with Police vans surrounding the area.  In each van there were 6-8
policemen and women.  I counted 8 Vans and a paddy wagon to haul off anyone if necessary.
 I think the night ended well without any problems but Leif later told me that that was because
of the police presence.  I arrived around 11:30 and decided to relax and watch some TV.  
About 12:30 I tried to sleep but I couldn’t breath with the congestion so put on my clothes and
went to the lobby to inquire about where I might get some medicine.  There was an all night
drug store open not far from there.  I ventured out in the night only to be greeted by an army
of prostitutes and drug dealers out prowling for customers.  I was approached a few times
going to and from the store but never felt threatened.  They were all black people.  The store
appeared closed when I arrived and I was getting frustrated when I realized they had a bell to
ring.  I did and the pharmacist recommended a decongestant that I quickly purchased and
returned to the hotel.  I slept well and booked an internet connection from my room for $20
for 24 hours so I could convalesce in my room while catching up on my emails.  Leif emailed
me that he and his friend stayed out until 3 am catching up on old times and that he was going
to the library so he could complete his work on the computer there and would email me. I had
slept late but by 1 pm I was caught up and wanted to venture out.  I emailed Lief and
suggested he use my computer so he left the library and was at my door within the hour.  I left
for Tivoli gardens.  I wanted to take a harbor cruise but it was cold and cloudy. When I was
walking down the street, a girl on a bicycle approached me and said something in Danish to
which I explained that I only spoke English.  She replied “Do you have any money to spare”.
 

I said no and she
went on her way when a Danish man came up behind me laughing and casually said she does
that all day long.  While purchasing my admittance to the Gardens I discovered my Debit card
d been rejected by the machine.  The park was all open unlike the last time I visited over 10
years ago in the early Spring.  It was much nicer than then and very beautiful.  While taking
some photos, a young girl about 12 approached me and spoke in Danish to which again I
replied I spoke only English.  She then said in perfect English, I need 5 more Krones to buy a
hot dog, could you help me.  I gave it to her. After touring the park, I returned and told Leif I
had to get on the computer to call the US and find out why I cant access my account.  He said
he would be through within the hour and I would have plenty of time since it was still early
afternoon in NY.  I took a nap and when I awoke he was still typing away.  Finally he finished
and I called ETrade and answered questions for almost an hour before they finally told me
that someone in Texas tried to access my account while I was in Denmark and so it is closed
until they resolve the matter.  An investigator would call me to ask more questions before
they could open it back up.  We went out to eat as it was still early in NY and no calls had
been sent yet.  Jensen’s Steakhouse was close by and recommended so we ate there.

 Leif
suggested another walk to work off the meal and perhaps some coffee and Brandy to complete
the meal.  I reminded him that I had to return within the hour to check my messages for the
call from the investigator and to return the call before he left the office.  I kept suggesting
places along the walk but he said they didn’t have the good Espresso coffee to go with the
Brandy and the next think I knew we were five minutes from where his friend lived and I was
a mile or two from my hotel.  Leif had taken me to the same bar that he and his friend
frequented the evening before.

 I had an Irish Coffee then left after he suggested we take in a
movie?  Arriving at my room I checked my messages and jotted down the new number to call
that the investigator had left.  His answering machine informed me he was busy or out and
office hours were 8-4:30 .  It was 4:15 and I bitched on the answering machine that I would
call again shortly.  I did with the same results except now it was almost 4:30 when I noticed
another call from him on my email.  He was probably busy calling me while I was calling him.
 He had given me an alternative number that he could be reached at so I called and got a lady
that had no idea what I was talking about.  I rechecked the message and the phone number to
make sure it was correct .  It was.  I called him at the old number and left another message
reporting a bogus phone number he gave me.  Then I went to my account to see what I would
discover.  I could access my Bank Account but all  my brokerage accounts were shut down so I
wrote ETrade until I ran out of space and wrote them again on another email how pissed I
was.  I leave for Norway the next day with $15 in my pocket and no internet access available
to contact anyone until I arrive. David made breakfast the next morning.  A buffet to include,
one flavored yogurt and one plain yogurt with nuts, fiber, raisons to mix in.  Juice, water ,
coffee, and low fat milk to drink.  Cereals with canned pineapple, peaches and fruit cocktail.
 Liver pate, assorted cold cuts, cheeses, herring, marinated onions, rolls, breads, pastries and
boiled eggs.  When I say assorted cheeses, they are high quality with a cheese cutter as are
the cold cuts and well everything.  I checked out, checked my email, and left to catch a train
to the airport.

Yes track #5…down the escalator and voila 2 tracks.  I think I’m standing at #5 but there are
no signs. The train to the airport is due soon so I choose the track that everyone with suitcases
is standing on.  The other tracks train is already loaded and in a minute departs.  I get on the
train when it arrives and am surprised to see such roomy seating.  After a few minutes, a
woman approaches to show me her ticket and informs me that I am sitting in her seat.  I
looked to see if I had an assigned seat but no…I’m on the train to Gothenburg Sweden.   I
disembark and find a man wearing an information jacket.  He tells me that I missed the
train but another is arriving soon on Track 5 not Track 4 that I was on.  It did and a got my
boarding pass and have time to enjoy a latte but have to budget my money for the return to
Copenhagen and my flight back to Frankfurt in another 12 days.
When I checked my itinerary, I noticed there was no airlines listed.  I didn’t know what
airline I was flying on.  When I was at Leif’s home, I booked the ticket but couldn’t print it so
had to email it to Leif so he could print it.  Leif likes to save his ink so only highlighted the
part he thought was important and only print that.  I had the time and the flight number with
the destination and that was it.  Fortunately I wrote down the confirmation code and airlines
on a separate piece of paper.  It is Leif’s desire to control the situation to his benefit that
frustrates me.  Walking me a mile or more to some “special” bar, only because it is close to
where he is going and he didn’t want to walk alone.  He is lazy and will do anything to not do
anything.  He makes time to drink and read his paper with his coffee in the morning…
sometimes forgetting to change the baby’s diapers, or get them lunch.  Puk confided in me
that she doesn’t mind occasional incidents but it is constant and she has wanted a divorce for
over a year.  He just ignores her complaints and goes on.  If she straightens up the house ,
which is everyday with the children pulling everything out for play, and happens to put away
some paper he might have sitting on the table, he gets irritated and remands her.  He uses
people and pesters  me to contact CouchSurfing or SERVAS for a place to stay.  I do but he
wants to stay with only good looking women that might be in need of a good man. I try to go
with the flow but sometimes I get irritated with him myself.  When I was his guest I tried to
assist and pick up after myself when he would leave all the empty bottles from the poker
game along with full ashtrays and dirty dishes and trash for Puk the next day.  I never saw
him put the dishes in the washer but he did like the table set proper with a feast for a king…
him.  He has a compassionate side but a lot of it is talk. David flew his first Fokker airplane
and it was cramped and crowded.  Riga’s airport was also very  modern and clean. David had
a short time to pass before  boarding the connecting flight to Helsinki so he decided to have
coffee and cake.  The Euro and the Lot are accepted money.  He found some Euro and paid
the 9 Euro or about $13.


 It was a short trip to Helsinki but was around 9pm after leaving Copenhagen at 3pm.  David
used his credit card to get 140 Euros so he would have some money for transport.  The airport
bus was around 5 Euro and took him to the train/bus station where he boarded a city bus
after a 10 minute wait in which he almost froze to death.  The bus let him off at the designated
corner but no hostel was to be found.  Directions on Hostel World are poor.  Some passersby
gave him some direction and confirmed he was in the right location.  He walked around until
he finally saw a small sign indicating the hostel on the 2nd floor.  It was dark with dim
lighting , little heat, no room TV and the toilet out in the hall with the shower in another hall.
 There were a lot of families and adults but the kitchen closed at 10pm and he had only a
couple minutes to check in and get some food.  The chef said he had some pasta dish with
vegetables and meat that was hot .  David took it.  It turned out to be pasta mushy and
tasteless but filled him up.  He still didn’t have an adapter for his computer but still had a
charge from the borrowed one in last nights hotel.  He now regret not buying one in the
airport for 20 Euros.  He checked his email and got the right number to call to straighten out
his account but was told he had to give them the number.  He already explained he didn’t
carry around his account numbers while on vacation so called the guy back and again got a
message machine though it was only 4pm in NY.  He called the number given and explained
he didn’t have his account number and she said it wasn’t necessary.  What a waste of time.  
Time for a new online broker.  The lady asked him the same questions all over again that she
wasted an hour asking him yesterday.  She was definitely in India.  She tried to put him on
hold to talk to the case manager and he requested she just put the case manager on for him.
 She explained she had to contact him on another phone and wasn’t able to do that.  Ten
minutes and more questions later David was getting impatient and argumentative so she said
I will give you the case manager to talk to?!  Go figure…it was the same guy I had placed over
5 calls to and got his answering machine.  He quickly asked a few questions then told me he
would have me back on line in 10 minutes.  All that aggravation for two days and wasted time
and calls. 
 Well tonight is bed early with some tourist things tomorrow, Saturday then Leif arrives on
Sunday evening then off to Tallinn on the boat Monday.Breakfast was better than dinner.  
Another Buffett and David sat with a Russian that was busy planning his day from a booklet
he purchased at the Tourist Center yesterday.  David still had to find an adapter for his
computer to charge it up.  When he checked his other Visa account he discovered three
charges from   some Health Care Company from Abilene Texas.  That rang a bell.  So that
morning he called Visa to refute the charges after he Googled the company to discover a lot
of complaints against the same company with the identical charges on other peoples account.
 Could this be the company from Texas that was trying to attack his Debit Visa account with
ETrade that caused all the problems to begin with.  How did they get both Visa account
numbers? David called in a protest to Visa and they agreed not to shut him down as long as
he continued to monitor his account while on vacation and report any suspicious behavior.
 They agreed to credit back the charges and David called the number they reported to Visa but
it was BOGUS.  He then called the other Visa investigator he had been dealing with and
informed him of the company and what had happened but requested him to keep his account
open.`He then left to find his adapter for the computer. After walking a short distance to a
nearby plaza , he was informed to try another store in the upper story.  Then he was told to go
downtown to another Department store where he was again told to try Samsonite luggage on
the top floor as they also handled a lot of travel gizmos and sure enough he finally found
what he wanted.  Discovering that Helsinki was a half a million in a very concentrated area
made it easy to walk anywhere, he continued to Senate Plaza where he encountered a festival
with folk singing, booths with handy crafts and food from Finland…some of it free…BBQ
chicken wings anyway. David saw a tent with four Chefs and a line with a sign @#$%^ for 5
Euros and everyone around eating a sandwich.  5 Euros was good for a meal so he got in line
and ordered what turned out to be a Spam sandwich with relish, onions, mustard and catsup!
  He filmed some shows, took some pics, and remembered the Cafe Engel was across the
street.  He took a table and ordered a Loganberry Pie and Cafe au Lait while deciding his next
move.  He ventured off to the Tourist Info booth and booked a audio bus tour of the city for
the next day.  Then walking down the Esplanade Park back home he took a few more photos.
 Helsinki is loaded with little parks everywhere  and lots of alcoholics to populate them but
never did he see any problems. Drinks in Bars are very expensive to discourage drinking…a
National problem.  I think Denmark may have the same problem.  When people have
everything they want or have nothing they get bored and turn to the drink.  The secret is keep
them in between.  He returned to the hostel and decided to try He must have because David
later went to the Grand Casino Helsinki and took out a few hundred dollars to enter a Texas
Hold’em competition.  After putting his name on the list, they gave him a beeper to respond to
when an opening came up .  David discovered the entrance was anywhere from 200 to 500
Euros and after watching the action taking place…folded and entered the downstairs
BlackJack tables for 10 Euro minimum bet and won 50 Euros in twenty minutes.  He folded
again and took his winnings to a bar called Mendocino which was 50s and 60s rock and roll.
He wanted a meal .  She recommended the Mount Everest.  It was a Nepalese Restaurant that
he had passed nearby the Hostel.  It looked bad from the outside though his curiosity was
peaked and there were a lot of people eating there.  He decided to give it a try.  The Tandoori
Chicken with Coconut Milk, Rice, Mint sauce, Yogurt and Salad with two glasses of wine …hit
the spot.  He returned to the hotel to catch up on sleep , set a wake up call and get ready for
an Audio Bus tour at 11am then a tour of the Finnish Museum after.  Leif was coming in after
7pm on Sunday and met someone that arranged for him to stay at her home as she still had to
stay another day.  We are still waiting for Hedi from Tallinn to let us know when and where
she will pick us up before we can book our ferry ride on Monday afternoon. More weird
dreams.  I got drafted to go to Iraq.  I talked to Heather over depression and felt a great love
and hurt for her. The alarm went off and did my morning ritual then went down for
breakfast.  Everyone had rose early today and was gone.  Staying at a hostel is interesting.  So
many travelers both young and old.  The young are so confident, adventurous, open, naive,
and thin!  We used to be like that and now we are the wise ones? Off for my tour. I’m finally
starting to get over my cold that I’ve been battling since Skagen in Denmark.  My back teeth
are starting to heal and I can chew much better now.  I walked to the tour and had a latte at a
really nice restaurant nearby before boarding the state of the art tour bus.  The tour lasted
about 2 hours with 2 brief stops.  I walked over to the harbor and filmed a bit then headed for
the Train station to take a few more photos and visit the National Museum.  Ate a little
strawberry pie after and heading back to the hostel.  Trying to book the tickets for the ferry
the next day proved fruitless.  I had to use my credit card and give them the names, birth
dates, citizenship,  and phone  numbers of both people.  If you come to the USA they
fingerprint and photo you so I guess that wasn’t so bad…but I had to call Leif to find out when
he was born.  He is on the plane returning from Aland so couldn’t get through.  He won’t get
my message until around 8pm and I’m ready for bed now. .5pm.  

I went out and had a beer at
the Mendicino bar (best Music Bar in Helsinki) then stopped for a Pizza to go on the way
back.           Now it’s 8pm and I am just getting ready to retire when the phone rings and it’s
Leif in the lobby.  He said the Husband of the women he met at the conference couldn’t put
him up but another had a SERVAS friend that would.  She wasn’t available for another hour
so we put away his bag and went back to my Pizza joint to get him a Pizza.  Then to the
Mendicino Bar for another beer while we waited until 9 to call her.  Leif’s cell doesn’t work
outside of Denmark so he borrowed some Swedes phone and offered to pay.  After the call
thee Swede said…so you are not going to pay.  Leif said how much and the Swede said
whatever you think.  Leif got out his loose change and gave it to the Swede.  He started
laughing…that’s it! He took it to his friends to show them and they were all laughing.  Leif got
out some more change and gave it to him thoroughly embarrassed.  The woman wasn’t home
yet.  We went back to the Hostel and the clerk let Leif use her phone and the woman said she
couldn’t pick him up and that he would have to take a bus.  The clerk gave him directions and
told him it was a 15 minute walk.  We   tried to get our tickets but now BOTH my credit cards
were rejected!  We used Leif’s with no problem but it only gave us a reservation on the boat
not the tickets.  We would have to be there early tomorrow to pick them up.  He left and we
agreed to meet at the terminal at 1pm.   Finally I get to go to bed.  It is approaching Midnight
when I finally retire…still light outside!  I slept well and at breakfast noticed that most
travelers are now carrying my little notebook laptop.  Amazing how things catch on so fast.
Technology.  When I’m on my deathbed, will I say: “I wish I spent more time with my
computer!”  When David returned to his room, the maids, working as a pack, had finished off
the surrounding rooms and were circling in for the kill on mine.  It was almost an hour before
checkout  and I wanted one more nap but packed and checked out at 11:30am and half hour
early.  I walked to the terminal only to find it was 11:45 and the ticket booth didn’t open until
12:30 and the boat didn’t leave until 2:30pm.  Now I had almost 3 hours to sleep and no
where to do it.  Also there was nothing but an empty waiting room and a vending machine.
 Good time to start my State of Fear book by Michael Crichton.  When the ticket counter
opened, I got in line with a bunch of truck drivers and waited my turn only to find out the
passenger terminal was further down behind this building. Another walk and a possible
double hip replacement and I arrived to find Bus 15 , that the Hostel clerk recommended
sitting in front with a lot of people with suitcases disembarking.  I got our tickets with no
problem and was told boarding time was at 2pm…it was now 12:45.  I got another coffee and
waited for Leif’s arrival.  I’m beginning to feel like his personal assistant.He arrived and we
boarded and are off.

He arrived with a bottle of Vodka   The ferry was very upscale.  We sat in the front at a bar
and Leif was off to bring us some beer.

When we arrived in Tallinn we needed some Estonian
krones so I cashed in some Euros but after thought maybe I had exchanged too much so Leif
offered to take some off my hands then we could get more if necessary at a later time.  I gave
him the equivalent of 110 Euros worth of krones.   We had a few hours before the scheduled
meeting with Hedi our Couchsurfing hostess.  Tallinn is a beautiful Medieval City similar to
Prague.

 When the time came we went to McD’s to meet with Hedi and there were the
Arizona Grandmother and granddaughter couple that Hedi said would be sharing her house
with us.  We visited with them until Hedi arrived , then piled everything into her car.  A quick
stop at the supermarket and we were off into the countryside.

BARISTER FROM AUSTRALIA

 Leif paid for everything then
we split the bill three ways between the couple from ‘AZ myself and Leif…deducting it from
the money he owed along with a bottle of Vodka we would share.  I am in  Hedi’s home now
outside of  Tallinn Estonia at a farm house in the country where we just met a midwife from
Tuba City AZ and her 15yo granddaughter traveling around and Barister, an Aussie that lives
in Moscow.  We all stayed here with Hedi and had a sauna party last night.  Great fun…her
son and his girlfriend came as well as a young firefighter named Jim from Brooklyn, N.Y. and
his new found Estonian girlfriend. We prepared some pasta with meat sauce and washed it
down with lots of wine.   Off to Tallinn with Hedi then after touring she will pick us up after
work and return for last night.

NYC FIREMAN

The whole day in Tallinn was  filled with picture taking, beer
drinking, a little blackjack at the casino and time spent in a cafe watching the world go by. We
did run into Jim while touring.   He was trying to catch up on his sightseeing as the last few
days he had been jet lagged and partying.  All and all a very nice day but cold and rainy.  We
took Hedi to dinner at a place she suggested..  The Estonian  Restaurant was a nice
atmosphere with good food.  The bill was $70 for the three of us to have appetizers, drinks,
entrees, desert, conjoc, and cafe!!

 The car broke down about 3 miles from Hedi’s house.  4 of
5 Lug nuts on the tire had been sheared off.  We limped home with one left and made an
appointment for the garage early in the morning.

We went right to bed with Leif snoring all
night until Hedi awoke us in the morning.  Leif had his usual morning whiskey before going
downstairs.  We had breakfast .


We boarded this luxury bus and was greeted by hostesses and a book about the bus.  I could
plug my laptop into a regular outlet, get free internet and print 20 pages free. They have a
menu and drinks which you pay as you go..  Blanket and pillow were offered. Leather reclining
seats.  TV and a waitress to come around to see to all your needs. There was a business class
section in the back with a lounge if you paid $15 more than the $30 for the four hour trip.  I
decided then to take a bus to Frankfurt from Gdansk instead of taking a ferry to Copenhagen
and flying in.  Jim the fireman from Brooklyn boarded and we exchanged “Howareyas”.   Now
is time to check my email and surf the internet. The hostess came over to announce there were
5 stops…the last being the bus station. I told her where we were staying and gave her the
address so she looked it up on the internet and informed me my stop would be the next to the
last so I wouldn’t have to walk so far to the hotel.  Five minutes before the stop she informed
both Leif and I.  Leif was still busy with my computer he borrowed 3 hours ago to check his
email.  I got ready and the bus stop came but he was still on the computer .  I jumped off , got
my bag and was waited for him as was the bus driver and the hostess.  He finally got off and
she gave me directions to the hotel so I started off when he informed me he left his coat on
the bus.  
We went to check in and he wanted the lady to  call the bus station and give him directions.
 Would I walk down with him…I don’t think so.  He acted like it was the hostesses fault for not
explaining the stop in detail…but she did.  He went to the station and found the bus pulling
out and waved to it but the driver waved him away to another bus so he jumped in front of the
bus when the hostess recognized him and  brought out his coat.  When he returned we left to
walk to the river but on the way we decided to eat. We met a Russian that was a clown for a
living and he said follow me.  He took us to a nice cafeteria near our hotel that offered nice
selections of all kinds of Baltic food that was cheap and cooked fresh.

 We both ate a lot and of course Leif had to

have a couple beers.  We offered the Russian some food or drink but he only had Tea and
showed us photos of his wedding and pictures of his Estonian wife.  He had been in Riga for
over 10 years and was fun to talk to.  We left him and the Lido Restaurant and walked through
the park to the river but Leif had to have an Ice Cream at McD’s so I kept going and took some
movies of the people , parks, and cafes.  It was a beautiful evening and warm for a change.  I
got to the river but there were no cafes along the water like Paris so I returned to find Leif.  
He and I stopped in a Cafe for some Brandy and Cafe then returned to the hostel after I listened
to every story of every young woman that approached him and he ended up with and where and
when…etc.

  He kept stopping to piss in the park but finally we arrived back and both of us got on the
computer though he wanted to stop for a beer at the Gentleman’s Club.  
We did stop into a “Vegas” Casino but I just wanted to look and you had to give them your
passport and coat and all that crap so we left.  He did pay me up all he owed in Lats…the
Latvian currency so for the first time we were square and just split bills instead of keeping
track of everything.  On the internet I got a message that Ralph, my cousin Barbara’s husband
died of a heart attack the day before , reminding me of why I was traveling and to enjoy it
more and stop complaining about Leif and his little idiocy cries.  Time for bed so I can enjoy
tomorrow.  
Our hostel breakfast was white bread toast with jam and cream cheese
accompanied by coffee.  I quickly dressed and ran across the street for a full breakfast with
fresh OJ and Cappuccino while Leif and I agreed to meet later in the evening.  I then toured
Riga on a beautiful summer’s day. I stopped to rest an the steps of one of the buildings and to
my surprise , a minute latter, a soldier with a beret and a beretta all dressed in “cams” came
over and escorted me back to the street.  

It turned out to be the Parliament Building and he
must’ve thought I was a suicide bomber, no? My cold was gone and I was energized but my
camera battery wasn’t.  Around 2pm I headed back to recharge the battery and myself before
heading out again to visit the Castle, river park and another area of town.  I walked for over
an hour to the riverfront and a “hippy, rundown area of warehouses called Andrejsala”  Lots
of graffiti or art depending on your perspective and a Boatel on the water where you could
rent rooms.  A few young people were scattered about, drinking, kissing, and smoking.  I
guess it comes alive at night with bands play music in the warehouses.  In my younger days
I might have returned to see for myself.  I headed for the Riga Castle. It was rush hour and
the traffic was relentless and merciless.  I finally arrived to discover you couldn’t enter.  It was
not for show yet.  I went to meet Leif at our designated Cafe in the Center, had a couple of
beers and a cheese plate.  It was 30 minutes past our time so I got up to leave when he
arrived…”Let’s have a beer David”.  Typical Leif.  He wanted to have a Steak dinner and after
the beer we walked around all the touristy Steak house Cafes’ checking out the menus.  Thi s
is too expensive he said and finally settled for one where they wore cowboy outfits.  While
looking at the menu he announced he would pay with his card and I could owe him.  We
finally got things straight between us and he wants to start up again.  I protested we should
just ask for separate checks but he insisted that I could pay the bus fare the next day then we
needed some Cognac and coffee plus he announced he gave the waiter a $12 tip too.  When it
came time to leave, he said I owed him $60 but I wrote everything down including his tip and
my calculations came to $55.  Here we go again.  Let’s stop and have a beer.  You stop and I will
meet you in the room.  But David…Oh I have to take a piss under this bridge.  Non-Stop arguing
and now he is complaining how he spent too much money and should go home. Riga was also a
great city with friendly people and clean. When we returned, I booked a hostel in Vilnius for the
two days we planned on and he worked on getting a flight from Gdansk home now so he could
get it out of the way. I also called my cousin Barbara from the room to pass on my condolences
on the loss of her husband.  Everyone was there with her including my Dad’s sister who is
recovering from a broken hip but was not in a wheelchair but a walker!  She is something else.
Now Helen, Barb’s sister has to take care of her alone.  They used to take turns passing her
around.     I was almost asleep when Leif burst in the room exclaiming he had to fly Ryanair to
London from Gdansk then to Copenhagen in order to get this special deal of $173 …I’ve spent
too much and miss my children.  His wife told him to stay as long as he wanted in the last
email and return only if he had too…she didn’t care.  He never bought her or the children a
souvenir. I don’t like wasting time shopping and then lugging things back 3000 miles but try to
get a little something for my friends.  It is morning now and Leif is still bitching about a
worthless email I sent him last night.  He said it only had a list of email addresses on it but
nothing else.  This morning I pointed out that had he scrolled down and read the message he
would see it was more than that.  He said he wouldn’t waste his friend’s time sending them so
mething a silly as that.  Then he wanted my credit card to book the bus…I left to have breakfast
and meet him at the bus station.  He hadn’t packed yet. Now I get an email that he is on his way.
 We walked to the bus station, got our tickets and sat down with an hour to spare.  It was
raining out so the Market wasn’t feasible.  He asked if I was going to be there a while to watch
his bags…sure.  Big mistake.  I want to walk around myself now it’s been a half hour and go to
the gate to get in line so I get a window seat but I’m stuck watching his stuff!  Damn…again he
has me doing his bidding.  I dragged the bags around to the gate and was loading mine on the
bus when he arrived.  Meanwhile I had to go the bathroom so saved it for the bus.  We boarded
the bus and he sat behind me, telling me how wonderful the Central Market was and all the
things he bought for cheap.  I slept a  lot and was pleased we are traveling on such a dismal day.
 The bus stopped while entering Lithuania so the Border Patrol could board to check everyone’s
passport.  Something we were informed of when we boarded so we would have our passports
ready.  Leif didn’t and we all had to wait while the driver recovered his bag under the bus storage
with all the other and he presented his passport.

 When we arrived in Vilnius it was a light rain
and all the bags were on the walk after the driver emptied the storage.  I grabbed mine and
looked back to see the driver looking around for whoever owned the one lone bag not claimed.  
Leif was still on the bus packing his jacket and collecting his newspapers.  We went to get change
but he said he didn’t like using the ATM because his bank charges $6 everytime and he would
just use my money.  I paid his the balance of what I owed him…$15 in LATS so he could have
some change and use his credit card in the restaurants. We took the bus to the hostel then went
out for the evening.  After a fews beers at each bar we passed he met some Danes and asked
there recommendation for food.  The one Dane exported Oak furniture to Denmark and lived
here for a year so knew a place but when we arrived it turned out to be beautiful but a big tourist
trap with expensive food.  I started for the bathroom and heard Leif yell TWO BEERS.  I told
him I didn’t want to keep getting bloated on beer and wished he had asked me.  I chased down
the waiter and told him but he said what do you want and I said I haven’t looked to see what is
on the list yet.  Ten minutes later he finally brought Leif’s beer and I ordered a glass of wine
while Leif ordered a Boar Goulash.  The waiter asked me what I wanted and I said again…I
GLASS OF WINE!  I haven’t decided and will let you know when I get my wine.  Finally after
another 10 minutes I told Leif I don’t want anything and now you finished your beer let’s leave.
 We started to just as the waiter brought my wine with Leif’s Goulash!  Then he wanted to know
what I wanted?  I was supposed to watch Leif eat then maybe I might get my overpriced meal…
nothing I told him.  I sat through his meal listening to all his tales of conquests and how young
they all were.
Vilnius was a nice city and easy to get around.  3 women for everyman, actually 6 since
half the men are drunk.  It was not a friendly town though the women were plenty and beautiful.  

Toilets were rank but the Old Town was nice.
I did get a hot shower this morning and unpacked to change out of my jeans.  They were
beginning to have a life of their own.  We had breakfast down the street when Leif informed
me we only had the hostel for one night as they were booked the second.  OK then why didn’t
you find another hostel that we could book for two nights instead of spending our one day for
sightseeing, packing , checking out and trying to find a place to stay?  Not my idea of travel.
 I booked another hostel for the next night and hoped it was close to the one he booked.  We
took a taxi to the train station and boarded our 3rd class train with benches for seats for out 3
hour trip to some town I can’t pronounce, where we reboard another train to Warsaw. I told
Leif I waited but he said he found his Dane friend and had been drinking in the Cafe for 3
hours then ate and returned to find his friend with two Thai masseuses that he uses.

 The 70 year old Dane lives across the street and called his friends to join the two of them.  The
drinking continued.  We had breakfast and picked up the train at the station after I paid the
taxi. 


The seats were hard and the trip was over 8 hours with one change. That morning I asked
about the booking for the hostel and he said they could only give him one night and then we
would have to stay in the dorms.  I asked why he didn’t book another hostel instead so we
didn’t have to move because I wasn’t staying in a dorm .  He replied that he didn’t think I
would mind! Now I got on the internet and booked us another hostel nearby for the next
night.  We arrived and took a bus after considerable discussion about him paying his own way
but that everytime he used his ATM he got charged so why couldn’t I just use mine and lend
him the money and he would charge our meals and deduct what he owed me.  This after he
just argued about why I kept telling him he owed me DOLLARS when it was LATS and why
couldn’t we stick with the local currencies…I tried to explain he has borrowed EUROS in
Helsinki, kroner in Estonia, LATS in Latvia, LIVS in Lithuania and now wants Zlotys in
Poland and I am the only one keeping track.  I feel tethered to his Credit card because he is so
cheap and then he keeps calling me SCROOGE.  He bought his flight to Aalborg back in Latvia
so he would have to worry.  I was waiting until I got to Warsaw to buy my bus, train or air
ticket to Frankfurt.

 Now we were checked into the hostel in Warsaw but it was late in the
evening and we both hadn’t eaten so Leif had to have his beer right away.  We went to the
first bar and he had a liter of beer.  He takes a photo of every first beer he has in the country
he arrives in then has me take a photo of him drinking it.  We decided to eat there as it was
getting late and shops  were closing all around.  The food was OK as we hadn’t eaten anything
on the train.  There was no dining car or snacks available and neither of us had much sleep
the night before.  We retired and got up in time to find out the hostel had no hot water for the
next three days.  We ate a meager breakfast and checked out…climbed 97 steps up to the
street above carrying our luggage and checked into the other hostel.  It was nice but out room
wasn’t ready until 3pm and I wanted a shower and had to go to the train station to find ou
about the trip to Frankfurt.  We left our bags in a storage locker and I ventured out and
caught a bus to the train station while Leif took off on the town.  We agreed to meet at 5 pm
at a bar in Old Town because the beer was cheap there.  It was unusually hot and I still had
on my long underwear and coat so was sweating  and miserable.  I combed the train station,
asked a few directions and stood in line for about 30 minutes to discover this was the ticket
booth for in country not international train travel…that was upstairs.  I got there to discover
a line over an hour long but saw information so stood in line there to find out the schedule and
price of the train which was not available on the internet.  I finally got to the clerk and he
printed out the schedule but couldn’t tell me the price.  To find that out, I would have to
stand in the other line for an hour to just find out the price.  I still had the option of a bus or
plane.  I noticed  a travel agency so went there.  They only booked buses and planes.  The
plane they said was over $300 and the only bus left at 3pm on the 17th and arrived at 9am
on the 18th…EIGHTEEN HOURS!  I thanked her and returned to the hostel to shower and
clear my head.  A nice hot shower rejuvenated me so I got on the internet and decided I
already paid for the return flight from Aalborg to Copenhagen to Frankfurt (because Leif said
we could use his car if I chipped in for the gas but later said he said nothing of the sort)  . I
emember him saying his flight to Copenhagen then to Aalborg was around $200 so I thought
I could save time by flying to Copenhagen and catching the last leg of my return flight to
Frankfurt.   That made sense so I booked the ticket then had to email it to the hostel I was at
in order to print it out.  When it was all done, it was time to meet Leif.  I left thinking that I
had at least got the last of my travel plans confirmed and was proud.  Walking through the
Old Town I took some photos to catch up on what I had missed all day when it occurred to
me …why didn’t I ever check the flights from Warsaw directly to Frankfurt?  I was so caught
up on saving some money by taking the bus or train and seeing the countryside that I never
thought of that.  When I checked it later, I discovered I could have saved 4 hours travel time,
and about $40 by booking the direct flight to Frankfurt!  Too late now.  Leif was waiting across
the street for me.  He said he discovered the beer was actually cheaper at the bars off the
main drag and suggested we go there.

 I was tired and hungry so we agreed to have one beer
and a snack there and then move into the other parts of the town.  We took lots of photos and
meandered around before finding a Cafe that had Pils Urquell beer from Czech Republic for
$2,75 a Liter.  We had a few along with lots of food and our total bill was $23.  That was a deal.
 Leif was now buying something called Slipavich…not spelled like that but pronounced like
that.  It was some cheap Plum brandy that was about 150 proof.  Around Midnight we headed
back and everything along the way was closing as it was Monday night.

He kept stopping to piss in the bushes.  We arrived and bedded down but I had to get up and
put my ear plugs in to drown out his snoring. I consoled myself that tomorrow he would be
leaving and I could have a whole day to myself and breath for the first time in over 2 weeks.
When I awoke, he was gone so I showered and went for breakfast.  He was holding court with
the travelers, telling stories of his adventures over a coffee and a pint of whiskey.  I declined
his invitation to listen to his bragging…I knew most of it anyway.   Later  he informed me his
plane didn’t leave until 6pm and wanted to know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to
meet him.  I thought I have to get up early the next day so have to bed early tonight and don’t
want to drink anymore.  Then I realized it was only the 16th .  I had booked an extra night after
I got my ticket thinking it was the 17th and now needed to book another night if it was
available. When I booked the first extra night the clerk asked me if Leif would be staying and
I told her I killed him and I would be the only one in the room.  I had seriously thought about
it more than once.  Fortunately they rearranged the rooms so I could stay another night and
keep the same room.  Now I did have an extra day to enjoy my independence and rest before
the long haul to Frankfurt and then to Phoenix.
I was to meet Leif at Starbucks but it is cold
and rainy today.  I’ll dress warm and give it a shot.   He didn’t show but returned to the hostel
at 4 to pick up his bags.  I walked him to the bus stop and sighed relief when he waved
goodbye.
 I stayed in that evening and rose early to enjoy my last day in Warsaw.  The city is
also clean, great public transport and can easily be walked…and I did.  I walked everywhere
and ended up having a big lunch at this Jewish-Polish restaurant in the old town. Bed early
and up at 5am to catch the bus then the plane to Copenhagen. I have a 6 hours layover before
catching my plane to Frankfurt.  I’m fighting to stay awake. This airport is the best I’ve ever
been in.  It is so far ahead of it’s time with the architecture, wood and marble floors, shops, rest
area. I made it to Frankfurt and home.

Posted on

TRAT TO PATTAYA AND HOME

The last night in Banpu Resort:   
     I’m well or on my way to well.  Last night I had such a burning fever and diarrhea.  Then
when I would run to the bathroom I would freeze and started shivering like I never have.  I
shook under the covers and couldn’t stop.  
Today I slept as late as I could trying to get some rest but my driver was taking me to the bus
station at 10:30 for a Noon bus trip to Pattaya.  I had the front desk call her and find out how
much to drive me direct because I was still on the toilet ever hour and couldn’t take a bus.  She
said she could arrange a taxi for $60 and would pick me up at 9:30.  I settled my tab and left
when she arrived. 
My ear ache wasn’t so bad that night but I ran out of decongestants to relieve the pressure
and now it was killing me.  The taxi turned out to be a new Toyota Camry and I rode in relative
comfort for the entire 3-4 hours and despite the pain, I managed some sleep, I think.  The
driver had been to Pattaya but didn’t know it that well but he found my hotel and helped me
with the bag so I tipped him and checked in.
The room was on the top floor and pretty shabby but all the amenities EXCEPT INTERNET
connection!  So here I am in a hot lobby using a computer with all my info on mine upstairs.
 I already paid in advance so I’ll live with it and look for an air-conditioned Starbucks with an
electric connection I can use.  
  Meanwhile I was so in pain and exhausted I laid down for an hour then took a Baht Bus to
the hospital right down the street.  I checked in they called my number, I lost 8 pounds
(probably in the last two days), BP 120/62 and temp was normal.  They put the thermometer
under your armpit.  The doctor saw me within a few minutes and gave me an excellent check
over and said my ear looked good and no damage but I did have an infection and a gastric
intestinal infection also.  He put me on antibiotics, some drink to restore my system, and two
other meds three times a day that I forgot what they are?
I stopped at MacD’s on the return trip to bring a Double Big Mac up and have my first food of
the day.  That is 4 hamburgers.  I remember the stir fry that I got sick on and now when I look
at stir fry my stomach gets upset.  It used to get upset when I saw a Big Mac but this worked
and I took my Meds and feel much better.
   I’m going to get in touch with Doug and Denise tomorrow.  If I feel better I might even
shave.   This internet room is stuffy and hot with the Hostess Bar just outside the door.  
   I saw a Sunday Special Roast Pork Loin with Apple sauce, Mashed and Roasted Potatoes,
three different fresh vegetables, Yorkshire Pudding, Dressing and Gravy so ordered it.  I ate
the pork and applesauce with some mashed and left the rest…too much. Still didn’t sleep too
well and was in and out of bed for 14 hours before finally getting up.
   I did shave. The ear infection is only being treated with antibiotics and only one a day so I
just have to wait until it takes effect…maybe three days.  The other were a Re hydrating mix
with water, anti Spastic for stomach…like a Milk of Magnesia pill, and some pill to restore the
good bacteria in your system…There is your lesson for the day. I went back to Mac Thai and
got two Cheeseburgers today for lunch.
I may move out of here.  People are friendly enough and the guests are mostly American and
Australian but I don’t feel my room is secure and don’t want my computer stolen.  I can break
into my room without the key.  There is a safe there but they haven’t been more than one
person on at a time so no one has been able to put fresh batteries in it.  I am suppose to meet
with Doug this afternoon.
      Okay after three trips up and down stairs we finally concluded there was nothing wrong
with the safe in my room.  The batteries were fine. I kept doing the opposite of what she
instructed me to do…even after she demonstrated it! Press the code then A.  I kept pressing
A then the code.  I heard what she said but it was like someone else operating my brain…oh
well I’m happy now I can fit my computer into the safe and all my valuables and leave without
worry.  I will stay here until it is time to move …but still want to find an WiFi available Air
conditioned restaurant. 
    My gastric problems cleared up by mid-afternoon (must have been the Cheeseburgers) and I
think are literally behind me. Now the ear infection has worsened.  I’ve been going around
grimacing , scowling, basically being very anti-social with everyone. They all keep smiling and
saying hello and I brush them off with a grunt and a mumble and head to my bed.  This
afternoon when it was getting worse I decided to take my second Antibiotics to try and kick
start
the healing process.  The first I took 20 hours ago so I wasn’t too far off my daily dose.  I had
to eat something first so got directions to the local Pharmacy, stopped and picked up some
ear drops, Panadol and some Q Tips then went to Mac Thai for a Hamburger and my Antibiotic.
  I already took 400 mg of IBP and took another 500 mg of Panadol.  I then went back and
added the ear drops and are suffering more than ever.  If  I don’t feel relief by this evening…
back to the hospital.
  My stomach was fine and I’m doing great but all he gave me for the infection was the
Antibiotics one a day for a week.  They take time. I had taken two over last two days but was
impatient so went to a pharmacy and got some drops, more Ibprophen and some Panadol,
like Aspirin .  I took my last decongestant and forgot to replace it. 
I meet with Doug  this afternoon. He and his wife Denise just returned from 10 days in
Boracay Philippines.  A remote and beautiful paradise. We caught up on our recent adventures
.  Doug reminded me that the infection had a three to four day start on the Antibiotics.  I did
cheat and took one extra Antibiotic after 12 hours instead of 24 then went back to the 24.  I
took an extra to catch up and am going over to the drug store to pick up a replacement.
 I was ready to return to the hospital for my follow up appointment when I stopped to
“Google” brown secretions from the ear.  It is a bacterial infection picked up by being near
hot humid windy seashore or near water…Trat.  I remember sitting on out over the water on
my second night with the tide out.  The mud was green and blackish with bugs everywhere and
the wind blowing directly into the now infected ear.  After more research, I realized there is
nothing I can do but wait it out and continue the treatment.  All the things the hospital did
were exactly what you were supposed to.  I returned to the room and took 3 tranquilizers and
two sleeping tablets.  That was at 7:30 last night.  I made it through the night.  Up and down
but I finally came down at 2 pm this afternoon.  I’m off to replace the extra antibiotic I took,
get some food in me and take another antibiotic. I hope to set up a dental appointment ASAP
to get his opinion on my Tijuana tooth implant that is loose again.   I think it will require
another bone graft and months of waiting.  I want my money back from the Mexican dentist!  
   Things were fine until the decongestant started to wear off and the pain started. I put in the
ear drops but it was getting worse.  I took 800 mg IBP but still worse. Late that evening I took
1000 mg Panadol but no change.  I took a sleeping pill but couldn’t sleep!   1:30 am  I left, got
a bus and was at the hospital in 5 minutes.  I had already been processed so in 5 more minutes
I tested at 169/95  far cry from my last 120/62…then weighed in at 212! from 182…
something wrong with that.  Turned out I had thought it was pounds before and it was kilos.
        The Dr saw me shortly and I brought out the new meds I procured and she (still had
braces) promptly  took my ear drops and threw them in the trash.  I have a hard time hearing
and at this point I was deaf in my right ear and she had a face mask on.  It is not easy to read
lips through a face mask.  She kept telling me they were taking me to emergency but I kept
telling her I couldn’t hear her.  I could but could not understand the words until she removed
the face mask.  
It was then I realized how much I depend on seeing people’s lips when they talk.   When I
returned home, I tried muting the TV News broadcast and just reading lips but I couldn’t
understand.  The visual alone wasn’t enough and the sound without the visual wasn’t either.
 I needed to have both to hear and understand.   When people talk to me they have to look at
me.  It is so frustrating to have people talk to me while looking in the other direction. 
 They took me into emergency and injected me with an antibiotic, a painkiller and a sleep aid.
  4:30 AM I was up after a great rest and back in the hotel.  It still hurt but the pain had
subsided and I now have tranquilizers. 
 I visited the 7/11 and got some peanut butter, bread, probiotic yogurts and one hamburg…
that makes 8 Hamburgs in three days.  I vowed that to be my last.  Most of the Medicines
required food but now I have peanut butter.  I lost track of the medicines; Imodium, Lomotil,
two different ear drops, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, three different types of antibiotics, three
different types of anti-inflammatory pills, my lisinopril, lovastatin, aspirin, metoprolol,
terazosin, hot compresses, panatrol, and a rehydration mix with water.  I know there was more
but can’t remember. Oh yeah two different decongestants.  That is 21…see why I needed
hamburgs.  I remember when we wanted to get our dog to take pills we always put them in
hamburg.
  I awoke around 9 am and walked over to the hotel I would be moving to.  I had a healthy
breakfast and verified my check in day.  Good thing I did because the owner’s old
employee/manager, left him and destroyed all his books on the way out.  I’ve heard worse
stories about oriental ladies that get angry.  The new Manager made arrangements for me to
stay and showed me the nice room for only $2 more than I am paying now and $8 Dollars
less than I was originally quoted.  Things are looking up.  Last night I couldn’t think.  I am
in the final stretch from here on end…I hope. I finally did a turn around. I think last night
was the end of the up all night.  Took too many tranquilizers and sleeping pills but don’t
think I’ll need them tonight.  The pain is there but manageable and I do believe the infection
will be gone in a couple days.    I’m eating regular now but not so much.    I am going to find
a poker game in an internet cafe that is Air-conditioned  to keep me occupied.  Might see
Avatar tomorrow in the theater.  
I retired late last night after taking my 500 mg of antibiotic, heart medicine, decongestants,
 tranquilizer  ,   sleeping pill  and had an up and down sleep.  At 4 pm the next day I was out
of decongestants and needed some back up lomitol so returned to the pharmacy.  I walked
down the street and found a nice coffee shop in combo with a Sub Shop.  I ate two muffins ,
two lattes and bought a sub to take back to the room should I get hungry.  I tried to lie down
again but the pain was still too much.  I decided to return to the hospital where they checked
me right in and I was with the Doctor in 5 minutes.  She looked in my ear and noted the
infection seemed to be spreading so sent me to emergency where I lie on my side for 1/2 hour
or so with 4 types of drops in my ear.  Then they put me on my back and drained everything
and flushed my ears three or four times with a hot liquid.  Then they probed it with a needle
that I could feel going out my other ear.  I didn’t know they could do that.  The human ear is
amazing.  Then I was taken to the cashier , still in pain but clean pain.  I paid my $75  and they
issued me 10 anti inflammatory pills I never heard of and 10 1000 mg Amoxicillin.  Take one
of each after dinner tonight and in the morning for the next 5 days and return to follow up
tomorrow. 
 I stopped at 7/11 and bought my dinner of peanut butter and whole wheat bread and slowly
made my way home.  I had a sandwich, took one of each and then laid down.  When I awoke it
was 10 pm and I was DAVID again.  LIBERATED.  I’M A BEAR COMING OUT OF
HIBERNATION….I RAN DOWNSTAIRS…GREETED ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT SMILED
AT ME EVERYDAY WHEN I GRIMACED AND SCOWLED AT THEM AND BOUGHT THE
WHOLE BAR A DRINK!!!!!!!!!   My first drink in over a week.  I know…no drinking with
antibiotics but had to share one with those who smiled at my grimaces and frowns everyday. 
I hope to see my dentist tomorrow as well as go back for my return visit.
I went for a long walk and returned to bed around Midnight and had a great night’s sleep.  I
awoke at sunrise and took off for a long walk on the beach with all the other walkers
, joggers. Tai chi people and just plain sport nuts.  The water was covered with boaters going to
the island beaches and parasailers.  I counted over 24 in the air at the same time.  It felt great
walking but being weak I took a break at Mac Thai’s for coffee and scrambled eggs.  I walked
back and took a short nap then left to see Dr Narin , my dentist.  I tried to email   him but no
reply.  The receptionist said he would be in at 1 pm.  I’m next door now waiting for his arrival.
  I would like him to try and take care of the new tooth decay problem I have before he does
one of the crowns on Monday. 1 pm and no Dr Narin.  He will be in at 2 pm.  2 pm…no Dr Narin.
 I left at 2:15.  He is great but his receptionist doesn’t have a clue.  Now I’m headed for my
follow up Hospital appointment and hopefully the last.  I do feel fantastic. My BP was
120/62 when I first entered the hospital.  My return in the middle of the night was 167/93
and yesterday’s  visit was 103/67.  I’m anxious to see what my last visit will be.  It was 140/68
and not my last visit.
     I got the top specialist, a  Otolaryngologist.  The average salary in the USA for him is
$293,261 a year….average.   I looked him up in the book they provide with the listing all the
 Doctors they employ with photos, names and credentials.  Great idea for hospitals
everywhere.  He did the same treatment with my ear except he sucked my brain out along
with the goo.  Then he altered my scripts.  He said I have a bacterial infection on top of a
fungal infection. I have felt great since yesterday.  I have my energy back.  He finally took his
mask off so between seeing him speak to me and what hearing I have, I could understand.
 Everyone wears face masks, not just in the hospitals but on the streets…well not everyone but
most.  It is like they get up in the morning and put it on then only take it off when they eat…
actually I have seen people put food in their mouths with the face mask on!
    Earlier I spent two hours trying to see the dentist without an appointment and gave up….
I see him Monday and back to the Specialist at the hospital on Wednesday to hopefully finish
up. 
    This hospital is state of the art…I have never seen better.  Barrows in Phoenix was best
neurosurgeons in the world, VA saved my life, JC Lincoln took good care of me and also saved
my life, Phoenixx Baptist sucked…Maryvale sucked,..Community is no longer….but over all , this
hospital has it all from walk in to walk out.  I can’t say enough about the care I have received
here. The largest bill was the last visit for $85. I don’t think he makes almost $300000 a year
here, yet he had years of experience and was one of the top rated Doctors in his field in
Thailand.
     I looked into my bank account when I got a notice that a check had cleared. I haven’t written a check in months.  $2906…..I immediatly told them it was bogus…I don’t even have my check book.  Then I looked it up to see the copy of the check.  It was my six month advance HOA required deposit for Scottsdale Shadows Regiem II.  They held that for 3 months!  Then I quick wrote back the bank requesting them not to close my account down which I had requested. 
    Well I got a lot to do when I get back.  Frank and his wife Kathy, friends from  Cape Cod will
be in Phoenix on business and I want to see them a bit.   
     They have no lights or 30 watt bulbs over here so when I get in a well lit bathroom I look
like a Werewolf.  I can’t believe it is down to 8 days….I called  in my Meds to the VA so they
will be there when I arrive.  I’m short 5 plavix pills but my pharmacist here ordered them for
pickup tomorrow.
Do you know there are 6000 different languages in the world and by the year 2050 there will
be only 3000 and of those 50 will be the primary ones.  Languages are becoming extinct.  Now
that I can think again you can expect me to make up for that lost week.  
I mentioned before Ireland has outlawed blasphemy.  Well now France is trying to outlaw
shouting between married or cohabiting couples.
There are 260 Golf Courses in Thailand and Russia is planning on adding 600 more in
addition to one of the best Championship courses in the world just outside of Moscow. Golf is
being adding as an Olympic Sport.
They now have a bike that has rechargeable batteries so you don’t have to peddle and it’s good
for up to 60 miles I believe for the cheap price of $9000.
The “Power of the Buddha” is the Buddhist covenant that states….always do good and always
avoid doing bad.  That is it.  What is good or bad?  Come on…we all know in our conscious
when something is good or bad.  Sometimes we white lie or rationalize but WE KNOW it is a
white lie or rationalization.   So if the whole world smiled at everyone (do good) and was
truthful (do good) and …well you get the point….a  Buddha never complains, criticizes or
compares and always shows compassion. The father in a Buddhist household leads the chant
every evening (except when the family attends Temple) while the family Meditates before
bedtime.  Then after the Mother and Father discuss the day with their children or any
discussions the children also wish to relate.  This is done after the Meditation and Chants so
the mind is at peace and quality communication can take place. This also enables everyone to
accrue credit to be admitted into heaven when the time comes. The children often meditate in
school also.Tiger Woods apologized for his infidelity and promised to recommit himself to
Buddhism,
   Doug came over last night and introduced me to Lars the owner from Germany.  He had
been working in some kind of intelligence organization in Bangkok or Hong Kong and still
does, to some extent.  He has been in Pattaya for over 4 years now as owner of this very nice
hotel and is a contributor and supporter of  the commerce of Pattaya.  We stayed up too late
but it was  a nice time socializing with some of the other guests…a young Californian from
Westwood, a nice big black man from Cleveland and another one from Jamaica.  
I made my appointment with the dentist the next evening.  Dr Narin and his colleague
removed my crown and implant that was loose.  They had me in the chair for 3 hours.  The
implant was not the type that the Mexican dentist said it was so now they fear they can NOT
repair it.  They think it is a counterfeit.  Also they are putting a crown on the last tooth in the
back of my mouth that is next to that implant and was decayed because of the implants
placement.  I also return to the hospital today for a follow up on my ear infection.  My
appointment to install the crowns is right after that.  
      Bad news.This incurable optimist is starting to lose it.
I do have a perforated eardrum caused by the infection  I got at Ban Pu Resort the evening I
sat out by the swamp to eat with the wind whipping in my ear . 
    Three days later when I got to the hospital the first doctor couldn’t see any problem because
it was impacted with goo.  The medicine helped break all that up but still 4 days later, when it
had been flushed, the specialist couldn’t see it even though he flushed it again.  He said it had
hardened and that is also why I couldn’t hear.  Then he ordered me to take special drops
twice a day and return today.  
 When I did, he confirmed the ear drum was perforated.  Then armed with another 10 day
antibiotic script plus another different antibiotic 10 day script in addition to decongestants
and anti-inflammatory pills he ordered me to continue to drops and see a specialist ASA I
returned..  He said that if after the drops, the ear stops leaking and dries up, it may heal itself
over 3 months It doesn’t, I have to have the ear drum repaired surgically.  So much for that
chapter. I am going to have a drink at my favorite bar.
Now I get the info on the implant from Mexico and pass it to the Dentists but they can’t get a
replacement abutment in time for me because there aren’t any of those types of implants in
Thailand. It has to be special ordered.   I have to return to have that done….well I was going to
return to have the two crowns put on the implants he did three months ago.  It takes 6 months
to insure the abutments don’t come loose.  The ear I can fix with an Otolaryngologist in
Phoenix unless my ear heals itself.
    I met with Doug and Denise yesterday and we walked around town doing a few errands. 
I may see Doug Saturday afternoon to bid goodbye.  Marjorie has been so helpful trying to get
a ticket confirmation from China Air for me.  They sent me a correction that says I fly out on
time but have a 24 hour stop over in Taipei.  That puts me in LAX on Monday so I miss my
connection with Southwest on Sunday.  I just think they or their computer made an error in
the itinerary so I’m going to the Bangkok airport for the scheduled flight on Sunday and if
they didn’t make an error, I will spend the day stuck in a holding area in the Taipei airport
and have to book another flight with Southwest for Monday and cancel my other.
    Today I got official notice that China Air changed my whole itinerary until Monday…now I
have to change SW Airlines connection…etc.  I extended my stay at the hotel, changed the
pick-up date with the cab company, cancelled and changed my connection with Southwest.  I
then met Doug and Denise for a farewell drink.  They suggested I visit Buddha Hill since I
hadn’t been there.  It was one place in Pattaya that I was interested in but it didn’t seem worth the effort.
I had my healthy breakfast this morning and hired a Motor Bike to drive me to Buddha Hill.  
spent almost 2 hours walking around seeing the Buddha then visiting the Chinese Cultural
Center.  There was also a park I stopped at on the return down the hill but took another Motor
Bike back without realizing I didn’t see the whole park.  There were other sections that were
very nice but I was hot and the bike ride felt so cool that I skipped it and ended up with the
Bangkok Post and a Latte in Air Conditioned comfort at Starbucks.  
It was around 4 pm when I returned to the hotel to shower again and repack a bit.  There was
a nice French Restaurant across the way that I had noticed was quite crowded the last few
nights.  I especially noticed people drinking Red Wine by the Carafe so decided to treat myself.
 Well this is a special Buddha holiday in conjunction with the New Year and no bars were open
for serving alcohol including restaurants.   I had a nice Chicken in a White Wine Mushroom
sauce and fresh Green Beans and returned to my room satisfied.   
Everything is set for tomorrow departure.  I hope I don’t have to check my bag and can sleep
on the flight to LAX from Taipei. ….it has been nice sharing my trip with everyone and I hope
you enjoyed it.  My Sleep Comfort bed will sure seem nice.  I may stay in it for a few days.  
Until the next time…David in Pattaya…soon to be in Scottsdale.

P.S. Immigration informed me I was in violation of Thai Law and my Visa expired 4 days ago
so had to pay $15 a day because I crossed back into Thailand on a bus instead of a plane.
 Land travel into Thailand give you a 15 day Visa and Air travel 30.
Posted on

SNOOKY AND ARRIVAL IN TRAT

        
      The overnight bus from Seam Reap to Snooky Sihanoukville    was another VIP bus for
midgets with nice armrests. I’m glad I took David’s advice and picked up 10 sleeping pills for
a dollar. The bus stopped for a brief snack break.
     I woke up a few times in the night. Once when the man in front of me that had his seat in
my groin got off at a stop about Midnight.  I quickly reached over and put his seat up and
entertained the thought of taking it.  It really was the same as mine.  I was relieved and could
return to my slumber when the bus started taking on more passengers.  One in particular
that sat right in front of me and put the seat further back then the previous occupant.  That
is when the second sleeping pill kicked in and I had a weird dream that the person that sat in
front was Trevor, my old Australian friend from the Dub.  He kept wanting to “chat me up”
and I wanted to sleep.
     Now we are in Snooky but it is still dark at 6am.  I am half awake and still in a slumber
when I mount a Motor bike and start getting bounced over this dirt/rocky road with pot
holes.  It turned out to be a short distance but unfortunately the desk doesn’t open before
9 pm.  No wonder I didn’t get a response to my early check in inquiry.  
    As it turned out I did get a response but hadn’t accessed the computer. It said : “You can’t
check in early because we are full and checkout isn’t until 1 am.   Well I drank a lot of coffee
and at 9 I was sitting at the Ocean Walk Inn waiting for an early checkout.  Three hours later,
I got my room.  Nice place and after a shower I went out in search of David and his Guest
House.  It was three buildings down and he was coming up the road to meet me after getting
my Newsletter.  He had just shaved off his beard at a Cambodian Salon by a women with a
straight razor.  He went from Irish Ex_Pat , World Traveler, Adventurer….to Alter Boy.
   The Catholic topic came up about how the Bishops controlled and still do to an extent, the
politics of Ireland.  I suggested that instead of sending the last boy off to a seminary,like
before, that the parents are now sacrificing them to teach English (Irish English) in far away
countries.  The parents collect postcards and put up photos of their prodigal son in exotic
locations….especially if he visits the Vatican.  
David and I walked the beach today and had lunch but it  gets hot in the day.  The mornings
and evenings are nice.
We agreed to meet for Happy Hour in my lobby at 5 pm .  I overslept a little and arrived at
5:10 pm.  I ordered a wine and at 5:30 I took a Motor Bike to Victory Beach to see the sunset.
 On the way, the driver kept asking if I wanted to visit Blue Mountain or Chicken Ranch.  He
said they were on the way so went with his recommendation with the stipulation that I was
not to miss the Sunset. We had to stop at an ATM machine then arrived at Blue Mountain
where three ladies tried to drag me off the bike into this private room.  I took off  pleading  to
see the sunset.  The sunset was kaput.  I was not happy as it was the first evening I’ve seen
that looked like it was going to be great.  I ended up at the Happy Haze.  I asked if I could
light up…no problem.  I smoked the joint I rolled and had a beer,  then a rum and coke.  The
music was all reggie and the place was classy.  I looked across the street and saw “Bada Bing”
with”Chez Fred”  next door.  This whole neighborhood and maybe all of Snooky are smokers,
tolerant smokers, or just don’t care.  It is a whole community in the same spirit, smiling,
friendly,relaxed, laid back, etc.  If you go to Amsterdam, there are small areas or specific
coffee houses or bars to go, but here it seems to be a country on to itself. A whole microcosm 
of accepting, compassionate, lively, open, intelligent giving people that enjoy an occasional
toke. 
I could have stayed but after serious consideration. I saw  my driver waited so I returned to
the Ocean Walk Inn. I also had a wallet full of money that was given to me by my ATM
partner.    I returned to the hotel for  something to eat and update my journal.  A cell phone
rings and this man from America is talking to a lady in Mexico , who is on her way to London
and wanted his advice on what to do in London and where to stay.  I’m on the beach in
Cambodia!  Tomorrow I’m headed to the beach for some sun.
   When I was waiting to get into my room, the business next door is a Non Profit Gallery to
sell and promote children’s paintings.  The age group seemed to be from 6 to 15 .  They were
having a party for the children, about 35 screaming little ones.  It was great to see young
children having so much fun and laughing.  It is Saturday so they are off from school.  Some
of the paintings were surprisingly good.
I sat on the veranda and played poker but quit this time when I took 7th out of 180 and walked
with $70.  It was fun.
David showed up this morning on a Motor Bike he rented for $5.  He is off to explore the
different beaches. I’m off to one remote beach at the end of the road for some sun.  I stepped
out on the balcony as I was leaving my room to survey the neighborhood.  There was a cool
breeze a chair and lots of sun.  I decided this was better then going all the way to the end of
the beach to get some sun and be away from the peddlers.  A half hour later, I was pink and
hot.  Nice shower and nap then I was off to Victory Hill and the sunset.
   David wanted to go but was not feeling so good.  He had a good day with his Motor Bike but
was loosing his voice since this morning and now had a headache.  He joined me for a water
and sunset overlooking the bay. We mentioned that when I am down at the beach , the
waiters or peddlers would ask “Where is your Son?” When he was down there, they would
ask “Where is your Dad”. 
 David left and I visited Happy Daze and had a beer.  I ate chicken Lak Lok  across the street
in returned for a Red Bull and Vodka.  I left any smoke I had, in the room so asked if I could
buy some there.  No problem and 5 minutes later the bartender returned with a perfectly rolled
“J”.  Then it occurred to me there might be tobacco mixed with it.  I inquired and yes there
was but no problem, the bartender took it back and returned with another with no tobacco and
wrote it on my bill.  $1 “J” Red Bull and Vodka $2.  The problem was, I don’t remember a lot
after that.  I remember coming home on the back of a Motor Bike and being escorted to my
room.but I couldn’t put a face on the person or a gender.  I remember Randy’s,  from Hoi An,
warning: Some of what you get in Cambodia is crap and some is potent! I threw out what I
had left.  I will be good.  I will be good. I will be good. 
I felt great when I got up this morning but my “loose” money was gone.  I could have given it
away as tips, dinner, the driver, etc.  I think I left with $40 …lesson learned?
     I got my bus ticket to Trat, Thailand .  It is 5 1/2 hour bus from here and another 5 1/2 to
Pattaya.  It is shorter and less expensive than returning to Phnom Penh and flying to Bangkok
then a taxi to Pattaya or stay in Bangkok for a while.  I can ask my dentist when I arrive if he
can get me in early then look into early flights.  I might be able to cut 7-10 days off the trip if it
isn’t too expensive.  Now I’m going to Starfish for breakfast .
     I hired a Motor Bike ride to Otres Beach .  I bickered from $4 to $1.50 but 10 miles later I
was feeling guilty as the driver was going up and down mountains of rough road to reach our
destination.  I paid him $3 and he offered to return in one and a half hours.  I thought that
would give me time.  I stopped at the recommended Cantina and tried the Mango Seviche.
and a Margarita.  The beaches were pristine white fine sand and crystal water.  I was going to
swim in my shorts but didn’t plan it right…camera, wallet, etc.  I sat a read while watching the
waves.  Hardly a peddler on the beach and if there were, it was for a massage or exotic fruit.  I
wish I had gone there before instead of my last day in Snooky.  I asked the waitress the time
and she showed me it was 20 minutes past the time I was to meet my driver. 
     I paid and ran out to the lot but he wasn’t there.  I thought he may have come earlier and
when he didn’t see me, thought I had left with another driver.  Another driver approached
and not wanting to get stuck miles from home I took the ride.  Half way there along a bridge,
comes my driver.  We stop and I explain to my driver , pay him then get on with the other and
pay again.  I had to get my laundry and pack .  The hotel was supposed to move me to another
room my last night but when I arrived he said all he had was non A/C.  I insisted I had booked
ahead and two days ago asked to stay and you said you would bump me up but had to move
me.  Not bump me down.  He said it was my fault for booking a bus the day before my
departure.  I explained I got my dates mixed and if he knew that, why didn’t he question me.
s too late as everyone was piling in for the Chinese New Year’s celebration and there was no
place in SE Asia to sleep.  He arranged to move me to David’s place next door owned by a
Dutchman from Indonesia. 
     I took it and did have hot water in addition to AC.  I was getting sick of cold showers
anyway.  I got to meet the owner.  He had worked Corporate London Financial District for
25 years and seldom got more than a week at a time vacation so would travel different places. 
When he arrived here, he fell in love and quit to purchase this Guesthouse and loves it.  He
returns to Amsterdam once a year for a month.  David and I were having a beer on my last
night while a mouse came off the thatched roof of the bar, landed on my shoulder and started
walking around.  I could see it out of the corner of my eye but thought it a Tarantula and
didn’t want to alarm it into stinging me so I appeared very cool with everyone watching.  Then
the mouse jumped on the bar and everyone freaked and jumped away as he scurried into a
hole behind the bar.
    I decided to book the weekend in Trat Thailand by the water rather than do over 10 hours
on the bus.  I could relax, finish my book and take a breather before going to Pattaya “The
Extreme City”.  That nixed the idea of leaving Thailand a week early but I wanted my dentist
to do some new work on a tooth that was giving me problems.
     I retired early to get my 7am bus.  I rose in the night to relieve myself and was looking down
at a good sized yellow frog in my toilet.  I flushed the toilet but he jumped out quick enough. 
I think he was waiting for mosquito’s that like water.  I should have pissed in the sink.     
    That morning I asked about the ticket and where to pick up the bus.  The lady told me to go
to the top of the hill.  I passed my old place where I bought the ticket so inquired again.  This
one said to stay there and they would pick me up.  I ordered breakfast and just as I thought I
would be having my first cup of coffee , the waitress runs out to tell me that my bus company
doesn’t pick up and that I have to hurry to the hill before they leave. 
     Well now I’m in a sweat and arrive to find three different pick up areas all with one or two
buses.  Finally they put me on one and they drive to the bus station and tell us to get off and
get on our destination bus.  I went to a card table with a girl with two seating charts.  I gave
her my ticket and she said “other bus”  not this one.  What other bus?  It will come.  Then
someone else that I knew was headed for Trat, my destination went over and she told him to
get on the bus.  I returned and she told me to get on the same bus she told me not to get on. 

    My assigned seat on the VIP bus for midgets was next to a man at least 250 pounds.  We
were both squeezed into a child’s seat…he was spilling over.  Nothing I can do for the next 6
hours.  The bus filled up so no chance to move.  Halfway there, a tire blew out.  Three hours
of sitting out in the hot sun while they changed the flat bald tire with a filled up bald tire and
we were finally back on the road.  Two hours later we reached the border and bid goodbye to
Cambodia then crossed over to get our Visa to Thailand. The bus company transferred our bags
to the other side. Then we were divided up and stuck in a non AC mini van for a 20 minute ride
to another mini van where we all got out then got back in the other mini van that had some AC
and drove one hour into Trat. 
    There a woman in a small mini pick up truck with a roof on the bed of the truck , grabbed my
bag and threw it in (I thought she was going to do the same to me), then I climbed up and over
the side for another 30 minute ride to Ban Pu Resort by the sea.  Well the tide was out and it
was all mud.  Not much of a sea.  They had a small lake they used to raise the fish they served.
 
Captive audience , no Wi Fi for my computer, hot and humid outside with no sun but a pool.
  I sent my suit back and felt silly sitting out on a overcast day reading a book like I’m getting
sun.  I did wish to get some sun.  Anyway, I now have to figure out where I’m going to go to
stay next…if I can get a place. I discovered that the tide is out in the evening and comes back
in the morning.  While I was having dinner one evening looking over the Mangrove Forest of 
greenish , black mud with bugs and mosquitoes, a wind was constantly blowing in my ear. 
The next day it started to hurt but I thought it had been from sleeping with my hearing aide
on the bus.  It wasn’t .  It was the start of a bacterial ear infection. I have never had an ear
ache in my life and after this I never want one. 
Things have turned from worse to worser.  I still have to put up with this hotel computer and
pay for it…last night I got food poisoning and was up every hour with diarrhea. The dreaded
Trat Trots.   That was the second time this trip but I can deal with that. 
Last night, in between the toilet and the bed, I was suffering an ear ache.  I NEVER  had one
in my life. I can’t hear out of that ear either.  If I cover my left ear…I don’t hear anything.  I
know the ear drum can regrow but with scar tissue.  I am putting cotton balls soaked in
Mineral oil inside and called a cab for tomorrow’s departure for Pattaya. She is taking me to
the bus station where I buy the ticket for a 3 hour + ride in the VIP bus for midgets.
     I hope my dentist can squeeze me in with the New Year and all.  I have another tooth that
needs attention so while I’m here I hope he can complete that and give me a crown…leaving
only one crown to go…YEAH.  I understand your concern over your eyesight .  When one of
your senses start to go it is sad.  I also have a slight sore throat on the same side as the ear so
hoping an infection might be the cause of all.
 So much for the bad.  HAPPY VALENTINES DAY…well tomorrow.  The fireworks have started
here for the TET Celebration of Chinese New Year. I believe I have been part of the one
percent occupancy of the resort since my arrival.  There must be 350 nice rooms and
bungalows here with maybe 3-5 rooms occupied in high season?  I did meet the
owner/manager at breakfast today when I ordered the American breakfast with scrambled
eggs and no sausage, just ham.  The waitress brought me basted (very good but had it
yesterday) and all sausage and no ham.  I was having a hard time getting anything down with
the sharp pain in my ear torturing me, so sent it back.  The manager overheard the
conversation and I thought straightened it out when she showed up with lousy scrambled
eggs and still all sausage.  I gave up and went out to the docks to take photos of the
Mangroves.  Now there was water there.  Tide comes in at night and goes out during the day I
guess.  It looked like it should instead of stinky mud flats with bugs. This is their web site: 
 www.banpuresort.com
I was up all night and didn’t dare take the bus to Pattaya the next day so requested the
driver who was to pick me up to come early and make arrangements for a cab to take me the
whole 3-4 hour trip.  She arrived at 9:30 and drove me to Trat to meet the taxi.  My ear was
killing me now and I couldn’t think straight.  The driver took me to my hotel in Pattaya, I
checked in and went to the hospital just down the street.  New chapter….
  One thing I had time to ponder in Ban Pu Resort was the  older we get the more we see and
learn.  When we were growing, ..we picked what we wanted to enjoy, like a kid in a candy
store.  Our other choices were necessitated by career, family, parents, responsibilities or
where we were steered by our mentors and teacher.  As a consequence we missed a lot in
between but  thought we knew a lot.  That is not possible to know so much. Especially when
you were never exposed to the opportunity…like visiting another country and culture.
  Jumping out of an airplane, learning to sail a boat, the list is endless.  We only saw the
beauty on the surface but as we got older we can now see the beauty under and what was
ugly then, now shines and allows us to continue to expand, learn and grow.  It is a new
outlook that makes you appreciate life more.  Not because it is getting shorter but we now
have choices that weren’t available or we ignored because we never thought of them as
important. Jesus is not a requirement to be Born again, he is just one aspect of many
experiences that we can choose to be Reborn into or aware of.   Life is exciting. Keeping an
open and accepting , non judgmental mind without prejudice and you start to feel and become
part of an ever expanding life and mind. Oh yeah…never listen to anyone else…judge by your
own experience.
   
This will be the longest two weeks of my life.  I will look for things to do but nothing interest
me now…no elephant rides in the jungle…no more floating markets or temples…no more
crowded streets…I want my golf clubs and a quiet day on the golf course. A nice snuggle in a
comfortable bed…and more.  Hot showers, real toilet paper,real toilets, crosswalks, no
motorbikes, no flies or mosquitoes, NO HUMIDITY, PBS and best of all , fresh coffee in the
morning. 


Posted on

FINAL DAYS IN SAIGON…CAMBODIA HERE I COME

I decided to try a different  area of my neighborhood last night.   I parked myself  in  a little
sidewalk cafe at a major intersection on the fringe of my neighborhood.  I had three beers
while watching the world go by.  Three episodes occurred.  First was a flame eating street
performer.  I had never seen this in Vietnam.  A young boy of around 12  or 14 years of age,
wearing red silk pajamas approached a large group  at the Cafe across the street and pulled
out his bottle of gasoline and his torches and proceeded to do some baton twirls with the
torches and then blow fire from his mouth into the air above the crowd. After a minute or
two commanding his audience , he extinguished to torches in his mouth.  His sidekick joined
him while they collected money from the crowd and disappeared.  
Then an American pulled up on a rent a bike and sat on the other side of my patio Cafe and
ordered a beer.  A street vendor approached him selling fruit and he bought a green papaya.
 She sat down on the ground next to him, peeled and cut it into a plastic bag, then measured
out a small amount of salt and cayenne mix and presented him with the goods while
collecting his money.  Another street vendor approached him right after but she had nothing
he wanted except her company.  He offered to buy her a Coke.  A Coke for a Vietnamese
making $50 a week is a big treat so she sat with him and was there when I left.  So for the
price of a Coke , he had company to sit and chat with and was meeting the “other”.  
I was getting ready to pay my bill when a Motor Bike arrived with two big black guys .  The
driver was casually dressed while his passenger was in a suit and tie.  The driver appeared
to be this other guy’s bodyguard and guide.  Funny considering they are riding around on a
Small Motor Bike.  The waitress offered them a seat but the “bodyguard” protested the seats
were not to their liking and they wanted something more fitting for the King of Swaziland.  
So while the king was waiting inside, the waitresses promptly removed the chairs and
replaced them with nicer chairs with arms and padding.  Then the bodyguard wanted the
table replace with a larger table more fitting for the King of Swaziland…which they did.
 They the King came out and surveyed the situation while the waitresses stood by waiting
his approval.  He asked them to take away the chair next to me because someone might sit
there and he didn’t want anyone to sit that close to the King. Never did either one smile or
act friendly in the least bit. 
    I departed for the Bread and Butter and some conversation with Dan.  When I arrived,
there was a Fox News correspondent from Central America chatting him up so I joined in.
 He was from Flagstaff , on holiday and returning tomorrow to Belize to begin a month long
adventure of riding a Motorbike throughout  South America , like Che Guevara in Motorcycle Diaries. He was a big fan of the Salt Cellar seafood restaurant and had never heard of Taylor’s!  Can you imagine.  He just returned from Siem Reap and had some great stories.   A few hours later, Dan was throwing us out. 
The Fox correspondent was staying in the hotel across the street from mine.  I bid him good night and walked into the lobby to find a half naked resident guest from Toronto that lived in Valencia Spain for 9 years behind the counter passing me my room key while the night watchman was out fetching more beer for him and another couple from New Castle England.  Have a beer mate?…oh sure why not.
I woke up that morning.  That was an accomplishment considering I went to bed that morning.
The last day I did nothing.  I wasn’t able to get on Google or check my mail.  Facebook was totally blocked in Vietnam and Google could have been. 
I had my last breakfast in Vietnam. This morning I took the VIP bus to Phnom Penh.  It took
all day on a full bus. The roads were good in places and dirt in others.  We had to take a river
ferry to cross where there was no bridge.  The ride took us to the  border where we had to get
out and go through Vietnamese border control then get on the bus, drive 20 yards then get
our Visas at the Cambodian border control.
 I met an Irishman from Donegal who was traveling for about 8-10 weeks with nowhere in
particular except SE Asia. We were staying at the same hotel, “Me Mates”.  
The Cambodian countryside was an enjoyable experience.  We passed carts full of just raw
fresh cut lemon grass that they bundle up to take to another who will in turn strip it and cut
it down then pass it on to others to sell or cook with.  Stalls along the road near a marsh that
sold fresh lotus blossoms.  The older people buy them to put in their Spirit Houses or to offer
the Buddha at the Temple or at their altar in their homes. Hay stacks to feed the cattle were
obviously cut my hand , put on a water buffalo drawn hay wagon and brought to a area and
stacked up in a big pile.  All houses are built on stilts.  Some higher than others.  The walls
are made of board or woven palm fronds that are pounded , then laid out in the sun to dry
before weaving them into a mat or a wall or a doorway or a floor.  
There was a Tuk Tuk waiting to drive us to the hotel and after a short trip through the city
we checked in.  Nice room and place.  I booked a trip to the Killing Fields at 9:30 am with my
Tuk Tuk driver. I’m going to freshen up and explore the area before nightfall. 
I was warned that Cambodia is the wild west and I believe it.  I walked along the river area
at sunset.  Everyone was out playing, exercising, and wooing.  I visited a craft carnival then
walked around the downtown river area.  It is very dark.  You look for lights where business
may be booming but there are none.  They are there but dark.  I finally decided to get some
money from an ATM.  I got ripped off at the border, using black market money changers and
wanted to have money for dinner and the next day.  I saw a machine in the lobby of a hotel
and inserted my card, punched in $100…no “reals” as they are called available.  DOLLARS.
I got my card back, a receipt but when I went to take the cash, the machine took it back.  I
called the Desk Clerk and he claimed no responsibility for the ATM machine but said to call
the help number on the machine.  Conveniently there happened to be a phone on top of the
ATM machine.  He called for me and explained that I had to get credit from my bank in the
US.  I used their computer and contacted them to find the money was removed from my
account and they can’t refund it unless the owners of the ATM and their bank send them a
credit.  This same thing happened to a friend of mine in Panama City and he never got his
money back either. C’est la vie.  Not a good start for the first night. 
I took a Tuk-Tuk back and he overcharged me. The beers at the Me Mates where I was
staying were overpriced so I went to the local 7/11, used the ATM and got $100.  I bought
some Cambodian Vodka to take back to the room.
I took off at 9:30, after a nice fruit salad ,  for the Killing Fields where Pol Pot and the Khmer
Rouge took people to kill them. Auschwitz just celebrated the 65 Anniversary of the liberation.
 I’ve been to both now.  I saw the Killing Fields movie years ago and never forgot Sam
Waterman and Quentin Tarantino’s part in the movie that was nominated for 4 Academy
awards and I think won best Picture of the year? I also read a book, a few months before I
left that  my friend Anita lent me, about the children that survived the killing fields.  They
were scattered all over the world but their story of terror and losing their parents was
incredible.   Pol Pot trucked them in and bludgeoned, stabbed, and in a lot of cases buried
them alive.  Babies were taken by the legs and smashed against the “Killing Tree”to crush
their skull or thrown into the air and impaled on the way down then thrown into the pit with
the rest…alive or dead to be covered in Lye and DDT and buried.  Speakers were hung from
the trees and loud music played to drowned out the screams so the local villagers couldn’t hear
the terror.  One burial pit was for special offenders, like cadre of Pol Pot that he suspected
were plotting against him.   They were beheaded but buried headless with their heads taken
elsewhere.  The Buddhist believed you had to be buried intact for your spirit to return to the
heaven and be reincarnated .  If it wasn’t, your spirit would wander alone forever.  
 Hitler brought them by train and burned them. It is something hard to imagine until you
see the skulls piled high and see the photos.  I took a few photos then we stopped at the
prison where the enemies of Pol Pot were kept until he decided to truck them to the Killing
Fields.
I didn’t plan this excursion very well.  I got my ticket to Siem Reap tomorrow so won’t get to
see much of Phnom Penh.  Thought I’d just go to the center and eat Lak Lok, a Cambodian
Beef dish that is supposed to be good then maybe checkout the local bar scene.  The bar here
is great but expensive.
    I returned to 7/11 up the street to get some more money then hired a motorbike to take me
to Lakeside and a beer on the wharf where all the guest houses were.  There are two lakes…
one in the South of the City that everything gets dumped in.  This one is dying also but from
lack of water.  People used to rent row boats and smoke dope while rowing around.  I did buy
some after getting robbed by the ATM machine last night but knew the police hang out in
these foreign areas looking for the smell.  If they find it and catch you, you can be heavily
fined and possibly jailed and deported if you have no money to pay the fines or bribes…
around $500-600.  Who knows what the TSA might do if they find out.
There were two things missing that evening: Someone to share the sunset and a sunset.  
My driver fished in the lake and knew the area and the people well.  He would drop his
line beneath the floorboards of the guest house as the fish lived under the piers.  Then went
he would catch a fish , they would have to launch a boat , grab the fish and club it then take
it back for scaling and cleaning.  He said they add lemon and vegetables and cook in on the
BBQ.
 I bought him a soda and I had him drive me downtown to eat.  He was not familiar with the
places I wanted so he dropped me in the area while I explored.  I never found Rory’s or the
Cantina but had my Lak Lok at Lemongrass , a Thai Restaurant that was empty when I arrived
and FULL when I paid my $20 tab.  I had some Thai, some Khmer, and some wine. 
While walking the streets in the downtown area I noted a beggar.  She had her son in her
arms who was maybe 8 years old and he had a huge head that was over-sized and swollen. His
eyes were bugged out and he appeared retarded.  They were sitting on the ground and she
had a plastic bucket held out for help.  Where is the Cambodia People’s Party?  Why isn’t this
person in a hospital or hospice whichever the case may be.  I donated but wondered where
they sleep?
   Lak Lok at Lemongrass , a Thai Restaurant that was empty when I arrived and FULL
when I paid my $20 tab.  I had some Thai, some Khmer, and some wine. and ventured back
to 7/11 to buy some real Vodka.  I had to throw out the 104% white lighting or wood alcohol.
  That would have surely done me in with one drink.  I put a half a shot in a glass with 8oz of
water and 6 oz of Tonic and got high sniffing it.  Like glue. Not that I know, I just suspect.
   While I was cashing out I noticed a big display of EDS enhancers…Cialis,  Latevira,  Viagra,
Lubes, Rubbers, ….etc…so just non nonchalantly asked the price since I pay almost $12 a pill
in Az….$1.25 for the same and that was the top shelf brand.  I bought 4 for $5.  Always looking
for a bargain!  It was a full moon tonight.  I wonder?
 Off to Siem Reap tomorrow early…7am.
    This morning,  when I was checking out, the front desk wouldn’t accept  my twenty dollar
bill.  I wouldn’t either.  It is a fake.  Counterfeits of American money is prevalent in this part
of the world and especially in the wild West of Cambodia where ATM machines issue only
dollars and black market changers are openly trading on the street for dollars.  I paid $10 at
the tour office to which the hotel manager said they charge $8.  I told him they charged me
more for the convenience of pick up and delivery to the bus depot.  The pick up was to be at
8 am for the 8:30 departure but it was 8:20 and three phone requests later.  The tour agent
kept saying a pick up was on it’s way but not wanting to miss my bus and wait another hour
or two, I took a taxi and paid another $2.  Complaining doesn’t not get you anywhere and
getting angry and yelling at someone could cause them to lose face and you to die or at the
least to get punched out.
 I rode the VIP bus for midgets 5 and 1/2 hours to get here in Siem Reap. The trip would have
been nice except that my legs were cramping and my feet falling asleep.  My Mate, David
from Kilkenny Ireland was sound asleep…half the time in my lap. The countryside was idyllic
with wooden farm houses on stilts and made from woven palm fronds with thatched or
corrugated metal roofs.  Most of the farmers did rice but there were haystacks everywhere.  
Animals seemed to just go where they wanted.  Many times the bus had to slow or stop to let
a Brahman Cattle pass.  Goats, chickens, hens, cattle, Water Buffalo, and ducks were just
walking around…even in the towns we would pass.   This place is packed with people from
all over the world to see one of the most famous world heritage sites…Angkor Wat. The bus
was totally uncomfortable but I’m here and settled in to a very nice hotel called the Happy
Little Guesthouse. It was $3 a night but all rooms are doubles so since I don’t have anyone
to share it with me, I have to pay $6…well then I found out I booked it with a fan so if I want
A/C it goes to $11.  Not bad for my own room with all the amenities and two windows…one
that looks out on the roof so I can be naked with the drapes open.  Love it. 
 I rode with an Irishman from Kilkenny. He just arrived in Cambodia via Bangkok stopover
coming from Seoul Korea where he is in his third year of teaching English.  He came to the
hotel with me and booked a room as he didn’t have one planned.  We agreed to do a tour
tomorrow and hired out Tuk Tuk driver and got the hotel to hire us a personal tour guide.
 $15 and $20 divided by 2…$20…maybe I’ll get rid of my twenty?  I really think it should be
in some rip off night club in the dark late at night on my way home.
 Well I’m to Pub Street near the Temple Bar and on my way to the Funky Monkey before
having a Hemp Pizza at the Herbal Pizza joint to take away. I need to bed down early and
leave early for the day.  I have to get some more photos in before dark. I never did go to the
Herbal Pizza as Picasso, a Tapas and Wine bar got my attention.  A Carafe of Rioja and the
Picasso Tapas Platter was more than satisfying. 
    My first impressions of Cambodia were not so positive and neither was my experiences. 
Today made up for all of that.  I could almost live here.  Siem Reap is very up to par with some
of the finest places in the world yet cheap.  People are friendly and don’t rip you off and smile
when you hand them a dollar for your taxi ride.
The names of the places speak for themselves.  Dead Fish…dead since 1999, my Happy Little
Guest House next door to Home Sweet Home.  Red Piano , Funky Monkey, Happy Pizza,
Happy Herb Pizza, Ecstatic Pizza, Green Elephant, Home Sweet Home, Mom’s Place, Missing
in Action, Seeing Hands, Friendship, La Grand Cafe, Body Tunes, Common Grounds Cafe,
Seeing Hands, Swensen’s…how did that get there?  Well you get the point.
I am having a Fresh Pineapple Crepe for breakfast followed by some soup.  Our driver and
guide showed up and David and  David took off to see one of the Seven Wonders of the world.
 Our guide spoke fluent German, English and Cambodian.  We did two smaller Temples in
the morning, broke for lunch , then did Angkor Wat
in the afternoon.


It was a long hot , humid, and tiring day.  We got back around 3 pm so I took a nap and
freshened up then I met up with David and we went to Pub St for Herbal Pizza.  We bought
one small and split it.  Then we went to the Wine “Bar I was at the night before and split a
carafe of wine.  When we finished the wine , it was hard to tell if the Pizza had any effect but
an hour later, and another pizza later, you could feel it.  Herb has a different effect when
ingested instead of smoked…but you knew that.  The bars and restaurants were all packed
and the town was very lively.  We got back around Midnight and I went right to sleep . 
The next morning we joined up again and after breakfast we took off with just our driver for
two more Temples.  The Temples were small and way out in the country but very well
preserved and very interesting.  We had our driver drop us in town and we had Pizza.  I had
the “Special” and  Irish David had a regular one this time.  I returned to my room for Siesta
and Irish David went to a travel agency to see about side trips. I haven’t seen him since.  We
talked about going to the floating village the next day. I dropped my laundry off and booked
my room for one more night. I made arrangements to take the 8pm bus the day I checkout
that takes me overnight to Sihanoukville.
I am just finishing breakfast and my driver is here.  I haven’t seen my partner but will wait a
little longer before taking off.  It is a lot cheaper when we split the costs too! I went back to
David’s room but no sound so I figured he was sleeping and there must be a reason for it so
I left on my own.  Aran, my driver took me to the Lake then I paid $30 for a ticket and had
my own boat and driver.  He took me to the floating village then stopped in the middle of the
lake and wanted to know how much I pay him?  This lake is big and you can’t see the horizon
and I’m being extorted for money.  I wasn’t happy that I didn’t have anyone to split this with
so I told him I’m not here to pay anymore money.  I want to see the village, take pictures and
return.  He suggested the fish farm where you buy what you want then take to the restaurant
and pay to have them cook it.  I reminded him I didn’t not want to pay anything more.  He
then suggested that I might want a tour of the floating elementary school.  Then I could
donate some money for books and pens. The photo on the right is a floating
basketball/volleyball court.  I stopped talking to him and requested he start the engine and
finish the tour.  He did and I returned to Siem Reap Market place and walked around the city
before stopping at Common Ground Cafe for a Latte, Pumpkin Soup and a salad.  It is
interesting that I see Pumpkin Soup advertised in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
but never see a pumpkin at the market.
  That night I went to my Tapas Bar


and had some Spanish Meatballs with some Red Wine…then switched to Beef Rioja and
Sangria.  Two of these made to order Sangria’s was enough to send me home and bed.
David was having breakfast when I came down the next morning and we agreed to visit a
nearby Wat and walk around town that morning. We did all of that and even had a Monk
give us a small tour.
 It was getting oppressive so we ducked into Common Ground Cafe for lunch then I went
home and took a siesta.
Tonight I took a Tuk to Temple Bar and ran into David with a new friend Jay from
Singapore. Jay just came from Snooky so filled us in a bit.  After a few $.50 drafts, David
returned to catch his bus Snooky ,with a promise to email me tomorrow after check in as
I haven’t found a place to stay yet.  
Jay and I split a Herb Pizza and went to the Tapas bar for some Chili Con Carne and
Sangria.  I returned home and Jay was off to get some sleep then visit the Temples
tomorrow.  I agreed to meet him as he was returning to Singapore that eve that I was
leaving on the bus and he had some smoke he couldn’t take back but was willing to share
on his roof top guesthouse bar.   
I came back and stopped to get some papers to assist me if I could manage to roll one.  I
bought some Stoli and tonic and returned to my room to find it unlocked.   Nothing stolen
just a fresh towel to replace the old.  I rolled one and went over to OUR neighborhood
Rooftop restaurant thinking it might be possible to smoke up there.  Lots of young and old
couples and groups but only cigarettes and sitting around a wading pool soaking their feet
or having a beer while checking their email.  I ordered a Gin and Tonic and while he was
looking up the price I quoted him $2.50…her replied…$1.50 because I said it was happy
hour.  It was after 9 pm …of course I tipped him and he invited me back tomorrow.  You
can use the hammock, internet, eat and drink or sleep.  Perfect with 8 hours to kill after
checkout to have a bed to hang in while sitting out the heat.  On leaving I noticed Mom’s
Place across the street.  It said:  Come a King, leave a friend, return as family.
    That is the attitude in Siem Reap.  I’ll see what it is in Snooky tomorrow. 
I slept late then finished packing and had my coffee while checking my email.  I took a
shower before checking out at 1 pm then stored my bag in a safe room until the bus left at
8 pm.  I took my computer to Common Grounds and edited photos most of the afternoon.
 David emailed me.  His bus ride was bad.  He took some sleeping pills and sat in the back.
 Half-way the A/C on the roof was leaking condensation on him and it woke him up.  David
arrived and took a Tuk Tuk to find a room.  Three dumps later he was so exhausted he took
a room for that night.  I little later and after a nap he found a better place and booked it.  I
had just booked one myself when I got his message.  It turns out we are neighbors…pretty
close to each other.   

I told Jay I would meet him that evening around 5 pm to have a beer and finish what smoke
he had as he was leaving country.  He was late after touring all 3 of the big temples that day
so we decided to share a Special Herb Pizza.  I bought some sleeping pills…10 for $1 and met
him at the Pizza joint. He was born and lived in Singapore all his life.  He worked for
Marriott selling time shares and traveled when he could.  He had been all over Asia.  We
exchanged e-mail addresses and I returned to the Happy Guest house to collect my bags
and board the VIP Bus for Midgets and a 10 hour ride to Snooky.   Thank God for Sleep
pills.  I was cramped in and very uncomfortable.  We made a quick stop at a roadside
restaurant for snacks.  I took two pills boarded the bus and slept the entire trip.


Posted on

2010 SAIGON

I flew into Tan San Nhat Airport just on the outskirts of Saigon.  It was my first time back
since 1997 and though I had been warned, I wasn’t ready for all the changes.   I lived just
down the street from the airport in 1967. The Airport had been rebuilt and was fairly modern
and up to date compared to before.  The taxi fare was $7 and took almost an hour in heavy
traffic.  Most of all the bicycles and Cyclos were gone and replaced by Motor Bikes.  Millions
of them.  3 Million in Saigon alone. I welcomed the warm weather.  High rises were
everywhere and where there weren’t any, they were under construction.  It reminded me of
Panama City.  High rises everywhere but no infrastructure so getting back and forth took all
day.  None of those existed in 1997.  If this is the kind of rapid change with in just 13 years…
what is the next 13 years going to bring. Saigon has become a very upscale Major city with
Rodeo Drive on every downtown intersection but no parking so all the Motor  Bikes and cars
park on the sidewalks and the pedestrians walk in the street with the traffic.
I checked in to the Linh Linh Hotel,  then took a Cyclo to O’Brian’s Factory to have a pint with
the owner, Bernard Duval.  I got to the street and got off to walk but couldn’t find it. It was
MLK holiday so maybe he had pulled down his metal shutters and closed.
 I finally gave up as it got dark and decided to have a beer at the famous Rex Hotel rooftop
where all the correspondents covered the war from.  It was one of the highest buildings in
Saigon at the time.  They could have happy hour and watch the battles around Saigon take
place.  There were a lot of Americans and Aussies there that night.  I paid too much for a
Vietnamese Beer then walked back to the my hotel.
   I was passing by the Central Market (same place I did all my shopping in 1967 ).  I inquired
with a group of Cyclo drivers if they knew Minh , my Cyclo driver from ’97.  One said Minh
works in the Morning and goes home around 6-7pm and directed me to where he should be
in the morning.  Minh was a big help my last trip and took me to his home for dinner to meet
his family.  He knows the Old Saigon and can take you places that no one else can.  I hope
it is him and I get to see him.  
  I checked the address of O’Brians after returning to my room and discovered it moved up
the street.  I will go back in the afternoon and have lunch there. I took a quick shower and
went to the local restaurant next door for Shrimp Noodle Soup.  It was great with a 333 beer
for $3 total.  This morning a stopped at a popular Expat Restaurant and Bar next door
called Le Pub.
 I had a nice Italian Cappuccino with fresh fruit salad topped with Muesli and Yogurt.
Walking up and down 69 steps everyday to the fourth floor ..two or three times is good
for me. I relaxed with the newspaper then left for the Central Market.  A Cyclo driver told
me Minh didn’t come in today because of the rain.  He lives near the airport which is a long
way.   I walked around the Market.  It has been cleaned up since ’97 and was very nice but
the same market for the last 45 years.  Awesome fresh food, if I had a kitchen.  I did the next
best thing and had lunch there. Those are rows of live crabs in the bigger bowl and mussels,
snails, manila clams ..everything including live shrimp, squid, fish…unbelievable.    
I hired a taxi and for $2.50 he dropped me at O’Briens.  It does have a small entrance and is
hard to see from the street.  It has moved since last I was there, hence some of the confusion.
 It moved up and across the street.  Much nicer digs I might add.  Bernard does a great job of
paying attention to detail.  Nothing is overlooked and everything is maintained with high
standards.  He doesn’t come in until 7pm.  I gave the barmaid my photo of me with Pius,
Bernard’s friend and told her to give it to Bernard to pass on to Pius. I put my name and
date on the back.  She said Pius had been in twice yesterday.  Pius is also one of my Facebook
friends but now Facebook is off limits in Vietnam.   He was named after a Pope and his Uncle
is the Archbishop of Malaysia…last time I was here.  Maybe he is the Pope now?
  I have to return tomorrow.   I have a Happy Hour meet up with the InterNations group at
the Xu Bar which is right next door to O’Brians.  I’m an Albatross member so get in for free
and first drink is free.  That only costs $100. The barmaid shared some Pompolos with me.  It
is a sweet Grapefruit that is 5 times the size of ours and excellent.  You dip pieces of the fruit
in a mix of salt and cayenne.  Same with Pineapple and other fruits.  Nice healthy bar snack.
 She bid me good by with promises of passing on my message and I wandered home.  
I stopped at an ATM in the Saigon Center…Shopping High Rise Building of the future.  I was
on my way back to the Central Market, after a Vietnamese Coffee at the Highlands when
a little shop caught my eye.  It was full of statues and collector’s items…GI Zippos.  They sure
looked like the real thing. Difficult to imitate a GI.  When I was here before Zippos, along
with lots of war memorabilia, was everywhere.  US Missing in Action reps put a stop to selling
Dog Tags but a lot of the other stuff still exists…like any war.
My umbrella saved the day and made it a pleasant walk in the rain.  The temperature was
ideal…just wet.   This neighborhood in Central District 1 Saigon is within walking distance of
pretty much all of downtown Saigon and points of interest.  A taxi anywhere is at the most
$2.50.  Tonight the “LePub” drew me in for Happy Hour.  It was quite busy.  I sat alone and
read my Vietnamese news propaganda sheet while sucking down a couple Saigon beers
before venturing out to explore more of this wonderful vibrant area.  It had been raining
all day and finally stopped.  I went down a back alley and over to a part of the “hood” I have
not been to.  There are a lot of Xpats here in Guest Houses and hotels.  
I passed a place called Pearl Garden with a Vietnamese fairy Queen gesturing with his hands
and exclaiming in a high pitched sing song voice…oh honey you have to try this…or
something on that order.  He did catch my attention but I wanted to check out my options
so continued around in a circle. When I got back to Pearl Garden I walked in and was
surrounded by people pulling out my chair, handing me a menu, offering to get me a drink,
bringing me a glass of tea, setting up my table like I was going to be there for three days!  I
was overwhelmed.  I asked my waiter where the toilet was and he grabbed my arm and
helped me out of my chair then escorted me down the hall to the Men’s room and opened the
door for me.  I thought he was going to come in and shake it off after! I had a beer and some
Sweet and Sour BBQ Pork Ribs then left.  I thought the “Greeter” was going to kiss me
goodbye!  He had hugged all the guys leaving and shook the ladies hands. My waiter came
out to bid me goodbye and requested I return again.  All for $4 worth of business.  No wonder
everyone likes Vietnam. 
I ventured back to a little joint I noticed in my travels for a night cap.  It was called “Bread
and Butter”  It had 8 seats at the bar, one table of 4 and one of 2.  It was full of Aussies .  They
were all business men, and all eating.  The food looked great.  Nothing over $5 and portions
were gigantic.  All beef was advertised as imported.  Imported from where…Cambodia?    I
had a Nuda Vietnamese beer brewed in Hue the Danish Way…whatever that means.  It was
the only beer they served.  The menu said …to quote Frank Zappa:  “Every country needs a
beer and an airline.  A good football team and some nuclear weapons help to buy beer is
most important?”  I thought the bartender/owner was Australian until my hearing aide
kicked in and I heard him say something about the Mayor of Baltimore being Irish.  I  asked
if he was from there and he was.  We introduced each other and I told him I was originally
from upstate NY and had living in Phoenix for 30 years.  Dan told me to come back tomorrow
night because his fill in Barmaid, Liza, was from Syracuse.  I will have to make last call after
O’Brian’s and the Xu Bar with the InterNation group.  I better get some sleep so I can meet
Minh tomorrow if it isn’t raining.
    Today I couldn’t find anyone that spoke English  INTERNET CAFE…not hard to
understand…would you like to see the menu…NO INTERNET CAFE….WiFi?  Yes anywhere
OK….INTERNET CAFE…COMPUTER! ….you want buy computer?….RENT AT INTERNET
CAFE..you wait I get girl…INTERNET CAFE….I am sorry I no understand…ONE HOUR
COMPUTER..PRINT..INTERNET…sorry.  ME TOO…two hours looking and couldn’t find
one…one person directed me up the street..;.the other back down the street.;… I walked a lot
and two hours later I returned to the hotel to get ready for my outing this evening…I’ll leave
early and maybe find an internet cafe downtown. 
When I was here in ’97 I would see a sign…Internet Available…on a house in the window.  
You could knock on the door and the lady would invite you into her living room where her
children would  be watching TV.  The dog would greet you wagging his tail and the lady
would bring you a Coke on ice while you were checking for email.  That was for 50 cents.
 Vietnam now has 38% of the country on the internet at anyone given time! It is the fastest
growing internet user in Asia and I can’t find an Internet cafe to print out my Airline ticket.
I left the hotel  early to try and find an internet cafe.  I first went on line before leaving to see
the different listings in Saigon.  When I was in Hoi An…they were up and down the street.
 The Cafe’s were mostly gaming rooms for internet players but still offer access to the internet
and a printer.  I was surprised to find only 3 listings in all of Saigon.  Two were right around
the corner and the other in a different district.  One was the Cafe I visited earlier that had no
connection.  The other , when I ventured out to locate it, no longer existed. 
I passed the Bread and Butter bar and restaurant and remembered the lady who was working
was from Syracuse so I popped in and said excuse me, are you from Syracuse…and she replied…Wow do I know you…who are you!!!!    I explained that Dan, the other bartender from Baltimore, told me you would be here so , as a fellow New Yorker I just wanted to say hi before I left for downtown.   I agreed to stop in that night or next day for lunch depending on what happened and bid goodbye.
I was traveling back to the first Internet Cafe to see if I couldn’t connect this time, when I saw
another small place with four computers and one was open.  I jumped on it and printed out
my new InterNations Albatross membership that was supposed to entitle me to a free drink
and free admission to our Happy Hour get together.  I also printed out my revised Airline
ticket on SouthWest from  LA to Phoenix.  
That done, I took a cab to O’Brians for a quick cup of soup and a beer before entering the  
Xu Bar to  meet the members of InterNations that lived in Saigon.   There weren’t many  
people there , just a few Expats in the corner discussing late night TV Hosts.  I paid and
walked over to the Xu Bar …very yuppie upscale place that really didn’t offer much other
than high  price drinks. 
When I arrived at Xu, Isabell , the hostess, greeted me and questioned the fact that I didn’t
live in Saigon.  I told her I used to and was visiting and as an international I felt InterNations
was a group I wanted to belong to and promptly showed her my newly printed receipt for
the Albatross Membership.  She then gave me a name tag and with no seats at the table
available I sat at the table nearby with a backpack in the other seat to converse with.  
Eventually, Elsa from Lyon France showed up and the backpack was removed to allow her
a place to sit.  She was very gracious and friendly.   Elsa had lived in Saigon for 9 years and
worked for an Export company called M-Power Group out of Singapore.  She owned a home
in Gia Dinh near the airport and traveled a lot to Dubai , NYC and other world capitals.  She
maintained an apartment in Paris. She said it was the only quiet place she felt at home.  
Saigon is constant stress with noise and your mind has to be alert all the time.  After two
glasses of wine, at $10 a piece,I left to return to OBriens in hopes of seeing Bernard. I thought
there would be more Americans at the Happy Hour.  I know 12 were registered members. 
  Bernard’s wife was filling in for him, while he remained home.  I just had a quick beer then
left and negotiated a 30000 dong taxi return, or $1.50.  This is getting better and better.  
I know that if they use the meter it is $1. 
When I read the membership roster of InterNations, one of the Americans was from
Syracuse and I thought was the Liza, the barmaid at the Bread and Butter.  I asked her when
I returned and  though she lived there for 9 months, she never heard of the group.  It would
not have been her cup of tea anyway.  She was a working class bartender/cook and restaurant
manager like me, not a corporate climb the ladder mover and shaker.  I received an email the
next day from Isabelle with pics of the Happy Hour…they must have waited until I left.
Didn’t want to give a bad impression of their group.
When I arrived in Vietnam I commented on how vibrant and alive it was.  It is , but I can now
see that it will take its toll on anyone that stays here for any length of time.  The Expats meet
on a rooftop swimming pool every Saturday to get away and relax from their daily grind.  Yes
they are  young and can handle it.  Me…no way.  I know why Shangri La in New River has
such an allure for me…it is quiet and peaceful.  My retreat to get renewed.  
 There is a job in Saigon for my love and friend Marjorie…teaching swimming to blind
Vietnamese.   No pay but she would love it.   
 Today I had breakfast and returned to the room after dropping off my laundry.  I didn’t
leave until around 1pm and walked for 5 hours. I stopped at the Cyclo area where Minh is
supposed to hang out.  I showed his picture again and this time one of them said he no longer
has a Cyclo but is offering services as a Motor Bike driver.  I knew he didn’t want to ride a
bicycle all his life.  He said it was too hard.  I gave the man my card and asked if he would
pass it to Minh.  He immediately replied…you give me money!  I offered him 15000 and he
demanded 100000 so I ended up giving him 50000 to invite Minh to my hotel the next
morning. 
  I then went on to stop at the War Museum.  I had been there before and there was nothing
of interest then or now except it was housed in a new building.  You see a lot of Americans on
a tour or in groups that are Vets .   You can’t help but try and see if you might recognize some
43 years later.    
    I walked by the Palace in my old neighborhood.  I remember in ’67 a parade celebrating the
“free election of President Thieu and Vice President Ky”.  Ky ended up owning a restaurant in
L.A. after the war. The parade had soldiers marching down the main street in front of the
Palace and jet planes flying overhead.  I took pictures then and today.  It was the same street
and Palace that was in every news broadcast when a North Vietnamese tank crashed the
gate (on your right in the picture) at the entrance and drove right up the steps of the Palace
during 


their Saigon arrival and take over of the city.  We had     
 been evacuating last minute personnel from the Embassy Rooftop down the street.
I walked over to the street I lived on when I first arrived in Saigon.  Some of the old villas
were still standing but not mine.  It was a plaza.  I walked and walked right off the map before
circling  back toward the center again.
   I stopped by a street vendor cooking a cake in a cup.  She would heat it up, pour the batter
around the edges of the inside and then put a lid on it and sit it on a charcoal fire until done.
 She would then add grated fresh coconut to it and put batter in the bottom of another cup
with a lid and cook it.  She would use that for a lid to go on the coconut cup.  Kind of like a
cupcake and excellent!  I also stopped at an exclusive Vietnamese Coffee shop for an
overpriced Latte.   I then took a taxi home to pick up my laundry and finally eat at
“Bread and Butter”…because man cannot live on bread alone!  I had the Australian
Cheeseburger, salad and fries.
Minh never showed up this morning.  I walked over to a new place, Bobby Brewers, that Leif
recommended.  The coffee was excellent.  They have a movie theatre on the 3rd floor that
shows 5 or six movies a day at scheduled times that you can watch while sipping a latte or a
beer.  Pretty good food too and  internet access.
 I stopped at Kim’s for breakfast and to relax and read the paper.  A guy named Jeff sat at the
table next to me and started telling me how in the 90’s he came to Vietnam , met a woman ,
married her and brought her back to Minnesota and now his step son is at the University.
Jeff opened a commodity business selling popcorn all over the world.  He now travels back
and forth to Vietnam and might fly into NYC for one night on the way home to Minnesota to
close a deal.  He is the Vietnam Popcorn King.  I left just after he did.    
   I ventured out and stayed in the neighborhood that evening.  I had a nice seat on the
corner of the GO2 Cafe.  This corner attracts every sales peddler from Sunglasses, DVDs,
Books, etc and shoeshine boys.  Well I decided to have my sandals polished for $1.50 but
this cunning boy comes back after and explains, with his nose held and a nasty look, that my
shoes stink.  He then pulls out these odor eaters and puts one in the sandal and asks me to try
it on.  Does it feel comfortable?  Do you want these?  These sandals have been all I’ve worn
since I left, except on the airplane and 3 days in Sapa, plus all over Europe two summers.
 Well OK..now I’ve been shamed into buying them.   I forgot to ask how much!  He then
glues them on to my sandals and puts them on for me and promptly asked for $8.   I
protested but he was firm so I gave in.   
I stayed there most of Happy Hour then ventured over to Bread and Butter on the way
home.  Had a great lunch at Kim’s.  Never, NEVER put your chopsticks in a bowl like this.
 It looks like incense sticks they burn at a funeral and is considered the ultimate affront.
  Dan , the bartender, had the Australian Tennis Open on TV and there was a tennis pro from
Melbourne watching it.  He has played professional tennis most of his life and traveled to
London to work and live for more than a year.  Nice man.  Also there was a lady from Austin
Texas that was traveling and teaching English.  Another couple , he was a musician from
Long Island that had been in a band in Melbourne and she was from Portland, Oregon…great
fun and then I retired.
   I  got a message from Pius when I got back at 7:30 to meet him at some bar downtown for a
beer at 5pm.  Too late, so I countered with an offer for tomorrow but he is taking a dinner
cruise on the river with his wife. 
 I did nothing today.  I was very fatigued so stayed close to home.   I did have some Bangers
and Mash at Bread and Butter.  The Danish Tennis player that Leif was  on assignment to
cover for his magazine, won very easily and may end up winning the Women’s Tennis Open.
When she won she paraded around a little waving to the fans and there was Leif with his
camera , along with a few other photographers that actually sit right on the sidelines. 
I watched a movie in the room and got a good night’s rest.  This morning I still felt stiff and
aches so decided to work it out.  I wasn’t tired to took right off for the day.  I had my usua
Latte at Bobby Brewers then started walking.  6 hours later I arrived back home.  I walked
to the Cathedral where I celebrated Mass on Christmas Day in 1967.  They had a Mass for
Nuns only and some weddings scheduled for the day.
 I went across to the Post Office to see about mailing a package tomorrow…no problem.  If I
had known they were open on Sunday I would have mailed it today.  I then walked to the Zoo
and did take the little train that could around the park.  It was a bad zoo in ’97 but had
improved considerably.  There were no animals out except us humans as it was now
afternoon and HOT.  There were a lot of families and groups of children having picnics and
enjoying the day.  When I was there in ’97 they had a controversial  Merry Go Round that
had stuffed animals you would ride.  Like a stuffed Bengal Tiger or Lion…it was weird but
shut down then and soon after was removed.  Smart people were having a siesta, including
city workers that take their bed to work. 
 I walked around a little and saw a live, one man balancing act with music that was quite
impressive and entertaining then left for the River area. 
   I used to ride guard on the supply trucks that would go into Saigon at night to the wharf
and pick up equipment and supplies.  I did it just so I could see Saigon.  Shortly after, I was
living there and made trips to the docks myself.  When a Captain or Colonel in charge of a
Company or Battalion needed replacement parts or equipment that wasn’t available in
Vietnam yet, they had to requisition it from the States.  A year later , when it arrived, they
were gone so the docks were overloaded with all kinds of tools, parts and equipment that
for the most part was rusting out.  Also, when there was a serious attack like Tet offensive,
supply road leading out of Saigon were closed so food arriving by boat, like apples and
oranges couldn’t get delivered so they would give it away rather than waste it.  I used to pick
up boxes of both and take it to street corners and drop them off.  Both Apples and Oranges
were precious and costly on the market.
  The Saigon port is a major ship building area as well as a busy commercial area.  You can
see the derricks and cranes to load and unload the ships. The skyline has added a few high
rises.  Seven million people now.  
 I sat at a riverside restaurant and had a fruit salad and coffee before going to check out the
prices at the hotel I stayed at in Saigon when I was visiting in ’97.   I passed Apocalypse Now,
a long time favorite Night  Club and got a price list on my old hotel. It went up $10 a night.
 Not too bad. O’Brian’s is closed Sunday afternoon so I had some Beef Carpaccio at the
Refinery and taxied home.
After another shower, I am averaging at least two a day…sometimes three, I went to my
favorite corner GO2 for a couple beers then stopped at Buda’s for a Vietnamese Pork
Pancake.  While eating my dinner outside in the Cafe, the TV was showing Mr Bean.  
Then I heard a girl cry out in glee…Mr Bean …Mr Bean…I fell in love with a fellow fan
of Mr Bean.  Then finished up and retired to my room after a very good day of travel.
Monday brings everything  back to business as usual in Saigon.  I got my bus ticket for my
Saturday departure to Cambodia and the capital of Phnom Penh. I emailed Pius to see if he
was going to be available and ask him where I get hearing aide batteries.    
 The tour guide that sold me the bus ticket hoped I would book a day tour to Cu Chi tunnels.
 I was there in ’67 ,with a friend from my home town, after a brief helicopter  ride we took for
a day adventure.  It was.  We came under mortar attack and had to evacuate back to Saigon
quickly.  
The tunnels are an amazing story but not one I wish to pay money to see.  I refuse to buy a
Tee shirt or a hat with a Red Star on it also!  Vietnam just sentenced 5 pro democracy
dissidents to 5 – 13 years in jail for anything from hanging up pro democracy banners, to
writing a blog criticizing government policies.  One was a Harvard graduate who had
occupied a position as lawyer for the government of Vietnam and filed a suit against the US
for some kind of import tax violation. He was an important figure in the government but
stepped on someone’s toes.  I felt guilty for paying $1 to see the war museum…with a photo
of Senator Kerry and accompanying story of him admitting American atrocities within his
own unit in a combat operation.
 Vietnam changed my life as it did many Americans for better or worse.  I do respect and
admire the people and the beauty of the country but I can never support a communist
regime. I’ve seen what I wanted to see and may never return unless the policies and politics
change.  I do recommend everyone should visit this beautiful country and meet it’s special
people at least once.
This evening, after dinner at Kim’s, I decided to hang out in the Street Cafes and read my
magazine.  I visited Bobby Brewer’s first . This man next to me, answered his cell phone.  
The guy wouldn’t move and went on and on and on.  I finally called for my bill, paid and left.
  Next I stopped at one of those Expat hangouts near my hotel.  I was quietly sipping my beer
and enjoying my magazine when a man sat at the table next to me and ordered a beer.  I
thought maybe I might strike up an intelligent conversation with someone for a change.  I
haven’t had one in a long time, being a single traveler.  My last was with Dan,the bartender
from Baltimore, at the Bread and Butter and they close Sunday and Monday.  Then along
come two dregs with their beer and join the man.  The one sitting next to me starts coughing
every minute into his hand then wiping it on the tablecloth…ewe!  Check please!  
Back at my old standby, GO2 my waiter pulled out a chair away from the street peddlers and
promptly served me my beer with ice.  I noticed a man dressed in a White Robe, carrying, you
guessed it , a large RED Cross saying Jesus the Messiah.  He was walking in his bare feet
down the middle of the street headed for the busy intersection.  Without moving one way or
the other he parted the traffic like Moses parting the Dead Sea .  There was one of the
beggars with one leg and a crutch coming up on the other side with a cigarette hanging out of
his mouth.  The Messiah walked straight to him and placed his hand on his head.  I was
expecting him to grow another leg but instead he just started laughing and the Messiah , after
giving his blessing , went on his way.  
Reading my magazine again, I was relatively comfortable and getting ready to order another
BEER, when loud rock music started piercing my ear drums.   My waiter was handing me my
second beer and I said NO , give me my bill.  I gave up and returned to my sanctuary at the
hotel with my TV. 
 I’m too long in Saigon. Think I will buy some last minute stuff to mail , visit China town ,
mail my packages and visit one nice restaurant for dinner .  I should  plan my Cambodia trip
too.
I noticed as one building comes down another goes up that is almost twice as high.  This
blocks sunlight and fresh air.  I took a trip down these side street alleys to see how the people
live in Saigon fair.  Very depressing though they don’t seem to mind…I would go nuts as I
need lots of light.  Arizona spoiled me with low humidity and lots of sunshine.
Wow, finally I got back some of my Las Wages in Texas Holdem.  I entered a $12 buy in
tournament on Poker Stars with 180 people from all over the world and came out 2nd…
because the first place player pulled a flush over my Aces and Queen pairs.  Still won over
$450…don’t turn me into the IRS.  It wouldn’t make much difference since I lost about the
same amount this year.  Got to go win some more!
I wish…no more of that. 
   The next afternoon, I decided to walk to a recommended restaurant as one of my treats
before going.  I had the address but not the review.  I just remembered it had been highly
praised.  The sun was disappearing in the cloud cover and blackness was coming over
Saigon…at 4 pm.  I walked and walked with the roar of the motor bikes.  There are few
places in Saigon that you can escape for the constant sound of motor bikes without going
inside an enclosure.  It is like a train going by that never ends.   I arrived at my destination to
discover it was an outdoor street cafe .  It was pretty good size and they were BBQ some
marinated meat that I assume they use in their signature dish as there was so much of it.
There was a steam table with assorted foods from the menu where they assembled food as
ordered.  I had no clue what to order and flagged a taxi that was half around the roundabout.
He cut through everyone to backtrack over to me.  He was the first taxi that used a meter so
the ride cost me $1.50.   I commented about how nice and quiet it was now that I was in his
air conditioned taxi.  He agreed , then laid on the horn at everyone the entire trip.  I miss
Shangri La.   
I had him drop me at Kim’s for my first bad meal…I didn’t even take a photo of it or finish
eating it.  
While I was there, you could hear this beautiful electric guitar melody drifting in from the
streets.  It was haunting and hypnotic.  Then I recognized it as a young blind man that I saw
four days ago strolling the street with his guitar and his sister carrying a battery powered
amp for the music.  I remember thinking , oh yeah some more loud noise…until he started
playing.  Yes you could hear him echoing through the streets and off the buildings but he
was good.  That day he did some quiet jazz and some heavy blues riffs.  A truly talented
artist.  I tried to track his direction when I left to see if he had a CD he might sell, but he
had disappeared .  
 It is only 5pm and I’m in my room watching the news.  I am running out of things to see and
do.It is Thursday, I think.  I leave Saturday and will have to drop laundry.  
Well I loaded up about 10 pounds of “stuff” I have been collecting and taxied off to the Post
Office expecting long lines.  I got my forms and had my list of items with me.  I sat down and
proceeded to start filling out addresses and information.  When I got to the third form, it said
passport number, date of issue.  Now I did make a point of memorizing this so I didn’t need
to carry a passport and to be safe always carry a copy of my passport in my pocket.  I had
neither.  I left my mind back at the hotel with the copy.  
I have three bags of “stuff” that I lug back out onto the street and hail a taxi to return to the
hotel.  On the way, I think I remembered the passport number but still unsure on date of
issue so continue my errand.  I have the driver wait while I ran up 69 stairs and back with my
passport.  It turned out I was right on both the number and the date.  The driver fought the
traffic back.  
I drove Saigon for almost a year.  I had a big Chevy Suburban but their were bikes instead of
Motor bikes and lots of military vehicles.  I wouldn’t want to drive it today.
  When I got back to the Post Office, there was no line and the clerk took me as soon as I
finished the forms.  10 lb at $7  per pound.  I could lug it around for another month and
haul it back but 10 pounds feels like twenty lately.  My last visit 10 pounds felt like 5 but I
was 14 years younger.  Then I bought a big duffel bag and filled it with about 50 pounds worth
of “stuff” and carried it all back. The postal clerk packed it all up for me. I paid and prayed it
would arrive.  My package from Thailand did arrive after one month.  I have one from Laos
and this one left unless I decide to buy Cambodia while I’m there and have that shipped?
I had another restaurant that was recommended to have lunch at but I caught myself
weaving and light headed.  I stopped at an Ice Cream parlor and had a fresh Pineapple
milkshake with some water.  I walked to the address but again…couldn’t find it.  I returned
to my neighborhood and tried a place I had seen before.  I watched the lady chef in an outdoor
kitchen and she knew what she was doing.  I ordered a BBQ meal but didn’t realize the
waitress cooks it at the table for you.  She brought over a portable charcoal fireplace and set
it next to my table.  The chef had all the ingredients prepared for her to cook.  I just drank
beer and ate.  It was wonderful.   Well got to get my laundry to the laundromat for the lady.
  
I returned to my room after dropping the laundry off but was getting bored and decided to
venture out at night for the first time in almost a week.  
I stopped at the Bread and Butter where I met an Irish from Limerick and another from Cork.
 They were both here on two year contracts to teach English.  Imagine the Irish teaching
English.  They were getting paid well and having a good time of it.  Liza from Syracuse was
waiting on tables and Dan was tending bar.  The place was full.  I met a couple of restaurateurs
from Brooklyn that just returned from Siem Reap on their way back to the US after a brief
vacation.  We had a great time.  The round of beers turned into a round of Jameson’s and I
left the party with assurances that I would see them again at Roberta’s in Brooklyn this summer.  
    A few of my avid followers have commented about my rants about food and eating out a
lot .  I don’t have a kitchen so eating out becomes a necessity.  I started cooking when I was
4 years old.  My first real job was in a restaurant at 14.  I have been in the restaurant business
from then until I retired at 58 years old… over 44 years.  While I have to eat out, I try and
make it interesting for myself by trying different foods and trying to keep up with the local
scene wherever I am.  If you notice the photo above, there are flames coming up from the
back of this portable cooker.  She is cooking my meal on an inverted roof tile.  Something else
that never ceases to impress me is the presentation of food and attention to detail whether
I’m in a sidewalk joint or a nice fine dining establishment.  

   Today is my last day in Saigon.  I pick up the laundry, pack, pay up the bill ,
SET THE ALARM, and have my last meal.

Wrong! I thought today was Friday and even though my computer said it was Thursday, I
refused to believe it and had to go out of the hotel and ask someone to be sure.  Now I have
my laundry, am half packed , got my hotel bill and withdrew the payment from the ATM …
with one more day to kill in the town.  Damn…I was all excited to be exciting and now have
to think of something to do for another day that doesn’t include a bar, spending more money,
 or poker. I know…I’ll proof and mail this. Goodbye from  Saigon.

Posted on

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND CHINA BEACH

Vietnam Airlines captain is an American flying an 250 seat plus Airbus.  We landed safely in
Da Nang to cool temperatures in the 70’s meaning that China Beach is empty.  Oh well at
least it is warmer than Hanoi.  I checked in and was going out to grab a bite to eat when I met
a Vietnamese in the elevator from Chicago.  Lived there 22 years.  He was a young man in his
late 30’s maybe early 40’s and introduced me to his friend from Chicago that was on the
internet in the lobby.  I think he was Hispanic.  He knew Arizona well and wanted to know if
I was a Mining Engineer?  He was and they were both here on business but flew back to cold
Chicago tomorrow.  I walked over to a Vietnamese restaurant and had some Pho Ca and a Ba
Tram Ba Moi Ba.  Then I stopped to pick up my Hanoi Vodka and a Mango Fruit Smoothie to
mix with it while I caught up on my movies and photos.
    I visited the Market looking for coffee.  It was huge and busy.  Great way to wake up.  Had
a Fresh OJ then found some coffee and decided to take the bus to Hoi An rather than hire a
taxi.  I checked out, crossed the street, and waved the bus down.  I guy in the back of the bus
jumped out and grabbed my bag.  He threw it in and got back on while the bus was still
moving.  I figured I better jump on myself or my bag was leaving without me. 
An hour later I was on a Motor Bike with my bag in the drivers lap.  I arrived at the hotel but
when requested two extra days, he informed me that was not possible…they were booked.  I
will go visit my new Couch Surfing friend, after I check in,  and see what he says.
Hedi emailed me from Estonia to tell me about her trip to Istanbul and inform me that
Randy, the Couch Surfer from Hoi An picked up my profile and saw her listed as my friend so
wrote her to get a reference.  Cool. 
    I decided to walk around and get a feel of the city so headed out for the beach.  3 hours
later I’m on a deserted beach with waves you could surf on crashing in and a cold wind.  My
feet were tired so I took a Motor Bike back to the hotel and decided to go enjoy Happy Hour.  
I talked to some Americans that had rented and drove a Motor Bike to Marble Mountain and
China Beach to visit the caves.  They said it was grand so I checked with the local tour
company across the street and it will cost me about $9 for the day.  I decided to do it then
walked into town to have a beer and met David from Davis California. He is a postal worker
and every winter takes off to travel to cheap far eastern places.  He had been in Hoi An before
and knew Randy, the Couch Surfer that had the book store.  We chatted a bit then I returned
to the hotel. 
 I had a seven course lunch earlier at he hotel restaurant on the balcony overlooking the
street.  Below was a pleasant lady trying to get people to eat at her restaurant so I went there
for Take Away Hamburg.  I could hear them chopping the beef and then she sent her daughter
out to buy a take away container because they didn’t have any but were not going to refuse
business. She also had to run out to get me change for a small bill…they hadn’t any business
so had no money.   They sent me to the hotel with an order of fresh homemade French Fries
and ketsup in a ceramic dish because they didn’t have take out for the ketsup.  The Hamburg
I was good and I’m going over in the morning to have breakfast with them before hiring a
Motor Bike to Marble Mountain and China Beach.
Breakfast was free at the hotel and they had an egg station to make eggs or an omelet for you.
 I had an omelet and a banana pancake with coffee and juice.  I returned the ceramic dish they
had put my ketsup in and had a second cup of coffee while reading a tour guide of Vietnam
they supplied for their customers.  I stopped at the tour agent and told him I would return in
a half hour for my trip. I did and to greet me was a lady driver that had my rain poncho and
helmet ready.  We took off but within the half hour the rain stopped and another half hour
and we were there.
We parked at the base of the Mountain where a lot of the carving is done and a LOT of the
sculptures are on display for sale.  We started up the steps, paid our admission then on
further to a pagoda complex at the entrance to one of 3 or 4 caves.  This particular one was
more of a gateway to the top of the mountain.  


 I was covered in sweat after all that exertion and the high humidity.  It was dark and ominous.
We carried a flashlight and you needed it.  This was ROCK climbing.  My petite limber driver
had no problem and pulled me up half the trip.  It was steep and you did have to be very
careful but reaching the summit was a real high.
We came down the other side rather than back the same way. I didn’t bother exploring the
other caves because I had blocked them out of my mind after that last experience.  They
would have been nicer , larger, safer, and less effort I found out later.  
We returned to have lunch at the Laugh Cafe.  Another one of those restaurants set up for
homeless girls to work and learn a profession.  This was set up and managed by Australians
not Swedes like the one in Luang Prabang.  The food though good was overrated.  They
offered cooking courses and now that I made arrangement to stay right up to the 18th when
I was planning on doing something like that while in Saigon anyway. I noticed two young
girls that looked like European backpackers, come out of the kitchen with meals and sit down
with their aprons on and eat.  I assumed they had taken the cooking classes.
I had some great Cashew Chicken stir fry and some so so shrimp spring rolls that were
loaded with shrimp.  I couldn’t eat it all .  My driver, on request took me to the Japanese
Bridge where I found a silk sleep sack for 4 dollars…a real steal considering I paid around
$50 for mine.  Mine was a single small one..that I could have bought for $3.   
She then , as requested, took me to the local market and dropped me off.  I asked how much
I should give her and at first she said nothing.  Then after I pressured her she said $5 so I
gave her $10 as a tip.  
I browsed the market.  What a selection of chopstick sets, dishes, tablecloths, mats, etc.
 I wanted to buy everything but only bought the cinnamon I was looking for.  I hope I can get
it through customs.  It is the raw bark of the cinnamon tree that you grind or break into
pieces.  It is sweet and strong.  I love it.  I bought a star apple and another fruit that I still
don’t know what it is but she gave me a taste.  Cross between an apple and a pear.  I went
down to the docks along the market before returning to the bridge leading to an Island across
the river. That is where Randy, the Couch Surfer, has his bookstore.  
A lady accosted me and took me to her shop to show me the clothes she has been making for
10 years.  I didn’t see anything that interested me so crossed the bridge but after getting lost
and being tired, I hired a Motor Bike to take me home for $2.  
When I arrived at the hotel, I approached the Manager and asked about staying the extra two
days….no problem.  That is not at all what I got from the other Manager on duty.  I took it
and requested the plane flight from Da Nang to Saigon that same morning with a Taxi to the
airport…no problem .  He made a few calls and filled out an invoice for me to sign…$63 for
the flight and $10 for the airport taxi…pay when you check out.  Works for me!  Siesta.
When I awoke, it was getting dark so I just started walking toward the Japanese Bridge and
Old Town.  I had walked about an hour taking photos and not really paying attention as to
where I was going .  I knew I was in Old Town because of the architecture and the streets.   I
just kept walking and stopped at a bakery to buy some french bread for peanut butter snack
when I returned to the hotel.  It was getting late and I was hungary so decided to head back
and stop at the Laugh Cafe again for dinner.  I took a wrong turn and the road was dark and
unfamiliar.  I actually stopped and asked for directions but instead of going down the road
further before I turned right , I turned right at the first turn and ended up in no where land.
 I asked directions again and was told to return down the road to no where and take a right
and after another couple blocks take another right…I did and ended up almost at my front
door.  I was approaching the Laugh Cafe when I heard someone yell out Hello David…it was
Dave the postal worker from Northern California,  He was eating in a little sidewalk HoJo’s
and we visited a bit before I crossed over to the Laugh Cafe. 
    I tried to order some wine but the price was crazy so I finally decided to try a Gin and Tonic.
 It is all in the pour.  The waiter brought out a glass half full of Gin with a can of Tonic.  I
struck gold.  I then ordered Shrimp and Green Vegetables and sat back with my movie camera
to film the neighborhood.  The two girls that I saw earlier showed up.  I asked where they
were from and they replied Switzerland on the German border.  They both spoke English,
French and German.  They did take the cooking course and came back for dinner.  One was
Alexander and the other Hasfa.  They just came from 3 months in Cambodia and were
traveling in the opposite direction from me. They were headed for Hanoi and Ha Long
Harbor but not sure when they wanted to leave.  True travelers and only 20 years old!
I returned to the hotel after a great dinner and nice cheap drinks.  I may book a trip to Hue
after talking to Dave. He has been there and for a day trip he said it was worth it…still haven’t
visited Randy the CouchSurfer from California.
The next morning I asked the Desk Clerk about a day trip to Hue but I had to take a bus at
7:30 am then not miss the last bus at around 3pm.  It didn’t sound enticing so I had breakfast
and flipped my own eggs so they were cooked right.  I lingered over coffee then set out to the
old town and visited an ancient meeting hall.  I noticed an Art Gallery displaying photos so
stopped in and inquired about the price.  $8 a photo.  Yes they were photo copies but good so
I bought 8 of them.   
I continued to visit a few shops and after passing through the local market, I stopped at the
tailor shop.  
I didn’t see the lady that gave me the card but decided I was going to replace the long sleeve
shirt I was wearing with a tailor made one.  She quoted me $25 and I said forget it then she
said $15 so I got measured and picked out a cloth then she said it would be $27 because I only
bought one.  I was disgusted but paid and walked out to pick it up tomorrow.  I should have
told her to stuff it.
I crossed over to the Island to visit Randy and his bookstore.  He was reading a book and
listening to some great music  in his home/bookstore.  He opened about 3 years ago and last
year got Lonely Planet’s review as the best bookstore in Hoi An.  The same time, Rough Guide
came out with their review which gave me the Best Bookstore in Southeast Asia!  Now I  sit
around reading my books and people stop in and hand me money.  I bought his Cheat Sheet
of Cambodia and he threw in one of Hoi An.  He took in Couchsurfers up until last year.  The
government frowns on it even though it was free it was taking business away from the hotels
and guesthouses.  He would have had to maintain copies of passports, etc and face up to
$300-500 fines if he violated their regulations.  He is now a day host for Couchsurfers and
still meets a lot of great people…like me.  Randy had heart problems and 5 years ago after a
couple more stents, his cardiologists in California and Hawaii said he will have more
recurring attacks until he dies…in maybe 5 years.  They don’t know why and can’t help him .
 He sold everything before the Real Estate crash and took off around the world.  He spent
about a quarter of a million when he arrived in Hoi An on his travels.  Here he developed a
severe life threating infection and ended up in the Hoi An hospital.  They wanted to run tests
before treating him so he said do the works because it can’t hurt.  While running all these
tests, they found a bacteria that has been in his system since his last visit to Vietnam over 30
years ago.  They claimed that that was creating the inflammation resulting in his chest pains
and subsequent heart attacks.  He started treatment with massive antibiotics for weeks…and
it completely cleared up…no chest pains and clean bill of health.  That is when he decided he
could relax and enjoy life and what better place then here in the community that saved his
life.  He opened to bookstore and travels around Southeast Asia making friends and enjoying
his life. 
I took his advice and headed for the Lazy Gecko.  I passed the sign but the place looked like a
house though it had Gecko’s stencils on the entrance walls.  It was a house and after walking
into the woman’s kitchen and asking for a beer, she escorted me out and down the street to
the real Lazy Gecko.  While sitting on the balcony have a beer and sandwich, I looked over to
find David just arrived.  We chatted a bit then I went on the the Lighthouse restaurant for
coffee and apple pie.  I returned home on the same Motor Bike that drove me the day before.
 He waits on the corner by the bridge.  
While walking the streets of Hoi An or the back alleys, I sometimes feel I’m on a movie set.  I
mean really I feel like I’m in a dream or part of a play.  The Vietnamese are family oriented
like most of the world. I remember that feeling when I grew up in the 50’s .  We were all family
, neighbors, Boy Scouts, 4 H, friends, C.Y.O., parishes, Rod and Gun Club, everyone looked
after each other…no fences…no boundaries…dogs had no leashes…Summer Camps and Parks
and Recreation..paper boys…Dry Cleaners pickup at your home…milk delivery…bakery
delivery….YMCA where we all swam naked…(us guys)…H.S. Football, Basketball, Senior Trips.
ONE community and thought the whole world was like that.   I understand why Randy choose
to stay here.  He radiates calm and is happy. 
    Now America is not as communal as it used to be and neither will these countries in the
future.  Now, I see strangers treat each other as family because that is how they were raised.
 We now treat strangers as foe until we know them.  The grandparents still live in the same
home with their children and grandchildren.  Neighbors smile and laugh with each other.
 Even the dogs seem to smile as they run back and forth.  Randy said that Normal people are
just people we haven’t got to know yet.  
I went over to the Restaurant across the street to throw a little business their way even
though I was full.  I ordered a Spring Roll Appetizer and coffee.  I ended up with two Jumbo
Spring Rolls that were way more than I wanted but ate.  Coffee was fantastic as usual. 
 I walked down to the Laugh Cafe for two Gin and Tonics and returned to bed at 9pm.
 I dropped my laundry at the front desk before going to breakfast.    When breakfast was
done, I returned to the room and overcome by laziness , I fell into a slumber on the bed when
in a daze, I heard a doorbell ring.  I thought it was my computer sitting in front of me.  I
played with it a little and again I heard the ring.  It must be my computer…ding dong.  I
turned the volume down and heard it again along with a key in my door.  It turned out the
hotel has doorbells for all the rooms. It was the last thing I expected to hear. The maid was
delivering my laundry that I just dropped off before breakfast! 
 I got out of my slumber and spent the morning in the Old Town.  The streets are closed to
Motor Traffic between 9am and 11am then again in the afternoon and in the evening.  It was
quite nice.  I stopped at one of the restaurants that Randy recommended…Cargo and had
coffee and an éclair.  While I was there, I noticed the English Vietnam News.  They erase the
price of .30 cent and put in $1.50 and come up to you to sell it.  I was wise this time and
turned to the subscription page and told them I would pay .30 cents.  They all laughed that I
caught on to their scam.  My Motor Bike driver laughed at me when I originally bought it and
told me what they do.  It apparently is a Hoi An thing like two different menus…one for the
natives and one for the farangs.  I didn’t care because I got to read it free at the coffee shop.  
I patronized a handicapped Art Shop and was to buy two items as souvenirs but the head clerk
wouldn’t let me take a photo of a typed out paper describing the item and didn’t have a copy
to give me.  I walked out. 
I visited my Tailor and got my shirt.  I was not impressed but it was OK. 
 I moved over to the Secret Garden Restaurant and order some marinated BBQ Pork like
what I had in Sa Pa but not all that fat and really flavorful. The music was piped in and I
would have to return later to hear live music.  It sounded like Jimmy Buffet and James Taylor
with Carly Simmons.  I have no idea. The owner is a retired school teacher from the US and
designed the whole restaurant.  Very nice.  It started to pour down rain for about five minutes
and then ended.   I washed my meal down with some white rice wine …80%proof …not unlike
the Hanoi Vodka. .. while I was dining alone…the only person in the entire restaurant…I 
 noticed a cook preparing what looked like Rice Pancakes that were steamed.  
I paid the bill and went over to ask questions but she didn’t speak any English and my
waitress tried to help but didn’t.  I left and stopped by one of the shops to buy some more
“STUFF” to figure out how to take home.  
I had to go by the Laugh Cafe and stop for a Gin and Tonic.  I felt I would be hungry later as
it was still early so I ordered a Pizza to put in the Refrigerator at the Hotel when I returned.
  There were a nice couple from Sydney sitting near by but they didn’t want to have anything
to do with an Old American Pot Belly Single Lonely Bum sipping his second Gin and Tonic.  
She was saying to her male companion that she never had any luck with the men in her life.
 “Maybe because I’m Bi and they can’t handle that?” 
Returning to the hotel I had noticed a slew of Internet cafes that were populated with
Vietnamese young people so decided to explore them.  They were just like Madrid gaming
rooms.  Everyone was shooting everyone in game warfare.  Their were a few variations but
most were combat AK-47 battles with each other.  I had visited over three then came into one
that was NOT a gaming internet  cafe but what looked like studious young people doing
research or communication with each other on Instant Messaging .   
   The following morning after eating cold Pizza for breakfast, I hung out at the hotel and
played with Picasso Photo before leaving to visit Randy.   I was going to bring him medicine
I had for his congestion.  When I arrived in the afternoon, his book exchange was shut down
and a sign send….if the gate is closed, I’m down the street at the Lazy Gecko  As I was going
down the street he was coming up on his Motor Bike.  I gave him my meds.  He explained he
went to the Doctor that day and got Codeine and Expectorant which is the active ingredient
to  eliminate congestion.   He was on his way to bed and I continued to  Sleepy Gecko and ran
into Dave from Northern California.  We met another guy from D. C. that was a retired
traveler and we had a nice chat.   Dave and I went upstairs to share the clean air and the view.
  I left to have lunch at the MangoRoom.   Famous for Mick Jagger and Anthony Bourdain
the food reviewer from NYC.  I had a great meal of Red Snapper then on to an Aussie Wine
Bar
for a drink before returning to my neighborhood where some Vietnamese invited me to share
their rice wine and food with them.  I did.
 Then arriving at the hotel to settle my bill and have last call with my Vietnamese friends and
a new New Zealander friend.
 The following morning I was on my way to Saigon.

c

Posted on

2010 LAOS TO HANOI

Hello everyone.  I apologize for my last Adventure and the length of time it took to download
all those Megabytes.  I had changed my camera setting in hopes of getting a better quality
photo.  I did but at a big cost in download time and bandwidth.  I realize that unless you are
going to print these photos on paper, it is not necessary to maintain a super fine setting with
the largest amount of pixels on your camera. 
That said.  I dropped my laundry at the “front desk” and headed out for my coffee with my
shoulder purse. The days here are cool and misty in the morning then the sun breaks through
in the afternoon and it becomes warm and a bit humid.  Then it cools back down in the
evening. Quite nice. I think I’m growing more hair in this climate…on my head!  Really or
maybe it is the 25 Wat bulbs in all the rooms so I just can’t tell.  Everyone cooks with wood
so there is always the smell of a fire in the air. Well I hope the National Museum is open
today.  I’m visiting the Caves tomorrow then leave for the capital of Laos… Vientiane the next
day.
It wasn’t so I wandered into a photo gallery that was great. It happened right after I dropped
everything at the post and spent almost $100 to mail out $190 worth of stuff.  I even sent this
by boat…if it didn’t arrive in 3 months I could call the Post in Luang Prabang and they would
look into it.  Third world countries?  Count your blessings.  Anyway I fell in love with the
photo gallery and the Tam Mor restaurant next door.
 I had a great meal


then decided to take a Tuk Tuk to my Guesthouse.
 He drove along the Mekong so when we got close I requested he drop me off along the busy
area of the river in the evening.  There was a party going on at the “Snake Wine ” bar so I
stopped to have a shot with the locals.  Then the bartender/owner couldn’t find change so to
oblige him I had another shot.  That took care of me for the evening.  I set my alarm for 5:30
am to give alms to the Buddhist Monks at sunrise before they Chant and then I have a ticket
for the downstream riverboat to the caves and a village.  I just want to return in time to pick
up my laundry and pack to depart the next day to Vientiane.  I still haven’t been able to book
a room for the two nights I’ll be there!  Nor have I been able to book the flight to the
Philippines. I will see a tour agent in Hanoi.
I was up at 5:45am and out the door to give alms to the monks.  There was a lady right on
the corner of my street selling them to me.  I bought some sticky rice and bananas then she
took me across the street and sat a mat down for me to sit on while the monks strolled by
with their alms bowls.
 I’m sitting there all alone in the dark waiting for monks to arrive?  She said 6am and it was.
 I looked down the street and noted about 5 oriental people also sitting on a mat and waiting
so I figured this must be the place even though traffic was headed downtown with vans loaded
with tourists.  Tuk-Tuks were filled to capacity and all going downtown.  More people started
to come out and walk down the street.  Some waited along side with cameras in hand.  I’m
still sitting there all by myself when it starts to rain.  I finally decided to give my alms to the
orientals down the street to pass out while I seek shelter under an awning across the way.  
The rain picked up and the alms salesperson approached us to move under a shelter and the
monks would come to us.  I left the group and let them sit on the ground.  Now the whole
town is filling up all the streets and traffic is bumper to bumper.  6:30 came around along
with a procession of Monks that just materialized out of no where.  I took some photos then
had breakfast and returned to meet my taxi to the boat. 
 There I joined a group waiting to go to the Caves when I realized I didn’t take my meds.  That
wouldn’t be so bad but I couldn’t remember if I took them last night either?  I rented a taxi
and returned to discover I had taken the evening ones but not the ones this morning. I did,
then returned to the group in time to board the boat.  
There is something about coming down a steep incline of sand and treacherous rock to
navigate a flimsy gangplank across to a rocking boat that makes you feel especially macho
when you do board. We stopped after an hour at a tourist village to spend money.
 People actually inhabited this place and it was quite interesting to see them weaving away.  
We all took some photos, paid to use the hole in the ground and continued to the caves.
I stood in line while climbing the stairs to the caves, then took some photos, and returned to
the boat.  There were other caves to see that were larger with less Buddha statues and less
people visiting them as they were a longer walk around the mountain. While I was waiting,
a guy from Oregon got off an  arriving boat with the usual gaggle of tourists and asked me if
it was worth the climb up?  He was about 6’5 and a very middle aged man in good physical
shape.  I told him no so he decided to stay on the boat.  We chatted a bit. He was with a group
from Oregon that were on a bicycle trip through Laos.  I commented that I had met another
bicyclist from Oregon in Chiang Mai and that there was a 10 day trip from here to Hanoi by
bicycle.  Oh we did that 5 years ago he commented.  Feeling very out of shape and old I
climbed back into my boat and waited for the others.  
We returned to Luang Prabang and I visited the National Museum.  Quite nice but NO
PHOTO ALLOWED.  Lot of Gold Thrones and Buddhas. Sparse collecting that dated back to
the year 700 AD.  Very nice but didn’t take but an hour.  I had a late lunch, picked up my
laundry for $2 and returned to the room to pack and get an early sleep.  Still no hotel in
Vientiane. 
I was thinking that my taxi was picking me up at 7:30am so went for coffee this morning and
upon returning got read the riot act by my Inn keeper.  The taxi driver woke her looking for
me and she pounded on my door but no.  Well he returned and when I arrived, I got on the
bus and showed the guy my receipt.  He said I had take it to the ticket counter to get my
ticket.  The ticket counter said I had to take it to the bus.  I took it back noting that I had
been assigned seat 23.  The man said the bus was full and I had to take the 9 am instead of
the 8am bus.  I went back to the ticket counter and he told me to come back in 10 minutes.
 I did and he issued me a ticket for seat 23 on the next bus.  It started boarding at 8:30 so I
got on to find the only other person on the bus in my seat.  He had seat 23 also.  OK I went
back and requested seat 27 as it was good for long legged people.  I got seat 33 that was
broken and the window cracked like a spider web.  It was not suited for anyone over 5 feet
tall.  I complained but to know avail so settled in for a 10 hour ride.  The first hour went by
and the A/C went out.  The bus driver opened the only vent but with the sun coming out full
the place was like an oven.  We stopped for lunch so we could regain our composure and take
a leak.  The lunch was part of the deal but no one really wanted to get back on the bus.  We
were only 3hours into the trip.  We did and it was worse because you couldn’t sleep , breath,
and just sat and sweated for the next 7 hours.  It was unbelievably beautiful scenery and I was
attempting to take photos and movies out of my broken and dirty window while the bus/truck
with no shocks bounced down winding narrow roads full of potholes and hairpin turns.  
When it was over, I got a Taxi to deliver me to an ATM machine then on to a nice $35 a night
hotel with AC , three double beds, a dorm size hot shower, refrigerator and cable TV  with
WiFi thrown in.  I took a shower, am on the internet and getting ready to drop my sweaty
clothes to be washed with the laundry service and head into town.  I wanted to download all
my great movies of this bus ride with the picturesque mountain side villages and I ended up
erasing them all! I’m out of here.  No body would believe that trip anyway.  
I walked to the downtown area along the river and found some more stuff to buy.  It is a nice
area and I can’t wait to see it in the day.  I took some photos but at night they don’t turn out
too well.  We are situated on the Mekong River with Thailand across on the other side. Little
outdoor cafes and bars line up along the river front.  You can just sit and look at the river
while sipping a BeerLao.  I stopped in the Full Moon Cafe for some Asian fusion food.  It was
great and with two glasses of wine came to $8.  I stopped at a Mini Mart on the way back and
bought a bottle of Champa.  Lao’s version of white lighting.   80% proof 12 oz for 50 cents.
 The guy looked at me and shook his head.  I said it was made in Lao so it should either be
good or it will kill me.  I handed  him 40000 instead of 4000.  $5 instead of .50 cents.  He
wanted to know if that was his tip?  I then stopped by the hotel nightclub on the roof with a
view of the river and had a glass of wine before returning to my room.
Bed time.  Oh yeah…I downloaded the photos and 90% were crap because of the dirty window
or the vibrations from the bouncing bus.
Info on Vientiane:  



 The American Breakfast was a cold 1/4 of a hotdog, a cold piece of pressed ham, two pieces
of warm wonder bread, and one really fried egg with instant coffee.  I visited True Coffee and
had fresh orange juice with a latte and crossiant. It was nice and cool this morning.  The
Mekong is being dredged to make a harbor or port for more tourist boats.
 I took lots of photos of more temples, visited an antique/handicraft shop and then had a
siesta.

    I wandered around most of the rest of the day, taking photos, exploring Temples, talked to
a Monk again., and read some more of my book.  I had a large fruit salad for dinner.  I have
been eating too many crappy American Breakfasts so decided to get healthy.  Well that fruit
salad woke me in the night and needless to say, I had to shower and switch beds.  Not exactly
the way to spend your last night in country.  I felt better this morning and passed up the
breakfast to visit one of my favorites…Joma Coffee.  They have 3 in Laos and they are all
great. I passed the Monk I had talked to the day before. I think I did?  Monks all look alike,
shaved head and saffron robe, but he did say hello like he recognized me standing out among
the crowd. I check out at noon and fly out at 2:30 with arrival around 4 pm in Hanoi.  The
hostel is to have a taxi pick me up.  That will be different. See you in Vietnam!

Posted on

CHIANG KOHONG THAILAND TO LAO

 The trip up to Chiang Kohong was long . The mini van was full.  A husband and wife with
two children from Melbourne. She was a former elementary school teacher.


 
Their eighteen year old son we traveling also but left him to meet his older brother in Hong
Kong.  They were worried as this was his first venture on his own.  He was traveling around
China.  There was a sheep farmer and saxophone player with his wife who was a Mathematics
teacher.  A well traveled American.  Two young men from Jerusalem, another from Maui and
another from Santa Rosa California.  The others I haven’t met or couldn’t hear them to carry
on a conversation so I shied away.
We arrived at the Guesthouse late afternoon


and were assigned our rooms.  
I walked into town and on the way back, joined the family from Melbourne for a beer.  We had
dinner another beer and was in bed around 11 pm.  I woke an hour later and shivered
throughout the night.  I had blankets and doubled them up but if you are in a freezer blankets
don’t help much.  Then I had to get up to walk to the toilet.  Never did get back to sleep or
warm.Well I am in an internet cafe in Chiang Kohong at the Guesthouse NamKaHong.  I froze
my bloody ass off last night and finally decided to go take a hot shower to warm up.  I waited
and waited until the teacher from Australia finally relinquished her shower with a big smile.
Oh that hot shower was wonderful as she left.  I couldn’t wait but after I got in the stall I
realized I left my soap in the room.  Oh well I will have a hot shower but no …she used all
the hot water so I had  cold shower on my cold body and returned to my cold room. Then I
went to the cafeteria and had a cold breakfast.  I am wearing a coat!  Well we leave this cold
part of the world shortly for the boat down the river…Wow…A day that will be one of my worst
and best stories.  It started in Laos when we crossed to get our Visa’s  We had given the
 Hostel our passports along with the applications for the Visa and were to pick them up on
the Laos side of the border along with the passports.  
We did. It took all morning.  We had to have everything stamped with each department of
 immigration and I did.  Then I left to go find out where the 37 people were that were part
of my group.  I had a tag I wore that identified me as part of that group and  as I left
immigration a man saw that and directed me to a Taxi that was to take me to  the “Slow boat”
to Luang Prabang.  I saw my Aussie friends so joined them while the Taxi driver loaded my
bags  on the roof of the Taxi.  We all jumped on and drove 10 Km to the debarkation point.
 
We were all waiting around a restaurant /bar and ordering sandwiches to go for the trip and
buying up bottled water when after an hour someone drove up and dumped all these
passports on the table for distribution with the TICKET for the journey.  I went over to the
man in charge and explained that NO ONE had taken my passport and …I had NO ticket.  He
took my passport and ran off to get my ticket.
 I joined everyone….over 140 people …my group was 37…and stood in line to board the boat
 while waiting for the man to return with my passport and ticket.  He returned as the one boat
was leaving. He had my passport but explained that I did not have a ticket.  There were only
36 tickets.  What actually happened was that I was part of 37 that had prepaid but when they
only received 36 passports…they only issued 36 tickets and sold mine to one of the other
passengers and pocketed the money.   He said they only had 36 tickets.  There was no list with
our names only the tickets and the passports.  Understandable that some underpaid and civil
servant decided to take advantage..but now I am waving goodbye along with the guy from
Santa Rosa California…they misplaced his passport.  The two of us are stuck. 
 I asked about a  “Fast Boat ” …he said it would be 40000 Baht or $120.  I already paid for the
slow boat and my only other choice was to get a room there and they would arrange the slow
boat the following day.  This was not an option.  Then they said there might be a possibility
that his missing passport might be on the  boat and we could split the cost of a fast boat taxi
that would catch the slow boat and take us there.  I said I am ready but how much…he said
that would be $75….I asked the guy from California and he said that the tour company should
pay.  I said I agree so sue them after we get on the boat.  He argued with the guide and the
guide  had to call his boss to request payment and I am thinking the slow boat is getting
further away. It is going to cost even more …so I told the California guy that I was sorry he doesn’t have  a passport but I want out of here .   He understood and I ordered the guide to book the fast boat to the slow boat and I would pay the whole amount of $75…I had already made an advance payment for the Guest House on the overnight stop.  

  Now we are talking money and money talks…I’m on the taxi going to the Fast Boat dock 12 km away.  I had to pay for that too.  I arrived and jumped on the boat to discover there were two other passengers.  I was paying for them too!  OK.  I’m in the front with the wind in my face

…we are doing 40-50 miles an hour down the Mekong river.  John Kerry didn’t go that fast.  

My coat almost blew overboard. My hair blew off.  I finally, after an hour on the boat, pulled
up along side of the slow boat.  EVERYONE had their cameras on me.  The Slow boat matched
the speed of the fast boat and  a deck hand came aboard the fast boat to take my bag while
I struggled to get up after what was like riding a bucking bronco for over an hour and board
this  moving boat without falling into the Mekong and becoming a Be Gone.   I did and
everyone on the slow boat welcomed me.  But no one bought me a beer!  That would never
happen in Australia or Scotland.   So I did…about 3-4 of them .  All the seats were taken as
they overbooked and I thought I left the pillow on the fast boat in a frenzy to get on the slow
one.  Then my friend from New Zealand ..the sheep farmer brought it…the captain had thrown
it on.  Everyone wanted to hear the story and I was quite a celebrity.  Some said they would
email the photos because I was too busy trying to board at the time to take photos.  People
came up to me and asked to photograph me for their trip story.  Wherever I went  people gave
me the Loo or their seat or opened my beer…but still, never  bought me one. 
Finally we arrived at the stop…I don’t even know the name of it but  it was pitch black and
my bag was in the front on the way off.  My friend from Jerusalem had a flash light and
stayed to help me identify my bag.  I saw it right away and a Laotian offered to carry it off
the boat for me.  First I denied the assistance but it was dark, I was tired, and really didn’t
know where the Guest house was so finally agreed to let him “Porter” my bag. 
 It weighed at least 50 lb and he was solid muscle.  He threw it on his shoulder walked the gangplank off in front of me.  I almost fell into the Mekong.  Then it was straight uphill.  I couldn’t keep up with him.  There is no way I could have carried my bag without stopping every five feet.  He could have jogged up to the hotel.  Then  when we did get there , after I begged a couple stops along the way to catch my breath, the greeter from the hotel had my key ready and directed me up another couple flight of stairs to the first level.  The “Portor” stuck with me and dropped the bag in the room .  I was so gratefull that I asked how much I owed him he sheepishly said like $3….I gave him $5 and he turned and put his arms around me and kissed me on the neck, 
not the cheek.  That show of affection made the trip worth while even though he had his
hand in my wallet while he was doing it.
I went to a Laos restaurant and ordered Water Buffalo with Lemon and sticky…Wild rice…
a bit different.  I had a Lao Beer and after had a Lao Whiskey…which was like 5 shots for
one dollar in a glass.  Now the Buffalo dish was spicy.  I forgot to ask so I ate the dish because
is was a small portion with a small price .

I ventured down the street to a fairly nice little Mamma and Papa place that impressed me.
 I decided to just have some “spring” rolls as they call them and a glass of red wine.  I sat
next to 3 French couples around my age.  I drank my wine and ordered another.  He explained
that he was out of the Red but had house White…no problem but I did notice the French
couples asked to pay their bill with separate checks for each couple and paid him with large
denomination bills. Trying to accommodate them ,he got on his motorcycle and took off to
get change for each of the couples.
While he was gone , one man pulled out a bottle of whiskey as an  after dinner drink from
his “purse ” and bragging, poured everyone a drink while they were waiting for their change.  
I remembered Bernard , the owner of O’Brians in Saigon telling me…(he is French Vietnamese)
about how the French would come into his bar and kiss him on both cheeks and tell him how
they loved his place and then order Coca Cola and he would see them pull a bottle of Whiskey
out of their purse and add to the Coca Cola….he remarked on what hipocrites they were. 
I got pissed and when the owner returned to pay each of the couples their change  I stood up
and introduced myself and asked the man who poured the Whiskey if he had  bought the
bottle of whiskey from this owner that worked so hard to not only present him with good food
that his wife cooked but also ran all over town to bring him his change.  They had a nervous
giggle but then SILENCE. Perhaps I was so upset because the owner had handwritten his
menus on handmade paper, he painted murals in the restroom making it the best Eastern
toilet I had seen, he decorated the place with pride and it showed, plus he was the owner
and I know what that is like. 
I told them that all of them should be ashamed of themselves for taking advantage of this man
and his wife the chef that worked so hard to give them pleasure.  I then asked the owner for
my  bill. When presented with it in front of the people , I gave him all I had in my wallet and
thanked him for such a nice evening then turned my back on the 6 Assholes and left.
I almost danced down the street.  I felt so good.  I had neven done that in my life but always
fantasized about it.  I will sleep well tonight.  I did take the owner aside on the way out and
told him I didn’t mean to offend his guests but that I was proud of what he did and they were
insulting to him and his wife.  He thanked me. I did sleep well.
The next day I boarded the boat after a wonderful breakfast.  None of the travel guides or tour
operators on the continuing trip knew about me, or what happened on the first part of the trip
and wanted my ticket…long story again.  I didn’t have a ticket and they had a list with all the
passengers but me.  I tried to explain in my best Lao but for some reason they didn’t
understand.  I gave them the phone number and name of the tour operator for NamKhong and
requested they call.  I thought I was to be escorted off the boat when a young lady that
accompanied the ticket taker, pulled a cell phone out and called Noi the in the other village.  
I was so tense while she waited and waited with no response.  She called again.  Nothing.  I told
her to keep his number and call after the boat left with me on it and he would verify my ticket.
 She refused but then got an answer.  The whole boat was waiting because I was the hold up.  
The other boat left an hour ago and everyone was getting anxious…especially me.  Then she
smiled and said…no problem and got off the boat while the captain left port.  All the passengers
wanted to know what I was going to do today to entertain them?  What new adventures do you
have in store for us?, they asked.That was it.  
We arrived in Luang Prabang on time and before dark.  I took a taxi after showing the address
and name.  He even quoted me $12 which is the most I’ve paid in a month but I agreed.  I was
tired and wanted this leg of the trip over and to be settled in.  On the way, he commented on
what a nice place I was staying at.  I knew he had the wrong place, especially when he showed
up a a palatial villa. He wanted to get paid and drop me off and run.  I wanted to check with the
front desk and insisted he join me when the desk clerk gave him directions to the real Guest
House I was staying at.  He understood then drove me to another wrong place but they insisted
I stay.  even though they only had a room for two days that was twice the price of where I had
booked.  I told them I had made reservations for 3 days and this was obviously not the place.  
Again I showed them the name and address and they explained to the driver that I was staying
the next street over.  He acted like I never explained it right to him and he knew the place all
along.  He then took me right to the front door and wanted me to pay him more.  He had also
solicited me to be my tour guide while I stayed in Luang Prabang.  I refused him everything
but the money that I agreed to pay him and then insisted he carried my bag in before paying.  
I could have walked there from where I got off the boat!!  
   I joined some others from Toronto and Seattle on the veranda for a drink.  They invited me to
eat with them but I still had a sandwich so declined.  I did go for a brief walk into town.  It was
packed and busy with music coming from everywhere as well as a night market that made
Chiang Mai’s look small.   Everything closes early here so I was in bed by 10 pm..I slept well
and was afraid I might oversleep and miss part of the short time I have in this World Heritage
City. My clock said 7am but I didn’t believe it. I had my coffee at JAMA Coffee house where I
saw some of the same people from my trip. 
A older man with a suitcase and a Bob Marley Tshirt was looking for a place to sit.  I was
sitting at a table of 4 and there were no seats left so I offered him a seat to join my table.  Later
we talked…he was leaving that morning .  He used to live there 5 years ago and was visiting a
friend. He was French and started explaining that we put money into Laos and cleaned it up
and then they gave their country to the Chinese.  The Europeans come here and expect the
same as in Europe so they get it at a cheaper price and think it is wonderful.  But the Chinese
only pay the Lao the cheap wages so make enormous profits and take the money to China. 
I set out with a map to explore the town.  I first visited one of 37 Temples that make this a
World Heritage Site.  I wandered from one to another and another…and another but noticed
one on top of Phousie Hill overlooking the whole city as well as where two major rivers merge.
 I decided to climb the one million steps to the top.  One at a time. I rested and drank a bottle
of water to replace all mine that I sweated out climbing the first 100,000 steps. I finally reached
the temple at the top and fell down on my knees and paid homage to the Buddha for not having
a heart attack on the way up …or for not falling off the edge of the mountain.
I visited a few shops along the way through town and ran into one of my fellow travelers.  He
said he saw the guy who lost his passport.  I guess he took a fast boat and arrived today. I hope
to see him.  I stopped into a Scandinavian Bakery I saw advertised.  A Swedish Pastry Chef got
the King and Queen of Sweden to donate $50000 for him to open this bakery-restaurant and
employ all orphaned young girls.  They showed up for the opening and I decided to try his bread
pudding.  I have one of the best recipes in Phoenix so thought I would try his.  It was fantastic
as was the Latte.
 Then I saw a Wine shop with Merlot from Italy for $3 a glass and stopped for that.  Then I
noticed one of many shops that had an oriental hanger to mount my wall hanging I bought.  
It was hand carved wood for $3 so I bought that when I noticed a framed photo from the turn
of the century and bought that.  It is impossible not to buy these things that you will never find
in the US…at least not for that price and quality.  I stopped by the post office and the ATM
machine with the intentions of sending another package from Asia to the USA. I got 2,100,000
Kip.  Yep…over 2 million…about $240 in American …probably what our money will be worth
in a few years. Now to figure out what I’m going to buy.  I am going to get another wall hanging
and hanger to go with the one I have.  Maybe some more shirts, pants  and a scarf. .  A
Tablecloth…I don’t know but shipping goes by the kilo so have to keep the weight down.  I
thought an Opium pipe might be a nice conversation piece.  I can tip the waiters 1000 kip and
feel important…even though that is about 13 cents. There doesn’t seem to be a problem with
customs in any of these countries …only bringing things into the US. 
I completed my walk , paid my hotel bill, then asked to stay another two days.  She said OK
without hesitation.  I asked if she wanted me to pay for the extra days now.  She was disciplining
her children and didn’t want to be bothered. 
I read in the Vientiane Times that the Muong that the USA recruited to assist us during the
Vietnam war were being sent back to Lao.  They were in refugee camps in Thailand for years
trying to join their families that were living in the USA and elsewhere.  Brig Gen Bouasieng
said Lao officials will educate the returnees to make sure they are not tricked into leaving the
country again and to prevent them falling victim to human trafficking.  What if they want to
leave? Oh well be thankful you have you freedom.
I’m in the Joma Coffee shop and going back to spend some money on the market.  
I ended up going the other direction toward the river where I ran into two old…younger than
me Aussies sharing Snake Wine at 10 am. Later I went to the Museum, bought some music
then took the back neighborhood home for siesta. 




  
New Year’s Eve Day I went shopping and spent a Million…literally.  They have no coins here.
Great idea really.  Everything costs 8000 or 210,000, etc.  I bought a purse that I carry my
computer around in as well as all the junk I bought.  I may ship some out tomorrow or wait
until I get to Saigon.  I spent the evening treating myself to a really nice dinner then wandering
around the downtown festivities.  It was loud , busy, and tiring so I returned home with a
bottle of Hanoi Vodka , had a couple New Year’s Eve drinks, and played poker.  Fireworks
could be heard in the distance and after checking the clock I retired at about 12:05 am.


Posted on

CHIANG RAI AND CHIANG MAI FINALE

I slept most of the 3.5 hour Mini Tour Bus ride to the Golden Triangle except for some
announcements and brief stops along the way.  The first stop was the Hot Springs
that John wanted me to see with him.  People buy and boiled their eggs for lunch. Some are
regular chicken eggs and others baby quail eggs.He made it sound like a paradise.  It wasn’t.
 I think Scottish are impressed with Ceramic Dwarfs and cheap tourist attractions…
no offense. I liked the HoJo’s.  The street vendor.
 We called them HoJo’s when we in Nam for Howard Johnson’s.  He had roasted nuts of
some kind. Charcoal roasted Purple Sweet Potatoes , a sticky rice with coconut milk stuffed
in a bamboo tube and roasted, and other things?
Another hour or so and we stopped at the White Temple.
 A privately owned tourist trap but quite nice and different. We drove through Chiang Rai
and arrived at the Golden Triangle.  
I would have loved to see some of the country side but instead there was a Disney world
like Buddha
with some sculptures amid vendors selling assorted junk at inflated prices. The pubic toilets
have no paper…you wash yourself.  Try that on these toilets is impossible without taking off
all you bottoms and even then it is difficult. I saw vending machines at a Shopping Plaza
toilet that dispensed toilet paper for 1 baht or about 3 cents.
 We dallied around for about an hour while some took a boat ride in a circle then back.
 We then stopped for our buffet that was included. The tourist took everything that was free
until there was no more
then we left for the Long Neck Village.
..with other tribes thrown in to help educate us on how to spend our money.
A three hour ride later and I was dropped at the night bazaar in Chiang Mai to do some last
minute shopping before I mailed as much as I could back home the next day. I vowed never
to do a group tour again!
  I rose late the next day.  Demetri was bugging me about his web site.  He just put it up on
the internet but every time he tried to search for it by Googling ” Guest House in Chiang Mai”,
his site never came up.  The company that created it told him it takes time for the registration
to go through and for the Google search engine to pick up on it.  He came to my room and
asked if I could sit with him to help.  I promised the next day around 10am I would try.  I
took all the stuff I didn’t need to the Post Office to return to the USA.  Half was souvenirs and
the other half was too much stuff I packed when I left.  $200 worth and it cost me $100 to
mail it.  
That evening I went to a Guitar Concert
that had about 12 people playing different guitars and music.  It was an international audience
and they served snacks during intermission. I bought some more stuff that I could have
mailed with the rest.  I may have to visit the post office one more time before I leave!  I
stopped at The Writer’s Club and Wine Bar to get a bite to eat and have some wine.  When I
was getting ready to leave two older Brits and a German were having a lively discussion at the
bar so I introduced myself and joined them for last call.  An hour later and a bottle of wine
along with some Gin and Tonics , we were asked to leave so they could close up.  Wolfgang,
director of his own company in Hong Kong, had been showing us , on his computer, photos
he took of Northern Laos . He rented a driver and a jeep to visit and then camped in a tent.  
They were fantastic pictures.
I woke late the next day .  Just in time to be confronted by Dimitri and his website.   I helped
him a bit. 
  Then I went to a great photo exhibition of the Golden Triangle area and of all the tribes that
inhabited the region.  These were done by a lady from Chicago to document these tribes while
they still exist. It was held at a very nice place called Tamarind Village
just down the street.  I bought some more stuff then had lunch at Chillis
before taking a siesta.  My trip to the Royal Flower Gardens was postponed.  When I got up
Dimitri was talking to the wine salesmen and wanted my opinion of California wines.  I said
I only drank box wine and took off.  I think he is gay and wants to do me.  
I had my first hamburger in months at the Writer’s Club.  The beef here is Bahama cattle that
was first brought here from the USA. It is part of the Angus and Hereford  and was being
raised in the U.S. at the turn of the century.  I have to admit that is was one of the best
Hamburgers I’ve had. I had some wine then came home and sat on the porch with my
computer and lost $100 playing Poker until Midnight.  
This morning I went for breakfast across the street at the UR Chiang Mai, the really nice
hotel with the big buffet.  I had some yogurt, granola, fruit, juice, Spanish cheese omelet ,
bacon and coffee and espresso.  
Great start on the day so went for a long walk…over 3 hours in the neighborhood
then branched out and explored other areas.  
I stopped in a Mega Mall for some thing that resembles a dumpling.  I have had them in
Phoenix but they are a Thai specialty.  It is a bread that is stuffed with custard, beans,
vegetables, or whatever and steamed until is cooks through.  
Dutch Chocolate milk from Haarlem, Holland topped it off. 
 I finally broke down and hired a taxi to take me to the Royal Flower Garden.
Half of China was there too.  They arrived on 100’s of these tour buses and were like ants.
 I took a trolley that does a tour of the place.  
He spoke in Chinese of course.  Everyone got off at the Chinese Garden so I did too.  Bing
Crosby was singing White Christmas over the loud speakers while I was surrounded by these
Chinese ants talking a mile a minute while photographing each other.  The garden had
different exhibits or Gardens from all over the world.  Arab Gardens, India, Dutch, English,
China, Laos, Thai, etc….It was beautiful and well tastefully done.
 Alvin and the Chipmunks serenaded me with Jingle Bells as I crossed the parking lot to me
my taxi. My driver was waiting to take me home for some Pad Thai lunch and a siesta. My
laundry was waiting for me. I gave it to the maid the day before and got it back all clean,
pressed and still warm from the iron. $1.30!!!
Now to go celebrate Christmas Eve.  I do feel a bit melancholy tonight.  The best Christmas
Eves were home with Mom and Dad and then to visit Grandma and Grandpa the next day
with all the Aunts, Uncles, and cousins for Dinner.  We never forget that.  Last Christmas I
celebrated dinner with one of three of my Aunts and Uncles that are still alive.  We had a
great time around the Christmas tree with Snow out the window while opening presents.  
It was the week after Mom passed away.
Well yes that was sad and it did make me cry.  I decided to get out and enjoy Christmas Eve.
 I went to the Gardens down the street where they have many restaurants and Fargangs.  I
sat in the Garden and ordered a Gin and Tonic but it was 14oz of Tonic
and one shot of Gin.  I was feeling lonely so took a Tuk-Tuk
to my Wine and Cheese Bar.
 I saw the owner again
He is in his late 50’s but was an athlete all his life.  Now he walks his favorite golf course
three times a week.  I met a man from Melbourne.  He lived nearby me and was here for
a month holiday.  He comes every year.  I also saw two Chinese ladies
that I shared breakfast with this morning.  They live at the exclusive resort across the street
from me.  
I returned to the Writer’s Club in hopes of seeing Wolfgang, the German Photographer I met
before but the owner said he was there last night and still had a bottle of wine he bought
waiting for him so may be back on Christmas.  I got talking to the owner who almost qualified
to be a Mayflower Society member because he was related to the Howlands that came over
on the Mayflower.  He was denied because he was not a direct decedent of the Howlands…only
a relative.  He flew to Plymouth where I used to live and did a documentary film about it.  
He visited Plymouth Plantation and stayed at the Holiday Inn that I tried to transfer to in
Boston.  We chatted a long time about Gin and his experience living in Majorica Spain…where
they have a very special Spanish Gin.  I had never heard of this but hope to try it when I return
with Marjorie this summer. He has owned the Writer’s Club for 6 years now and had a lady
friend named Alician from Kerry Ireland.  I chatted with her and we all took pictures
…it was Christmas Eve.  Also there was a couple celebrating there Honeymoon.  Neither had
a camera so I took photos…she was from Cornwall and he was from Hastings.
 I promised to email them the occassion.
I had my usual breakfast buffet then went to the Post Office to drop a card. I asked Demetri
where I could buy a pillow to sit on for the boat ride long two day boat ride I had coming up.
 “Well z take z taxi to z market.  This is where I buy all z pillows for z Bateau.  I buy
all z furniture too.  Very cheap.  You don’t think I like to spend money…you should know
I am very cheap.”    I took another Tuk-Tuk
to the Central Chiang Mai Market
to buy a pillow for my 14 hour two day trip on a wooden boat seat.
 
 You sit up in the back of the Tuk-Tuk and don’t really get to see anything because the roof
comes down around you. Believe me…that is a good thing. Notice his fancy seat cover.  Great
idea…an old recycled T-Shirt.  It costs me $3 round trip to buy a $1 pillow. I might treat
myself to a massage by one of Santa’s elves. FOOT MASSAGE!
I did none of that.  I walked to the garden up the street but there was no Jazz music that was
advertised.  I argued with a Tuk-Tuk driver about his price.  I said that where I wanted to go
was only a short distance and I could walk.  He told me to walk…so I did.  I visited the wine
and cheese shop again but only had one wine and some cheese.  I met a  couple from Michigan
that has lived and worked in Australia for the last four years.  They were on a two week
holiday and was leaving for Laos tomorrow.  I might meet them there but I leave day after.
 Their favorite SE Asia country was Vietnam.  I bid the owner goodbye and thanked him then
went to John’s rooftop restaurant
in the old city where I was staying.  
I had Shrimp Toast and wine then joined Wolfgang at the Writer’s Club. 
 He was just finishing eating when I arrived.  We chatted a lot about travel. He had been all
over the US…mostly California, and Oregon.  Did a lot of business in Boston, as well as
Chicago and traveled to Mississippi and Tennessee in the 70’s.  Very enjoyable conversation
that was joined by another Chiang Mai expat from Buffalo N.Y.
 He was conversing with a retired Anthropologist that was from Columbia University.  She
had been living in Chiang Rai for years.  Lovely lady that radiated warmth.   Got lots of good
input on where to go and what to do in Laos.  It was late when I left to bed down.  Got to pack
tomorrow and leave the following day.
I visited Black Canyon Coffee for breakfast this morning.  I love sitting inside and watching
the world go by outside. It is great. All the people from all over and so much activity. 
Saturday morning must be street cleaning day. They sweep the street all day everyday but
this morning they wash it with hoses and workers go along scraping old paper signs off the
electrical poles
and washing the phone boothes, The sweepers carry 5 gallon metal square cans that are cut
in half diagonally to form a scoop with a handle they tape on it.  They sweep up everything
with homemade brooms then deposit into old burllap rice bags or used pet food bags…all
recyled.  That evening I bid goodbye to everyone and finished packing.  
PS.  This is where the Buddhist Abbot was Cremated: