Today is Monday and we are in Saigon. We arrived yesterday. After checking in we had a small city tour and visited the Reunification palace. The moms went shopping in the evening. Today we went to China town and visited the wholesale market and a Chinese temple. Tomorrow we will drive to Tra Vinh and visit Josie's orphanage. It will be a long drive, around 4 hours or so, then we will stay in Can Tho.
That's all for now.
Angie

Hi Friends and Family,
It is Saturday and we are in Nha Trang. We are staying at the VinPearl Resort, which is located on a island outside of Nha Trang. The kids have been having a blast swimming and going to the amuzement park that is just a short drive from our hotel. Nha Trang looks very different from other parts of Vietnam, it is more desert like. It is very hot, like 100 F, but there is often a nice breeze blowing. I'm afraid I've gotten a bug, so I haven't been feeling too well. However, I did get up at 5:00 this morning and took a walk on the beach. Kurt is becoming quite the traveler. That's all for now. Take care.
Angie

Hanoi

Hello Friends and Family,

Today is Thursday and it is our last morning in Hanoi.  We will be flying to Tra Vinh this afternoon.  

Monday we visited an orphanage outside of Hanoi, we saw little babies from 3 months to 9 months.  The kids played with the babies a little; the babies all looked well cared for.

That evening Dana, Maron and I took a Vietnamese cooking class.  It was a lot of fun--we went to  a market to see where the people buy their fresh foods and then we went back to the restaurant where we learned to prepare and cook salad rolls, a fried chicken dish, fish and a dessert.  When we come home I'm going to try my hand at the salad rolls.

The kids have really been enjoying the swimming pool.  It has been so nice to come back from an outing and cool off and splash and play (It's been good for the adults too).

Yesterday we went on a cyclo tour of the old quarter of Hanoi.  Very exciting to be in the middle of traffic and still feel safe.  It was a great way to see the city.  Kurt and I had to close our eyes only a couple times.  Then we visited the temple of learning, which is the oldest university in Hanoi.  It was very, very hot!

We have been having a great time and the kids have been terrific.  Hopefully I'll be able to write more in our next location.  We'll be at the coast, we're all looking forward to the beach.

Peace, until next time

Angie 

Hanoi Orphanage and Ha Long Bay

We are in Hanoi right now.  We arrived Saturday morning after 20 hours of travel.  After settling into our hotel we went swimming at the hotel pool.  The kids and parents had a great time.  We tried to find a hotel that evening and had an interesting time crossing streets and taking in the atmosphere of Hanoi.  We never found restaurant, but it was a good way to get started on our trip and overcoming our fears of the traffic.

On Sunday we drove to Ha Long Bay and got on a Junk on the Bay.  The kids had a great time pretending to be pirates.  The weather was great and the scenery amazing.  They fed us way too much and the service was incredible.  Sleeping was a bit of a challenge due to smell of diesel.

On Monday we drove back to Hanoi.  We visited a pottery factory on the way back to the city.   We checked back into our hotel and rested for awhile.  We then saw a production of the traditional Vietnamese Water Puppets.  The kids were mesmerized as were the adults.   We then had dinner at a restaurant called Indochine.  Delicious!

We will be visiting an orphanage in Hanoi today and then the moms will have a cooking class this evening while Keith and the kids have room service and watch movies.

It is so amazing to be in Vietnam, we are so lucky to be able to take kids now while they are young.

More to come.

Hi Friends and Family,

We are currently at the airport in Hong Kong waiting for our flight to Hanoi.  Our first two flights went well.   However, we had a five hour layover in Vanvouver, that was a long time to wait, luckily, Dana brought her laptop with movies for the kids and I'll post more later.

Our Trip Itinerary

June 19 - Portland to Vancouver AS2428 (8:55P/10:05)

June 20 - Vancouver to Hong Kong CX889 (2:55A/6:55A)

June 21 - Hong Kong to Hanoi CX793 (9:00A/10:00A)Day of rest at the Nikko Hotel.

June 22 - Cruise Halong Bay aboard the Huong Hai Junk for 2 days and one night.

June 23 - Continue cruising Halong Bay. Return to Hanoi in the afternoon for dinner and a water puppet show.

June 24 - Visit an orphanage in the morning. In the afternoon the Mom’s will take a cooking class, while the kids play at the pool.

June 25 - Visit the Temple of Literature and take a cyclo ride. This afternoon we fly to Da Nang and transfer to the VinPearl Resort for some beach fun.

June 26 - Beach Fun in Nha Trang.

June 27 - Beach Fun in Nha Trang.

June 28 - Beach Fun in Nha Trang.

June 29 - Fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Check in at the Sofitel Plaza. After Lunch do a city tour.

June 30 - Visit Vietnamese waterpark. Tour Cholon and end the day with a river cruise.

July 1 - Drive to Tra Vinh Orphanage. Spend the evening in Can Tho at the Victoria Can Tho.

July 2 - In the morning take a boat trip to visit the Cai Rang floating market in Can Tho. Then visit the Orphange in Soc Trang. Back to Can Tho for the evening.

July 3 - Visit Vinh Long and take a boat ride to Binh Hoa Phuoc Islet, followed by a lunch and return to Ho Chi Minh City and the Sofitel Plaza.

July 4 - Free day in Ho Chi Minh

July 5 - Leave for Home Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong CX766 (11:25A/3:10P)Hong Kong to Vancouver HCX838 (4:35P/1:05P)Vancouver to Portland AC8127 (4:50P/6:05P)