Seen and Heard Around Town

Upon leaving the Raleigh Times Bar last night around 8:30, we saw this dog lounging in the display window of Holly Aiken's Stitch. Had he been forgotten? Or was he preventing an unemployed American from getting a poorly paid, night security job?

Guard dog? Fashionista? Future Purse? 

Two Weeks On: Vacation in Retrospective

I was talking to my friend John on Friday and he asked me about my trip. Two weeks on, my perspective has changed a bit. The never-ending jet lag that resulted in two weeks of insomnia had eased and I was sleeping through the night again - well mostly. The fatigue of getting up at 3:30 AM to begin our 30 hour transit home, returning to the office the next day, and being committed to outside activities for seven evenings in a row was a hazy dreamy memory of something that could have occurred in the distant past.

So, in looking back....

I really miss my brother and sister-in-law.  I wish it were easier to see them and share the daily minutiae of our lives. Not to mention that I will have to recreate relationships with Ozzy and Sawyer when I next see them.

Planning a trip to meet the requirements of so many other people's schedules is difficult. Next time, I may have to depend more on my traveling companion or employ the assistance of a travel agent. It was a lot of work coordinating schedules and travel preferences with my brother and dad. Thank goodness for my brother's knowledge of the countries we visited and his eagerness to share his part of the world with us.

Never, never, never again will I update my Facebook status with happy (smug) updates about the empty seat next to mine. Karma is a bitch, and she repaid me by placing an extra large Hispanic man in the seat next to mine on the 15 hour flight home from Honk Kong (not counting the 2 hours of sitting on the ground waiting for electrical maintenance to be completed). After we spent the first hour and a half fighting for the armrest, I gave in and let him have it. Of course, I exacted my revenge by cuddling into his over-hanging largeness as I tried to stay warm and get a bit of sleep on the way home. Good times...

On my next trip to Asia I will plan more professionally conducted tours. Why not learn something new while you are on the other side of the world? I will also plan to take a side trip to Angkor Wat to see another of the wonders of the world - however, I do hear that there is a "roughing it" factor when traveling to Cambodia.

Food is a good thing. I will soon be purchasing my own rice cooker and learning how to make a tasty pho. I will also be pestering my brother for his curry recipes.

If my office opens a branch in Singapore - you can count me among those who are willing to pack up my things and head overseas. I adore that city.

Separate bedrooms may be a good idea to promote prolonged family happiness and harmony. Apparently dad has not spent the night with that many men, in that I expect my sleeping companion to snore, he does not. Middle of the night belching and farting however is still unacceptable.

And, looking back on the entire experience, now that all the bills have come in, I would not change a thing. It was a memorable trip filled with lots of laughs and a few happy tears. My only regret is that it did not last longer.

XOX
Glenn

I Dream of Pythons and Bananas

"Dear Diary,
Today I held a huge python and got hit in the face by a bunch of bananas." While these euphemisms could be used to describe some past vacations - this, however, was not one of those adventures. More details to follow.

We got in relatively early last night, but I did not sleep very well. I was up and down all night and when the alarm went off at 6:30, I did not feel very rested. We met Jeff for a quick breakfast on the hotel club level. He headed off for work and we headed down to meet our bus. Today, we were off to tour the Mekong delta region, south of Ho Chi Minh City.

When we arrived in the lobby at 8:00, the tour bus was waiting. Our tour guide, Tang was very friendly and lively. As the bus traveled around the city collecting our fellow travelers, he chatted with us about the local districts. He also made sure to introduce each new group of tourists as they boarded the bus. Accompanying us were a single traveler from Vancouver, a father and daughter from New Jersey, a foursome from Australia, and two girls from Bali. It was a diverse group, but Tang made everyone feel comfortable and welcome.

Tang - our tour guide for the day

Teeny, Tiny Vietnamese in their child-size chairs.  NOT American size for sure!

We had a 90 minute commute from the last hotel stop to the starting point of our tour. During this time, Tang provided us with many fun facts about Vietnam, the outer districts of Ho Chi Minh City, as well as the countryside. Dad was delighted to be out of the city, and he enjoyed looking at the way farms were set up, what was being grown, and how the people were working the land. You can take the boy off of the farm, but...

Bye-bye City

Hello Countryside

The farms were mostly devoted to growing rice and the countryside was very green and picturesque with farmers wading through the fields planting and weeding the crops. After a quick rest stop, we were soon dockside for the river cruise potion of our tour.

They don't just wear those silly hats in the movies....

We piled onto a boat similar to this one to commence our tour.

It was really quite comfortable - but I just noticed that the life jackets were above our heads.
No safety demo on this trip.

The Mekong river is the 10th longest river in the world. It empties into the delta of the same name.  By the time it arrives at the delta, it is muddy and silty. It was particularly muddy during our visit since we were in Vietnam during the rainy season. With that said, we were very lucky that we had glorious weather without a cloud in the sky for the entire day.

On the river there were many other tourist style boats, barges, fishing boats, fish traps, fish farms, canoes, houseboats, swimmers - you name it. It was a quite busy waterway. I kept having flashbacks to an episode of the Amazing Race in which the contestants had to select a boat (like the one we were in), visit a fish farm (like the ones in the distance), and then navigate between the 5 holy islands of the delta to locate flags. The one thing they did not do, however, was visit a coconut candy making factory - really just a tourist trap to spend some money, but the adventure continues.

After seeing how the coconut is harvested, husked, drained, boiled, cooled, cut, and wrapped as individual candies, we were given some samples and some time to spend our money on a bag or perhaps purchase some rice wine with a pickled cobra and scorpion included in the bottle.  Yum - when the wine is consumed, it is supposed to aid male performance in the bedroom. We didn't have any takers in our group. I think that I would have to be really desperate for some loving before I popped the cork and chugged down a glass of that concoction - Blech!

Anyway, we strolled through the makeshift village, and I spied a huge python sunning itself in a tree. Of course this was another photo opportunity - so I stepped forward as everyone else stepped back. The handler placed the snake across my shoulders, I settled it in and made sure the snake's mouth was pointed away from any important body parts, pasted on a brave smile, and waited for dad to click the picture. Once done, I could feel the snake moving in closer, tightening around my shoulders and neck, and I had a moment of terror (once again, thanks Discovery Channel). Particularly when I looked around and the handler was nowhere to be found - and neither was our friendly tour guide. Our little group became very animated as I squirmed and tried to put up a brave front.

Huge (well medium, really) Python on Glenn - note the handler's departure on the right....

Eventually, I gathered my wits and sidled up to the tree on which the python had been originally sunning himself and allowed him to climb / slither / crawl across my shoulders and back onto his perch.  Ugggh!  But, I got the picture! Then we were herded back onto our comfortable motor boat to head to the next leg of our journey, which was a canoe trip up one of the tributary canals to our lunch destination. We carefully boarded the canoes, so as not to have an unexpected swim and we were off, propelled by a sure-footed paddler standing on the back of the boat.

Waiting for the tourists - our next means of transportation

Who's that behind those Foster Grants?

Actually, those silly hats are pretty shady

My Apocalypse Now Moment - Yeah I said it.

After about 20 minutes or so of delicately balancing in the canoe, we arrived at our lunch destination, which was just off the river, under a palm leaf covered shed. The waitress brought out a whole roasted Elephant Ear Fish and began to break it down with chopsticks into very delicious fish spring rolls with cucumber and pineapple. There was a very tasty fish sauce for dipping the spring rolls. Once again, dad asked what it was, I suggested he give it a try without telling him its compostion. Otherwise, he would not have given it shot - I mean fish sauce is sweet and delicious, but you would not think so from the name.

Roasted Elephant Ear Fish

Following the fish, we had a rather bland vegetable soup, followed by some fried noodles and money rolls. We ended our meal with a cup of tea with fresh kumquat and local honey. After a brief rest and lively conversation we strapped on some helmets, loaded into tuk-tuks and headed down a very narrow trail through the jungle to our next destination. The trail was a bit like a sidewalk that wandered through the jungle, with homes on either side along the way. I guess when everyone drives a scooter, this type of road is sufficient for two way traffic. 

Tuk-Tuk Gear

Literally packed into the back with our new best friends

Onto the highway

Future Coconut Candies?

Our next stop was a fruit farm where we were served freshly harvested pineapple with a chile / salt rub, palmello (a bit like a huge grapefruit, but milder tasting), and a few other unrecognizable, but delicious fruits.
 

Possibly the most healthy things we have eaten in 9 days

It was a nice respite from the go go go of the day, but everyone was beginning to feel a little ragged and a bit tired. It was time to head back to the motor boat.

On the sidewalk highway

During our trip back to the motor boat, I was looking around and enjoying the afternoon as well as the breeze from riding along the trail in the woods. There was a dog barking in one of the yards we were passing and I was waiting for it to come around the corner to give us chase in the tuk-tuk, when I heard dad call my name.  I looked forward, and bam - I was slammed right in the face by a bunch of bananas hanging out over the trail as we sped along at about 20 MPH.  I felt as if I had been punched in the face. My eyes watered, I cowboyed up, had a laugh, and wiped the blood off the bridge of my nose. So now you know the rest of the story.....

After that incident, the remainder of our journey was without incident. We had a leisurely trip back to the dock in our motorboat, sipping coconut milk from fresh coconuts. Once we were back on the bus, everyone settled back for the long drive back to the city. This was one of my favorite days on this trip - wonderful weather, great company, fun facts, and a bit of sight-seeing.

Boats at the tourist dock

What's Worse than a Wandering Mariachi Band?

We had a bit of time to get a little nap and a shower before we met Jeff's colleagues, Jesse and Min, at 7:30 for dinner.  Jesse is Filipino and has worked with Jeff for over 10 years.  Min is the new Vietnamese country manager Jeff recently hired - so tonight's adventure was on his recommendation.  Talk about pressure, having to please your colleague, your boss, and his family.  But Min seemed up for the job.

He picked us up in the company van and we headed out of the city - way out of the city into another province actually. It seemed that we got on one road and kept going straight for about 30 - 45 minutes. We were definitely in the suburbs.  During our journey, there was a lot of shop talk about their day at a manufacturing site and we learned about the Vietnamese Hot Toc. On the outside it appears to be just a barber shop. According to our guides, the pleasant euphemism would be that a Hot Toc is sort of like the McDonald's of  full (adult) service barber shops.  A little of the top and a little.... well, you can figure that out. Sexy times!

We soon arrived at our destination, which was an open air seafood market and restaurant.  All of the fare was displayed in a stall at the front of the market. Tables and child sized chairs were arranged behind the market.  You select your food, it is steamed, and brought to your table.

Our destination

You order the food from one person and then you track down a beer hostess for your drinks.  She brings over a galvanized tub full of ice and beer and begins to pour.  Beer service is a bit like wine service, they just keep it coming, but here they place a huge block of ice into your beer mug and then pour the beer over the ice. I guess it is always so muggy here that they need a bit of extra cooling to keep it from getting too warm too quickly. Plus the beer is a bit weak to start with, so you really don't notice that it is getting watered down.

Tiger Beer Hostesses

The food service was very quick. Each dish was delivered when it finished cooking.  We started out with some clams topped with wilted greens onions, followed by mussels, grilled prawns, steamed scallops, and then a heaping pile of steamed crabs.  Apparently Min had heard that Americans have large appetites because he ordered way too much food. But, we were undaunted.

Min, Jeff, Dad, and Glenn

Steamy, blurry food

Shrimp on a stick?

Once the food started arriving, there wasn't much talking from our table.  The beer continued to flow and the seafood was consumed at a superhuman rate. In the past I called this type of dining "too interactive." But tonight, I dove in with gusto, so as not to be left behind.  I eventually went native and just starting dropping my shells on the ground.  My pile of remains was quite impressive by the time we were finished.

Judging from the time the beer hostess spent at our table and the happy laughter following the meal, I believe that Min picked a winner.  We were all pretty fat, happy, and content.

The remains of the day

Now to answer the teaser - throughout the meal, we had several young / old / handicapped street vendors approach our table selling baked goods, quail eggs, lottery tickets, or just standing there and staring at us with their hands out. They would sadly stand at one corner and try to sell you something, then move to the next corner, and so on until they worked their way completely around the table.  They were persistent and the same vendors kept returning to the table over and over again, just in case we changed our minds. With a wandering Mariachi band, you can just give them a dollar and they move on - not so much with the wandering vendors of Vietnam.

However, we were very lucky, in that the floor show started just in time for us to swill down a few more beers.  We were treated to a sword swallower, who also could do some balancing acts with a snake threaded into his nostril, half hanging out of his nose and half hanging out of his mouth.  I was quite impressed - so much so that I got up and tipped him following his performance. As I returned to the table, one of the granny vendors slapped me on my junk, and proceeded to scold me in Vietnamese.  I assume it was due to the fact that I did not purchase any of her lottery tickets, but I freely spent money on the man with a snake hanging in his mouth.  Freudian?  You decide....

Following the sword swallower, the karaoke machine arrived.  It is amazing what you can strap onto a scooter. But, karaoke in any language is enough to send everyone on their way.

Mobile Karaoke Party Machine

This evening was great fun.  Thanks to Min, Jesse, and Jeff for dragging us out of the city for such a memorable time.

Phee, Phi, Pho, Phum - I smell delicious Vietnamese food.

I apologize for the delay in completing this travel log.  Upon returning home, the jet lag has been a beast, and I have been a little over-committed.  With that said, I will be finishing up this series of postings over the next couple of days.

After finishing up our walking tour of District 1 (Saigon), Jeff hailed a taxi and we were off for a late lunch. The restaurant was not very far, but like me, Jeff is a little bit directionally challenged when reading maps. The place we were heading to is pretty famous, so there was not much of problem communicating with the taxi driver. From the pictures below, you would think that we were stuck in rush hour traffic, but this was about 3:00 PM local time and the traffic was moving along at a rather brisk pace.

Saigon Traffic

They are coming to get you....

We arrived at the restaurant in about 10 minutes. Walked in and sat ourselves at a table in the back.  The table was preset with the fresh lemon grass, basil, cilantro, sliced chiles, and bean sprouts to be used to spice up our bowls of Pho. Luckily the menu was printed in both Vietnamese and English - so Jeff ordered three bowls of beef Pho and three Tiger beers.

 

Noodle Bar Extraordinaire

A little digression is required here.  There is a rather large Vietnamese community in the Raleigh area, so we have quite a few Vietnamese restaurants as well as a few others that also have Pho on the menu. However, when ordering it at home, I always pronounced the dish as "Foe." In Vietnamese it sounds more like "Fuh." 

The meal was delivered quickly and Jeff set about giving us a Pho demonstration.  Before being brought to the table, the bowls were prepared by placing the noodles in the bottom, then the spices, followed by a couple of spoonfuls of shredded, raw beef. Then boiling broth is poured over the contents in the bowl. When the bowls arrive, you then push the beef down into the broth so that it continues to cook, add your desired herbs, a heaping helping of bean sprouts, and a few chiles to add some spice.  Give it a stir, and start shoveling it in. 

Jeff came well prepared - he had stopped off by the concierge desk before we left the hotel to borrow a set of western-style silverware for dad. That was very thoughtful - and it was put to good use.  This was the most delightful Pho that I have ever tasted. Very flavorful, filling and inexpensive (the bill was about $8 USD).  A perfect way to start our feeding adventures in Vietnam.

The chiles are so hot that you can't leave them in for too long.

Assume feeding position

Since Vietnam was formerly a French colony, they take great pride if the flavors of their foods.  They are also the only country in SE Asia to have a continuing love affair with pastries and breads. Everything that we ate during our stay here was both simple and very tasty.  The Vietnamese have every reason to be very proud of their cuisine.

After Pho we headed over to one of Jeff's favorite bars for a few mojitos. We diligently watched their preparation so that we could mimic it when we returned home, as these were without doubt the best mojitos I have ever tasted. There must be something about that wet, fresh, brown sugar and fresh sugar cane stir stick that makes them so delicious - or it could have just been the atmosphere and the company.  Probably a combination of both.

Following drinks, we walked back to our hotel for a little napping. Tonight we are heading out to eat with the locals at an outdoor seafood bar. Crabs and beer baby!

Thoughts from the Saddle

It occurred to me tonight that Hong Kong is a bit like spin class - hot, muggy, and all up hill - but with better food.

Amazing Race to Saigon Culture Shock

Friday morning, the condo was abuzz with our pending departure to Vietnam. Breakfast was served, the bags were packed, the nephews were hugged and kissed, and I effusively thanked Maryana for her hospitality in the face of the extra 450 pounds of man meat that had invaded their space. On the way down to the taxi I got a little choked up as I hugged Maryana for the last time. I am not one to be at a loss for words, but on our parting I realized how much I missed being able to see her more often. I silently signaled over the top of the taxi that I would return for another visit as soon as my schedule and budget allowed.  I had tears running down my cheeks for the first mile to the airport, but it was soon time to cowboy up and put on my game face.

Let the Amazing Race begin!  First the taxi dropped us off at the wrong terminal, so we had to queue up for another taxi to the main terminal. Then when we were checking in, the counter agent discovered that Dad’s passport number did not match the number printed on our Vietnam visa application. She consulted with a colleague and then a supervisor. I may add at this point that the way Dad’s passport number is printed there is a 5 that looks strikingly like a 6 unless it is viewed under very bright light. My brother, the hardened traveler, immediately pulled out his cell phone and called the Vietnam visa service for assistance – the number of which he has saved on his iPhone.  They could provide no assistance without the visa confirmation number which was not printed on the actual visa letter, but was on the email that was sent to me a month previously. We received our boarding passes with the warning that if we could not get this issue resolved, dad would be denied entry into Vietnam. 

Once through security, Jeff pulled out his laptop, I logged into my Gmail account to locate the confirmation number, and Jeff called Vietnam visas.com and we got to work updating the documentation. For some reason they kept asking for a fax number and Jeff kept explaining that we were at the airport with no access to a fax machine. After the third time the person on the other end relented and agreed to email a pdf copy of the corrected document to my Gmail account. Upon arriving I was to present the original letter and show the corrected electronic version at visa control. I received the updated document on my iPhone in about 3 minutes. Disaster averted - mainly through Jeff’s quick, calm response – he is known as the “fixer” at his job and I can understand why after seeing him in action. 

The flight was uneventful.  We were served a quick snack on board consisting of a soft drink and pastry. Once again, dad had a “What is it” moment as he held what looked like a large doughnut in his hand.  He certainly has a great belief in my powers of food deduction, in that pretty much every meal we have had has been preceded by “what is it?” I am not sure where Jeff and I got our sense of eating adventure – but I will bet big money it is not from dear old dad.  Hahaha.

Upon arrival, we had more than the usual hassle at visa control due to the passport number mix up, but after filling out the forms and paying an additional $10 USD to make the necessary changes we were allowed to proceed to immigration. Dad and Jeff were through with no problem – however, my immigration officer was a little thrown since my currently bearded face does not match my clean-shaven passport photo face. He looked at me, at the passport, at me, at the passport, me, at my bearded visa photo, and then asked me something I did not understand. He repeated the question, I still did not understand what he was asking, but I flashed my winning smile and that must have been enough to satisfy him that I was the person represented in my passport. 

I gathered my luggage, completed the customs process and headed out the door to meet the car my brother had arranged to pick us up and transport us to our hotel.

Ho Chi Minh City – population 7.5 million plus 5 million motorcycles / scooters. For the first time in my somewhat broad traveling experience, I was a bit overwhelmed by the city. Like other places that are soaked by rain throughout the year, there is an inescapable weathered fecundity that pervades the place. The city teems with cafes, bars, coffee shops, sidewalk cookeries, vendors, hotels, and scooters. There is a vibrancy that is different from other cities I have visited that renders it unfamiliar and a bit daunting. Additionally there are signs everywhere, in a familiar alphabet, but unlike European countries where there are familiar cognates (police, policia, polizie, etc) I kept thinking that I could figure it out, but it was all completely unintelligible to my western cultural experience. 

The Hotel Intercontinental however, was simply amazing in its amenities and service.  Jeff suggested that we book rooms on the hotel club level as a means to recover from our previous 5 nights of sleeping arrangements – not to mention the free breakfast buffet and happy hour on the 19^th floor overlooking the main downtown district. 

View from the club lounge

 

Ahh – creature comforts. After a quick freshening and fluffing, we met in the club lounge for a cocktail and then we were off into the city for a quick walking tour of the District 1 (Saigon) sites where we were assailed by the souvenir vendors from hell.  These were the most persistent purveyors of tourist goods I can remember since our visit to Bali. I am pretty adept at saying no and walking on.  Dad on the other hand was apparently seen as a big man with a big wallet as the vendors were like a swarm of stinging flies around him – he just needs to lose the polite southerner routine when he is in this situation, but haggling and bargaining with street vendors is not something that is part of his experience. My mother on the other hand derives great pleasure in spending 20 minutes haggling to save 25 cents.  I fall somewhere in between – if I think it is affordable I pay and move on.

After a quick walk around the church, the post office, people’s park, and a cruise by the Reunification Palace, we were off for another feeding adventure.

The church

The Post Office

Socialist Statues

Reunification Palace

Our Last Night in Singapore

After a hard day of shopping, orchid watching, and lurking in the children’s garden we cleaned up for a night on the town. 

A little backtracking is required here. I previously left out the part where we were denied entrance to the children’s garden.  Maryana and Jeff texted us when they arrived with Oz and Sawyer at the gardens to meet them in the kid’s fountain area. When Dad and I came puffing up to the children’s garden entrance, an attendant politely stopped us and pointed out that this was the Children’s garden.  We explained that we were meeting my brother’s family, but he would not let us enter since we were not accompanied by a child.  It was the first time in my life that I ever had to send a text reading “Help! They won’t let us in without a child.”  Then I explained to the attendant that I was an uncle and this was a grandfather visiting from the USA and that we were meeting my brother and his family at this location, showing him the text message. He then allowed me to enter to look for a child, but only if I left dad as a hostage.  I guess that is an effective deterrent to pedophiles, and honestly, we looked an unsightly mess when we arrived. We were both dripping sweat, and Dad’s shirt was more unbuttoned than buttoned – not a pretty sight.

Would you let this man into your playground?

Anyway, after the children’s garden, Jeff and Maryana had planned an evening of strolling along the main shopping area on Orchard Street ending at Le Bistrot du Sommelier for an 8:30 dinner reservation.   

  

This evening was oddly reminiscent of our hike across Barcelona for Dad’s birthday some years ago. On that occasion as well as tonight, we had on our hands a tired, dehydrated, hungry, sweaty grandfather who could care less about shopping, fashion, or humid strolls among the masses since he was already about 2 hours past his preferred dinner hour.

All of these issues aside, Orchard Street has really become a hot spot for seeing and being seen. This was another moment in which I understood why my brother and sister-in-law were so happy in this city.  Everything was bright, vibrant, exciting, and orderly.  Love love love

The restaurant was located at the end of the main shopping district.  Most of the seating was outdoors, but luckily we had a reserved space inside where we could see both seating areas and dry out from our walk. The atmosphere was very homey, including a sideboard from which the glasses and plates for each course were pulled to set  the table. The menus were printed on the back side of varnished wine crate planks – very country provincial and warm. I was in love. 

The head server tempted us with some specials and we enthusiastically accepted a wine suggestion based on our order. We started with a buttery slab of pate de foie gras that was served with a dollop of fig jam. In our enthusiasm we also ordered one of the special appetizers – fromage de tete made from fresh shredded pork cheek marinated in a light olive oil and vinegar, shaped into a loaf, and topped with finely chopped onions and parsley.  OMG – and all these years I thought that head cheese was a thing to avoid. Hunger is always an excellent sauce for any meal, but I was blown away by both starters. We lost all semblance of civilized dining and leapt into both. Based on the grunting and a few “Hell Yeah’s” that escaped from me, I think these selections were a hit all around.

Our main courses consisted of a cassoulet –made with house made pork sausage, pork belly, beef brisket, and duck confit stewed with white beans in a clay pot and a lamb stew with fresh spring vegetables.  Both were delivered to the table still bubbling from the oven. All of the meats had comforting bold flavors and were braised to fork tenderness. The white beans had absorbed the combined flavors of the various meats and were a taste sensation.  The lamb was exceedingly tender with a hearty, meaty flavor that was not gamey.  The spring vegetables were lightly steamed in the broth and maintained their bright colors and crisp textures.  Once again there was a round of grunting and animal like rending of flesh and vegetable until we were fully sated.

The remnants

Lamb pieces

We were too stuffed for a sweet course and we also had a sleepy grandfather who had pretty much checked out of the conversation and pushed away from the table 15 minutes earlier as a signal of his eagerness to get up and head home – so we settled the check and took the short way home.  This was a fitting celebration to end our time here in Singapore – great company, great conversation, and an astounding spread of French provincial comfort food.   

Tomorrow we begin the last leg of this whirlwind tour as we head to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. 

PS - we actually arrived home Sunday (Oct 16) - but our touring schedule in Vietnam prevented me from staying up to date on the postings.  So stay tuned... more adventures to come.