So sad that it is our last day in Fiji. At least we have a full day and do not leave the hotel until 4PM. After another delicious breakfast we go back to the hotel. I do one last snorkel in the ocean and then get packed. Kerry & I take the shuttle into town and visit the Arts Village for a little local shopping and to see the Cultural Center. We spent more time in the post office buying postcard stamps than anywhere. (And we noticed that we were the only people inside that were wearing shoes!). As we depart the hotel, the entire housekeeping staff and some other employees as well send us off with a song! It was incredible. And Sue, our house attendant, was actually crying. She is really going to miss Cole & Tommy! We transfer with Ian, the same driver who brought us to Taunovo Bay early this week. This time the drive is during daylight though which is so much more enjoyable. We passed the turnoff for our rafting trip, drove by the warehouse for Pacific Green (where a...
The people of Vietnam make this beautiful country so special. Most of my trip I was traveling with a local guide (Vu in the south and Tango in the north - two of the best guides I have encountered globally) which makes interactions easy. But even when I was on my own communicating with no shared language the people were incredibly kind, helpful, and often smiling. I started right off with touring in Saigon visiting the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and Saigon Central Post Office. And in half a day I learned more about the Vietnam War (or the “American War” as it is referred to there for obvious reasons) than I have learned in my entire life to this point. The palace is like going back in time. It was the home of the president in 1975 when it was stormed by North Vietnamese who drove tanks into the glass. And everything inside looks as it did then. The War Remnants Museum is difficult to walk through but also important. There are three floors of photographs and artifacts....
I'm getting ready to depart with Andrea who of course is cute & tiny just like Sole! Last night we had a traditional Nicaraguan dinner. Which meant no menus. We walked up to a table with large clay pots and they served different meats and beans on a corn tortilla. Then it was presented on a banana leaf. This morning we drove to Matagalpa it was about 2 1/2 hours including the extra time to turn around since the school was having a celebration in the middle of the pan-American highway. The roads are pretty good here though. No carsickness. Only the last 20 minutes or so were windy. And there are some roads that need repair (which the country is working on). There are significant potholes so you have to go very slowly and around the holes. We went to a property in the mountains with incredible views. It is surrounded by coffee plants and also they are growing poinsettas for the holidays. I learned how to make corn tortillas, but unfortunately mine did not pass inspection. ...
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