Being Rowed around Ha Long Bay Fishing Village

Christine and Pauline sent this photo of our day in Ha Long Bay when we were rowed around the Fishing Village by an old lady, who rowed us under part of one of the small mountains and all around the bays. A very happy enjoyable but extremely hot day.

Ha Long Bay Veitnam video

While on board the cruise ship in Ha Long bay I took this short video and didn't think it had worked as I couldn't find it on my memory card, but it had gone right to the end, and I have now found it. I hope it plays and how I wish I had taken other videos.

Leaving Cambodia

After the lovely elephant ride we were brought back to the hotel, had just enough time to have a nice shower and change before we had to vacate the room. We did however have quite some time to fill in before we leave for the airport. In hind sight we wasted a golden opportunity to take a tuk tuk into the city for a wander round and see more of this tourist city, but we didn't think we had enough time so we just sat and read in the foyer, very relaxing and probably what I needed at the time, but time wasted I think now.
Christine told us she and her Mother Pauline would not be returning with us, but instead would be flying to Thailand to a bigger better hospital, the air ambulance was paid for by their insurance $22,000US, thank goodness they had such great insurance, it is the type we all hope we have but hope never to have to use.

peg is good friends with Pauline and she went by tuk tuk to say goodbye to her friend who must be very ill indeed. heart attacks and breathing difficulties plus pneumonia we believe. We feel for both of them, it is not the way they intended to finish their holiday. Photo of Pauline from earlier when she was feeling well and enjoying herself.

 I went into the hotel shop and decided to buy a silver Rat! In memory of the fact that the people in Cambodia around the rice paddy's eat masses of the Rice eating Rat, the meat is sold at the markets and is not a small rat such as we might know, it is as big as cat - plenty of meat on it. As far as I know we never ate any of this meat!
We indulged in more of their wonderful Ginger tea, I have become quite addicted to it, odd since I do not like to drink tea at all, but this is so different,  the teapot has long thin strips of root ginger steeping in boiling water and comes with a tiny jar of liquid honey which in itself is yummy enough to drink on its own! I am going to miss this drink when I get home, but I may well have a go at making it myself.

Eventually its time to get aboard the bus for the airport, as we drove there we had to pass over an ancient Angkor bridge still in full use. The driver stopped long enough for us to snap a couple very quick of photos before we went on to the airport. Nice of him.

At the airport we also had a wait so peg and i went off shopping in the duty free shops, we both bought a silver elephant in memory,of our lovely elephant ride this morning, I don't buy many souvenirs as we only have a smallish home  and they just become clutter, but I do have a small animal collection that now has 2 more pieces in.
We were flying to Singapore for our free stop-over and everyone else was in transit on way to their homes in Australia, so there were some hugs goodbye, as we had got quite close to some of them. We had also enjoyed some of Cambodia, the Pol Pot saga was rather off putting and I still seem to hear the clamor of millions of innocent victims
calling to me, but more quietly now.