Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Vietnam

 

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) was a wonderful city to visit for three days. One of our booked excursions was canceled, which thankfully gave us a free day to explore on our own and visit the fine arts museum. You get a different perspective and feeling about a place through their art and this city's art museum was a really good one.

Sihanoukville Cambodia

 

The second port of our cruise from Bangkok to Hong Kong was in Sihanoukville Cambodia. We were disappointed with the cruise's Bangkok excursion, but the two days and excursions in Cambodia were much better.

Bangkok Thailand

 

We started in Bangkok for a two week cruise to Hong Kong. The cruise didn't start until Monday, so we took the weekend to explore Bangkok on our own. We also visited with some friends from previous embassies who are now working in Bangkok. I think we barely scratched the surface of this big city.

Viking Cruise Fails

TL;DR Don't expect Viking Cruises to keep you in the cabin you booked back in December for an April cruise. If you pick a cabin based on the location and potential view from your balcony, then that doesn't matter. If you don't receive the email informing you of this last-minute change, then don't worry, someone will get back to you after the cruise is done to address your perception of a problem.

Colombo Hindu Temples

 

Here's some pictures of two nearby Hindu temples in Colombo. We've seen all kinds of cathedrals, churches, mosques, and temples around the world, so it's interesting to finally see some Hindu temples. I hadn't experienced this before now. Sri Lanka is an amazing country with all of the major religions living together.

Ramble On - Robert Plant with Saving Grace

 Another great version of the song which inspired the name of this blog.

The Farm Resorts Dickoya Sri Lanka

 

Sri Lanka can be hot and humid like any tropical island nation, but the tea country is another story. What a wonderful story it is in the cooler mountains. We spent the latest long weekend having a driver take us about 4-5 hours away to higher elevations. The Farm Resorts is a quiet refuge with comfortable rooms, amazing views, and a delicious little restaurant. It was a great break from the humid seaside city of Colombo.