We had a local cuisine dinner included in our tour as well as lunch today!  On our way there, we walked through some odd the old town streets that are crowded with locals after 7 or so… supposed to me blockaded so no cars but motor scooters were still there.  

In places the restaurants put tables out into the center of the street and gather them up quickly when police came

when the cops come the tables are moved so fast! 

Street vendors sell everything, carried on many vehicles!  Bikes, carts,  even wheel chairs and baby carriage

We happened upon a show of dancers

Finally,  our dinner!  Again delicious,  but I stuck to the omelet, one shrimp,  and a tiny bit of vegetable … fingers crossed.

Just a taste of what it is like,  the streets. buildings,  shops and food places in the old city,  near our hotel.

Streets and Buildings

Street food

of course there are knock offs of everything,  even water

We had a personal guide for the tour today of Hanoi city.   We visited first the oldest pagoda and Buddhist temple in Hanoi,  which was once in the middle of the Lake where John McCain parachute into during the Vietnam was.   They have memorials it with a replica is his torture

The oldest pagoda and Buddhist temple

We then visited,  what was the oldest university,  from 11th century, the Hall of Literature.   It is still where students go to celebrate graduation and for infatuation to study well.   it has a Confucius temple there as well.   Here you can see many student groups visiting

Confucius Temple

Rubbing your hand, or your child’s hand, on the phoenix standing on a turtle for longevity and learning.

We also visited the teachers House and saw how the students took exams! 

Our third stop on the tour is called Train street.   There are coffee shops all along this little stretch of track and several times a day trains pass within inches!  You have to order coffee or tea to get a seat.  Here we are getting ready!

We made it in time for a specious train that runs only 4x week and also for a daily one!  between,  you can walk on the tracks

The tour included a very nice, typical Vietnamese lunch, at a very nice restaurant.   Emmett tried everything,  while I opted for a snow mushroom soup with quail eggs

By the way,  this is traffic and how to cross

We had a restful couple of days on Bali after our tour day.   However, with my sensitive stomach,  I have been suffering with Bali Belly… If you get my drift.  We ate at a restaurant apparently for tourists,  overlooking the volcano and Lake in Bali and I made the mistake of eating a tiny bit of salad!  Big mistake.   Nothing stayed down on the 11th, and since, nothing stays in!  We had to travel yesterday,  March 13, 5 hour flight, from Bali to Hanoi,  and with my malady,  it was tough!  Again today, I’m not well,  yet…  I took 2x dose of the medication,  and praying!  We did have a good tour this morning and I made it thru!  Soldiering on!

Como Uma Canggu!  lovely!

Our suite,  purchased with points Cronin our Chase credit card,  upgraded,  ocean view,  with free WiFi, bottles water,  fruit basket,  Breakfast for 2 for 3 days,  plus $100 USD credit for extras,  like meals unknown the Beach Club restaurant.   Last might we had Grouper and a salad….

It was delicious!  Total $32.45. 

Here was our delicious avocado toast on sourdough this morning with Bali coffee!

what a setting!  Right in the ocean!

I could get used to this! 

We have been traveling 7 weeks and it was time for a bit of pampering! 

I gained only 3 lbs over the last 6 weeks,  lounging in Hawaii and cruising!  Not bad,  considering the 4 flavors of gelato and 4 of sorbet available at lunch and dinner on the ship!  I will take it!  We will have more walking now that we are on land anyway!  Got 5000 steps in just after breakfast today.

This morning,  we walked to a nearby spa, got 5000 steps in before 10  and for the grand sun of $31.27 USD I got a hair cut, shampoo,  head massage and blow dry,  and Emmett got ear wax removal,  head massage,  and leg massage!   TOTAL $31.27! 

On top of that,  one of the ladies at the Spa was amazed at my age!  She said Ladies in Indonesia,  at 77, they stay home,  don’t travel!  Nice compliment!  I’m enjoying this spa day in Bali!

Our next visit was to the Monkey Forest where e could watch 1 is the 2 species of monkeys on Bali,  the long tails Macaques

There are a couple ancient temples inside the park

And the Monkeys were everywhere!

We had lunch on a restaurant overlooking Lake Batur and the volcano,  Mt Batur and afterwards visited a coffee plantation to try some unique coffees and teas

All of them were interesting,  especially the unique tea flavors

After this coffee break, we visited a waterfall on our way to our hotel

Traffic was horrible, so it took quite a while!  Imagine rush hour with 1000s of scooters, at one point 10 scooters side by side at an intersection.   They don’t care about lines on the road and drive all over the place, cutting between cars, sometimes up to 4 people on a scooter.   At one point our driver took side roads and it was quite but they were almost 1 lane.   We passed fruit stands,  chickens in cages,  and many strange loads on scooters! 

It was an adventure and I was grateful for a competent young driver.   Everyone seems to be mellow about the chaos, however!  There was no horn beeping,  no comment to other drivers,  even when they cut each other off!  it was fun to watch,  but I wouldn’t want to drive!

Finally!  Our hotel.   We arrived just before sunset so there will be more pictures tomorrow in daylight.   Our room is lovely with a great view.   We are here 3 nights,  but I could get used to this! 

Our view is spectacular

Sunset on Bali

and just a few minutes later

We disembark our cruise in the Port Benoa Bali. Since we couldn’t check in until afternoon,  we had ordered a tour for the day,  to get an overview of the island.   Our guide met us at 8 and we began a long day,  driving around the island. Here is a bit about our day. 

Bali is Hindu,  the land is 1000 temples,  and we saw quite a few but visited 1 is the oldest.

This lady is weaving the small reed bowl for the offerings the five to the gods, filled with flowers,  fruit,  and sometimes a cracker

We visited several workshops,  for making Batik, the native fabric designs they wear on sarongs, shirts,  and other items,  a silversmith making jewelry, and artists making their designs with a toothpick and  bamboo stick,  hammered into a rough brush.

Our last day of the cruise we took a tour of the island of Lombok,  which is 87% Muslim. 

We visited a museum,  a temple,  and a traditional village.

Rice is a staple of their diet and on our drive we saw Rice fields, at all stages of growth,  as well as drying Rice

The traffic was crowded with scooters everywhere.  our driver had an assistant driver and toy van see his job was to waves his arm out the window to stop traffic

The small traditional village we visited has still houses as old as 200 years,  roofed with grass thatch.   they greeted us with music and a ‘stick fight’ demonstration.  

A highlight of this cruise,  for sure,  was a visit to the Komodo National Park on Rinca Island in Indonesia,  one of 5 islands where these animals are found.   This is a unique port of Call,  where we moored in the larger bay and tenders brought us into the 1 dock on the island.  

A raised platform,  walkway,  allow you to observe the wildlife below.  We saw the pretty of the komodos first,  deer and monkey, before we saw any of the giant lizards 🦎

There are about 50 Komodos on this small island,  and the number is stable since there is adequate pretty for them.   they eat only every 2-4 weeks and 1 large kill like a water buffalo, can feed several animals.   Their bite dispenses an anticoagulant, so the would causes the animal to bleed to death.   they simply follow the scent and go eat the prey after it is weakened.

tracks in the muddy landscape.  The white spot is actually Komodo feces,  white from the bones of its pretty that it can digest easily.

There were actually 5, 3 males and 2 smaller females resting in this grassy area

Since the day had cooled a bit after a short rain,  they actually got a bit of energy and walked around for us!