Quick fact: Shanghai means "On the Sea". I enjoyed my visit to Shanghai in 2019 - a highlight being the Shanghai Acrobat show. Since we were docking in the afternoon, the show was the only available tour this evening, so why not. Turns out they were in a different theater - our guide said they … Continue reading Shanghai Acrobats

Yes, that's what "Hong Kong" translates into. Technically, Hong Kong is just the southern island. However, as the territory expanded over the years (I will not get into Europe / China foreign relations in the 19th century - it's a bit gross) the term morphed to cover the entire area. It was run by the … Continue reading Fragrant Harbor

I didn't really understand why we were stopping in Ha Long Bay until we got there. "Oh, it's THAT place." You would have seen it in many movies and such, with it's distinctive Karst rock formations surrounded by the sea. Halong Bay (Wikipedia) There was a bit of weather the day before, so the temperature … Continue reading Ha Long Bay

Today it is 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius) and about 82% humidity. It is miserable. And our local guide, who weighs just about as must as one of my legs, skips around the sites and says "It's not even summer yet!" Yesh. Vietnam is geographically separated into three sections: South, Middle and North. We have … Continue reading Hot. Humid. Hue.

The cruise terminal in Nha Trang is being updated, so we docked in a Vietnamese naval base in Cam Rahn - about an hour bus drive to the south. Ironically, the Silver Whisper was no less than 4-times larger than any of the surrounding VN naval craft. We started our "Highlights" tour with a visit … Continue reading Cam Rahn / Nha Trang