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Sometimes enough is enough…
#avalonsaigon #vietnam #avalonwaterways #hochiminh #checkthisoffourbucketlist #saigon Day 1 of our land portion in Ho Chi Minh or Saigon…it seems no one can give me a straight answer on whether we should say Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City. Apparently the city was renamed in 1976 after the Vietnam War but locals with a sentimental connection to the city pre 1976 still call it Saigon. We left our luggage outside our cabin this morning at 6:45am and headed to the buffet on the Aval
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 2012 min read


Would you drink that?
Day 7 Avalon Saigon River Cruise on the Mekong Delta #avalonsaigon #avalonwaterways #checkthisoffourbucketlist #snakes #poprice #vinhlong This morning we had our last Sampan ride of the cruise. Our early morning excursion brought us to Vinh Long to a workshop. We got to experience some traditional Vietnamese foods and drink at this ‘one stop shop’ on the Mekong River. We disembarked at what look like a covered open air building which had various stations set up inside. Our
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 197 min read


Somewhere on the Mekong….
#avalonwaterways #avalonsaigon #checkthisoffourbucketlist #vietnam Day 6 on the Avalon Saigon on the Mekong We did not travel very far overnight as you can see from the map above the border of Cambodia and Vietnam is still pretty close. Our destination this morning was a very small place called Long Khanh A. Apparently there is a Long Khanh B and C but we were only visiting A today. As more silt builds up in the Mekong delta, more islands form and instead of figuring out n
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 166 min read


Good Morning Vietnam!….
Day 5 Avalon Saigon River Cruise…leaving Phnom Penh #avalonjourney #avalonwaterways #checkthisoffourbucketlist #cambodia #vietnam We started off from Phnom Penh this morning at 2am to sail on the Mekong River until we reached the border with Vietnam. Apparently we would have to ‘get in line’ with any other ships which were crossing into Vietnam, so arriving early in the morning was the plan to make sure we were not delayed too long at the border. Approaching Vietnam the Mek
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 166 min read


The Royal Treatment
#RoyalPalace #privatetour #cyclotour #tuktuk #phnom penh #cambodia #avalon #checkthisoffourbucketlist Day 4 Avalon Saigon Mekong Delta River Cruise Docking in Phnom Penh for a few days meant that we could have some free time this afternoon and we could go on an included excursion this morning. Cyclos all lined up to take us through the streets of Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh has a population of 2.8 million and the traffic is very chaotic. Rather than have a tour bus to drive us ar
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 154 min read


A difficult time…
#cambodia #avalontours #avalonjourney #avalon #checkthisoffourbucketlist #oxcart #killingfields Day 3 of our Mekong Delta River Cruise on the Avalon Saigon How do you get to work? Many of us that lived near Toronto would commute via GO Train or Subway, with a few brave ones willing to risk rush hour traffic and sit in their cars for hours at a time. Well today’s commute was a wee bit different to get to the village of Kampong Tralach! Ox cart!! Who knew there was a specific
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 157 min read


Blessings and blessings!
#avalonsaigon #mekongrivercruise #checkthisoffourbucketlist #wathanchey #angkorban Day 2 on the Avalon Saigon Mekong Delta River Cruise We had the option today of climbing up 390 steps to the temple or take a bus. Humidity was 90% and it felt like 39C. We took the bus. We knew we would have lots of opportunity to sweat today, so why start out sweaty! The bus dropped us off at an 8th century Buddhist temple compound where we were to experience a water blessing ceremony by the
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 134 min read


No thank you…
#busrides #avalon #checkthisoffourbucketlist #avalonsaigon We started off our morning leaving our luggage outside our hotel rooms at 7am....
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 135 min read


Noodling Angkor
#siemreap #bantaysrea #taprohm #cambodia #ricenoodles #avalon #checkthisoffourbucketlist #angkorwatsunrise 4:30am wake-up call! Up bright...
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 1110 min read


What’s Wat…?
#avalon #checkthisoffourbucketlist #cambodia #siemreap #ankorwat In the 16th Century Portugese traders and missionaries discovered a vast...
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 810 min read


Change of Plans
#avalon #checkthisoffourbucketlist #vietnam #tamcoc #lagooncruise #gogoyears #retiredtravellers Day 2 of our Fascinating Vietnam,...
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 67 min read


Preserving the past….
#avalon #hanoi #vietnam #checkthisoffourbucketlist Day 3 Hà Nội After two day in Hanoi with a guide and on our own, it was finally time...
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 513 min read


“There goes takeout”
#hanoi #avalon #streetfood #streetmurals #checkthisoffourbucketlist #gogoyears #retiredtravellers After another wonderful breakfast on...
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 46 min read


How close?…that’s pretty close!!!!
#hanoi #hanoistreettour #avalon #checkthisoffourbucketlist We both had a great night’s sleep for our first night in Hanoi. With an 11...
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 211 min read


How long is the layover?
#turkishairlines #touristanbul #checkthisoffourbucketlist #turkishairlinesbusinessclass #turkishairlinesneedssomework I’m writing this...
Ruth Mcbride
Oct 111 min read


Exploring the Enchantment of Vietnam, Cambodia and the Mekong River
#checkthisoffourbucketlist #vietnam #cambodia #avalon Somewhere in Vietnam! 9enerated by AI Our big 2025 Adventure vacation is almost...
Ruth Mcbride
Sep 284 min read


Dealing with old people!
#myvikingstory #amsterdam #vikingrivercruise #headinghome #checkthisoffourbucketlist I put our luggage outside our cabin last night...
Ruth Mcbride
Nov 4, 20244 min read


Last Stop….
#kinderdijk #netherlands #vikingrivercruise #myvikingstory #checkthisoffourbucketlist Kinderdijk, Netherlands November 2, 2024. ...
Ruth Mcbride
Nov 4, 20249 min read


Right place, Right time?….
#Cologne #Cathedral #AllSaintsDay #vikingrivercruises #myvikingstory #checkthisoffourbucketlist Friday November 1st, 2024. All Saints...
Ruth Mcbride
Nov 4, 20249 min read


It’s all about the money!
#taxes #rhine #castles #checkthisoffourbucketlist #koblenz #middlerhine #scenicsailing Happy Hallowe’en to everyone! October 31, 2024...
Ruth Mcbride
Nov 2, 202410 min read
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