In my quest to see more of Asia, I boarded a flight and landed in Hanoi, Vietnam. Westerners arriving in Vietnam must have an invitation letter. This is easily arranged through a third party, many of which are found on the internet. With my letter in hand, I went to the visa window at the airport, paid another fee and stepped into the Hanoi madness. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam but is not as crowded as HCMC; however, when it comes to motorbikes, Hanoi wins the prize. Motorbikes are the main transportation method for Hanoi residents, so better watch out while crossing any street. I stayed at Holiday Diamond Hotel an excellent and cheap hotel located in the Old Quarter. Prior to my arrival I contacted “Hanoikids(www.hanoikids.org) an organization staffed by student volunteers who needed to practice their English skills in return for taking you around town for FREE. My wonderful guide met me at the hotel and with my aggressive schedule, off we went to visit: Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (could not enter due to renovation), Ho Chi Minh Museum and Residence, one pillar pagoda, Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton – this was an important site for me to visit; only about a third of the prison is still intact but still worth the visit), the Citadel, Vietnam Military History Museum, Tran Quoc Pagoda, and the famous Hanoi Flag Tower. On my own, I went to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater even though I was told the performance was sold out. I lucked out when the theatre had a few cancellations, but the show was somewhat disappointing as it was not as good as the show I had seen in HCMC two years back. I braved the traffic and walked across to the famous Long Bien Bridge; the bridge is dilapidated and falling apart but it is a neat feeling to be walking on such a famous landmark with traffic all around. In addition, seeing the poverty around the base of the bridge was a strange experience. If you plan on walking the bridge, I recommend you plan for a daring climb across the elevated railroad tracks for your return trip. On my last day, I took a trip to Halong Bay for the mandatory tourist cruise but I was sorely disappointed in the seeing so much pollution in the bay and I did not enjoy the experience. Following Hanoi, I hopped on a plane and flew to the former imperial capital city of Hue. At the Hue airport, no need for a taxi – to get to town, just go to the bus counter near the airport exit door and buy a voucher for the shuttle bus that will drop you at or near your hotel for a charge of about US$2. In Hue I stayed at the Holiday Diamond Hotel (same chain and same quality stay as the hotel in Hanoi). The great attractions in Hue are the Tombs of the Emperors where many are located along the Perfume River south of the city. For this venture I hopped on the back of a motorcycle and first visited the Tiger & Trumpeting Elephant fighting arena, then on to Emperor Tu Duc’s Tomb and Khai Dinh Tomb, followed by a trip to the Thien Mu Pagoda, the most famous monument in Hue. For the trip back from the Pagoda, I boarded a dragon boat and went down the Perfume River to my drop off point; two tombs were more than enough. The next day, I visited the Citadel in Hue’s Old City, the Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate and the Forbidden Purple City (similar to Bejing’s Forbidden City), home to Vietnam’s Royal Family before 1945. All the sites I visited in my Hue stay are worthwhile, so pick and choose but be aware that many of the sights are in very poor condition. For the final leg of this trip, I made my way to DaNang and the famous “China Beach” on the back of a motorcycle; this was about a 7 hr. journey with a few stops along the way. It was a trip of a lifetime; simply terrific! The Hue to DaNang journey was through some of Vietnam’s most spectacular scenery; I traversed the Hai Van Pass and enjoyed the pristine coastline, stopped at the Marble Mountains (five stone jagged crests that represent the five elements of nature), finally stopping at the famous China Beach. With many memories, I then boarded a flight to Chiang Rai for a visit to the Golden Triangle.

I have dreamed of visiting the Spectacular beaches of Thailand made famous in the James Bond movie “Man with the Golden Gun.” So, I did a little research and discovered the lovely beach town of Ao Nang. Ao Nang is located about a hundred miles south of Phuket and has the same lovely beaches with the marvelous rocks/island which appear as if they came out of the ocean floor, but a lot less tourists as the town has yet to be discovered. Getting to Ao Nang was quite simple: I flew a discount airline (there are very cheap) from Bangkok to Krabi town. At the Airport I took a local bus (there is only one) which takes about 30 minutes to get to Ao Nang. If you are a group of at least three, you can take a taxi and the fare will be very close to the bus ticket. Ao Nang has numerous offerings of hotels. After investigating a few places I discovered “Goodwill Guesthouse” this was a fantastic deal for the money. Ao Nang is ideally located for a number of exciting and adventurous treks. I walked the entire town in about 30 minutes, and the the town offers the standard vendors and eating establishments along the beach roads. Looking for a little adventure and wanting a nicer and more peaceful beach I hopped a long tail boat(they depart from Ao Nang beach) to Railey island a fun 10 minutes trip. Railay island is very laid back and rustic, offering three main beach areas for swimming and on one side of the side of the island you can snorkel. Following my fill of snorkeling, sun. and food, I decided on doing some cliff climbing, repelling and caving which is offered on the island. Numerous vendors are to be found depending on your degree of skill level, difficulty and fear factor. Overall, plan on visiting Raily beach but stay in Ao Nang as in the evening Raily island has little to do while Ao Nang comes alive. Some other places that I visited while in Ao Nang are listed below: •Phi Phi, Hong, Chicken and many many islands around (fun day trips) •Tiger Cave Temple (No tigers and a lot of climbing) •Emerald Pool (not worth the long ride) •Hot Spring Waterfall (fun) You can bargain hard with the many vendors as they all compete for your business. Ao Nang is a hidden gem in the many wonders of Thailand I liked it so much that I returned for a second visit but each time no more than four days so pack your back and book your flight.

A lovely clean city with friendly people, we met “Laura” our guide at the cruise terminal walked across the famous “Erasmusbrug” (https://en.rotterdam.info/locations/erasmusbrug/) bridge to pick up our bikes for the start of a 3hr “Bike and Bite” tour of the city. We started biking and Laura led us to various vantage points often stopping along the route to give us background and history of the area(Rottredam was almost totally destroyed during WWII so much is new), what makes this excursion so special is that Laura takes you to various cultural neighborhoods were you stop and get a local “Bite” thereby sampling ethnic snacks dishes that are popular in Rotterdam. In addition, Laura took us to the massive “Markethall” an outdoor and indoor market were our group sampled various Cheese products I could go on and on, but our 3 hr trip turned into 4 + hrs of great fun. Following the excursion I felt that I had seen most of the city and sampled tasty treats. On the way back to the ship, Laura gave us a few more tips of places to stop and sample the local culture http://www.bikeandbite.net/

I have visited the Caribbean often, but I had a tough time saying “Goodbye” to this lovely little gem of an island. Your cruise ship will dock right in the middle of town so it is easy and simple to see a lot, shop and eat within a few steps from the port exit. Last time in Bonaire, my wife and I took a diving lesson, but this time we opted to see the island. I made contact with Barbel at Bonaire Vista Tours (info@bonairevistatours.com) (http://www.bonairevistatours.com/) for the 3+hr island tour – a great choice! We met Edwin our driver and guide, and we were joined by one more passenger, so basically I wound up with a private island tour. Our tour started by driving through the town moving south along the coast. Edwin pointed out the different colored rocks which point out various dive spots and leave helpful hints for the traveler/tourists. We stopped next to the amazing Cargill salt flats and saw the mountains of salt, then made our way to the abandoned slave huts. Turning back north, we drove along the magnificent coastline driving by the “1000 steps” and stopping at different vantage points, caves and secluded beaches. Heading inland, we stopped at the Flamingo Sanctuary and got a firsthand look at the flamingos walking around and showing us how they ‘fish’ for food. Our final stop was in the town of Rincon at the Cadushy Distillery where we got to taste some of the local cactus liquor. Put this tour on your list!

Traveled to Santiago, Chili for 2 nights prior to boarding a cruise ship to sail around Cape Horn. Arriving Santiago will cost US passport holders a steep reciprocityfee of $160 PP with the only saving grace is that you can charge it. Customs at the Santiago Airport are very strict as not to allow any non-originally still sealed food items into the country; the storm troopers were confiscating galore. My challenge at the arrival terminal was finding an ATM that dispenses cash. Following an extensive search, I discovered only six(6) ATMs at the arrival terminal and only one(1) dispensed cash. For transportation, I chose the highly reliable “Vanman” (www.thevanmanadventures.com) and shared the cost with friends. Santiago Airport is about 20 minutes from downtown, and I bunked at Casa Bonita B & B (www.casabonita.com) – decent prices. Took the metro which was easy to navigate, clean and cheap, to “La Bicicleta Verda” where I biked the parks and politics tour. The tour gives you an interesting city perspective, but many venues were closed to include the museum of art. Following the biking, my small group walked over to Cerro San Cristobal only to find that the funicular to the top of the hill was down for repairs (it will be closed for a year), and the shuttle bus stops operating at 5pm, so we walked about 1/3 of the way up to a nice vantage point. As you walk towards San Cristobal Hill there are numerous eating establishments, but they all seemed somewhat touristy. On day 2, I spent the day at Casca de las Animas (www.cascada.net). This is a lovely place on the river where you can relax and enjoy the outdoors away from the city; also a number of activities are offered, so I selected whitewater rafting (class 3 rapids) and did a canopy ride/jump. It takes about 1 hr using private transportation (once again the “Vanman” was available) to get to the resort. On my final day, I visited the lovely Emiliana Winery which is the only certified organic winery in Chili. I could have easily spent many hours walking the grounds, but I was on my way to Valparaiso so an hour was all I could afford. As for Valparaiso, I was not very impressed; it is a coastal city, crowded with narrow streets – this place is definitely not on my return list.

Arrived at Buenos Aires in the morning and was taken aback by the heavy traffic and dirty air quality, but I guess that is to be expected as this capital city of Argentina is where 40% of the population lives. For my stay I chose the funky and somewhat unusual Ayres Portenos Tango Suites. Day 1, I spent with Jonathan whom I had contacted to help guide my group for an extensive 7 hour walking tour of the city using local transport; the highlight was a visit to the Recoleta Cemetary where I faced death at every step, plus a stop at “La Boca” where I wish I had spent more time. Day 2 came quickly and I opted to get out of the city and booked a bike tour with “Bike It”; this was a terrific way to see the outskirts of BA, ride the local train dragging our bikes on the train with us (a hoot), and canoe on the Tigre River. On my final day I stumbled onto the Fort/Customs House which is FREE admission and lies directly behind the Casa Rosada (Pink House); it is a museum/exhibit and gives you a chance to experience Argentine history and how the country evolved – make this a must stop if you are ever in BA. Argentina was fun visiting but be prepared for sticker shock – HIGH prices for almost everything except public transportation and cheap street food.

Arrived at Prague airport and avoided the expensive city transfers by riding the “AE” express bus which I picked up at the second island/platform outside the airport exit door, you pay the driver directly 60kc.=($3.50), drop off in old town(next to the local train station). Got a great deal and stayed at the “Hilton Old Town” usually I save on hotel but this deal was too good to pass up and the hotel is in a great location. My first stop was a 3hr segway city tour http://www.segwayfun.eu/ which was terrific and gave me a good overview of the city. Next morning I went on a 25 mile city tour on ebikes (  http://www.ilikeebike.com/index.php?strana=home) another special experience,  the tour takes you all over the city and outskirts and I got to visit the ‘old soviet” built housing areas and many of the places that have yet to change. The main Prague tourist hub is “old town and the square”, the city is easy to walk but many of the streets tend to turn and change names. Visited; Prague Castle(visit this in the morning and avoid the tourist rush), many cathedrals(some where closed?), walked the famous Charles Bridge, old Jewish Cemetery(it was closed) and the lesser quarter. A fun experience was my final night as my wife made contact with a local family that provides you with a local experience from shopping to cooking a local meal at an apartment in town.. Fun evening, next morning I boarded a train and headed to Budapest(6hr train ride).

A much underrated city with much to see, admire and amaze, Budapest is a city that is spread out but easy to navigate with a good map. I stayed at the B&B Bellevue (http://www.bellevuebudapest.com/index.php?lang=en&faz=1&aaz=0&kt=BellevueBudapest) an average B & B but the B & B features spectacular views of the city and is at a great location. Right from the start I went for adventure and joined the “caving adventure”, (http://www.caving.hu/) initially I was apprehensive but glad I did it. The standard segway (http://www.yellowzebrasegwaybiketours.com/) city tour was next, team trap( a relaxing fun activity), terror museum, walked the “Andrassy Ut”, went into St Stephens Basilica, the Jewish shoe memorial and finally spend a few hours in the “ Szechenyi Bath and Spa” (http://www.szechenyibath.hu/) which is located in a sumptuous yellow building at City Park, just above Heroes’ Square. At the baths you can view the locals at a variety of indoor and outdoor pools and some are even playing chess on floating game boards. It’s was nice ending to my trip and a great way to mingle with the locals.

Review; Picked this ship( Celebrity Infinity) due to an itinerary that is only offered 3-4 times per year. Ports; the best part of this sailing Day 1, La Havre- ship docks about a 20 minute walk from town. I was on a private Normandy excursion (http://www.normandyddaytours.net/) Guillaume picked my group at the port and off we went on a wonderful and moving day visiting many of the WWII sites. Day 2, I toured the town of La havre for 6 hrs on a bike I rented inside the ship terminal, lovely weather and very nice town with much to visit. Day 4, La Rochelle- Need to ride the ship shuttle ($20 r/t) or get a taxi to town as you are docked on the far end of town. Day 6, a lovely private excursion to Bordeaux/St Emillion (www.bordeaux-excursions.com) with “Maryse” as our delightful guide, day 2, I shared a cab with others and went to Isle de Re where I biked on unmarked paths- nice beach island but filled with vacationing tourists. Day 8, Bilbao- my favorite port day 1 took the ship shuttle to downtown ($20 r/t) and did my own walking tour of the town, I was armed with some GREAT city notes, a good map and wore a comfortable pair of shoes, got to see so much in a short span and even had time to do the canal tour. On the second day in port, walked the local town on the beach much but just not enough time in this port. Day 10, Vigo- ship docks right in town, opted not to tackle all the cobble streets and hills so I took a fun 2 hr segway tour( you can book the tour right on the dock) got to see more than enough and watched my fellow walk up the steep hills while I segwayed passed them. Day 11, Leixoes/Port- ship docks very close to town but not much to see, did the ‘Harvest Experience” (www.luso-travel.com) excursion with 12 other CC friends, perhaps of one of the BEST excursions I have ever done in my life most memorable and a wonderful ending to a wine cruise. All Transfers while in the UK were arranged through Darrin (http://www.adelphiexecutivehire.co.uk/), great service, reasonable price and they are very prompt.

The start of my 14 day non cruising European tour, 1st stop Paris, arrived at Paris(CDG) airport and took the RER train from the airport to town and then hopped on the metro all on the same ticket, metro is very easy to navigate you can go anywhere with ease. Booked a 4 night stay at Hotel Jeanne d’Arc (http://hoteljeannedarc.com/) great location, easy walk to Notre dame (do not buy the avoid the lines tickets as the lines move quick and it is free entrance) amazing cathedral, walked to Saint Chapelle( 5 minutes away) bought entrance tickets and visited this lovely place, be advised there is always a line. Made my way to the “Louvre” but decided not to go in as it would take a full day just looking opted for lunch at a little self service local place across from the Louvre, lucked out by picking this place that the locals must frequent all the cooks & workers there kept coming out & talking with multiple customers & the actual French tours were evidently bringing their tours there… Food was good & big portions. Wanting to see as much as possible in a short time I booked 3 bike excursions with Fat tires bike tours (http://paris.fattirebiketours.com/), I have booked with them before and they are always good. Bike tour in Versailles is the ONLY way to see this massive place, the night bike and river combination tour was excellent as the Eiffel Tower is all lit up and began the sparkling/twinkling – this is done for 5 min every hr & it’s lovely. Saw the Arc d’ Triumph but could not climb up as the workers were on strike, walked Champs Élysées a bit but not a great attraction, Hopped back on the metro & over to Sacre-Coeur/ Montmartre… Great area but extremely crowded tons of locals hanging out all over the garden area leading up the hill to the church… Took the funicular up to the church. To celebrate wife’s birthday went to Bistrot de L’oulette (http://www.l-oulette.com/), most excellent. Overall thoughts, Paris a wonderful town pretty compact, biking was a great way to see the town and save your feet. If you plan on doing the museums 4 days is simply not enough.

From Paris to Brussels is a 1+ hr trip on the express train, cost 22 euro if you buy the ticket online 90 days in advance. Arrived in Brussels a little after 11am… Train station in Brussels midi(be aware that this is NOT Brussels central) was very similar to nice airports… Well laid out, clean shops & food places… Even a little grocery store with fresh baked breads & pastries (best chocolate croissants ever!!!), cheeses, salads, fresh fruits & vegetables in addition to all the ‘normal’ stuff you might think you would find in a mini mart in a train station… had an awesome picnic right in the train station before getting on the metro & finding our way to our hotel “les Ecrins (http://www.lesecrins.com/) very nice place and great location. Brussels metro is organized a little strange… Appearance wise it looks normal … But… signs are limited so be aware  which side of the train to exit so you will be properly positioned to transfer to another line… Very confusing! Did the comic book walk which is about 30 different murals on sides of buildings all over/around the city center loads of fun but you MUST have a good map, this was great fun and a great way to see and the discover the city, the walk will take a few hrs. Next day made our way to the musical instruments museum (http://www.mim.be/) lovely museum even if you are not a music fan just listening to the different instruments is quite amazing. Spent about 3 hrs in the museum to include doing lunch on the rooftop bistro of the museum, the view was lovely & it was just fun to do, not outrageously expensive … Finally ate those Belgium French fries and had my fix of Belgian waffles! Brussels is a fun city easy to navigate with reasonable prices. Lots of gardens, churches and palaces to visit throughout the city.

Metz is a lovely town located south of Luxemburg and west of the German border. Stayed at Residhome (http://www.residhome.com/) a type of extended stay hotel with a much needed kitchen (two burners/slow internet) very close to the train station. Got a great rental car from “Enterprise”(DO NOT book on the internet as the rates in the office are much lower), to start my Joan of Arch pilgrimage I drove to Domremy La Pucelle a very small village where Joan d’ Arc was born visited saw her house, church and ate lunch in the courtyard, then headed north to Vaucouleurs this is where Joan of arc asked the governor for assistance and gathered the troops, walked the ruins of the castle(very helpful tourist office). Following my Joan of Arc pilgrimage route I headed to Nancy and the famous gates and palace Stanislas (http://www.frenchmoments.eu/place-stanislas-nancy/) lovely town square (be aware that finding a parking spot in France is a challange). Overall an easy drive and got to see a lot of small French villages. Finally back at Metz(stayed 4 nights) stopped at the oldest church is France (the building is empty). Got to see the awesome Metz Cathedral known as saint Etienne (http://www.cathedrale-metz.fr/Welcome.html) which features the largest expanse of stained glass in the world..Wow, did the paddle boat on the lake, lots to do in this town that is off the beaten trail.