Back in Vancouver ただいま。。。

We are safely back in Vancouver, so I will be back to blogging here: http://derukugi.blogspot.ca/
I will update this blog with pictures, probably, and add in Japanese/English where I was too tired to do so in Vietnam. Great trip. Probably a lot more processing to come...Thanks for being part of the journey...

バンクーバーへ帰ってきたので元のブログへ戻ります：http://derukugi.blogspot.ca/
このブログはもしかしてちょっとアップデートする。写真など翻訳が足りなかったら追加するかも。すばらしいたびだった。いろいろ考えることまたある。。。ここか普通のブログでまた書きます。。。読んでくれてありがとう。。。

Hanoi to Taipei and then to Vancouver ハノイから出発

今日はハノイ出発です。台北系夕なのでちょっと長い帰りになります。台北のナイトマーケットで夕飯を食べるつもりだったのにお腹がちょっと弱いので安心な空港で遊ぶだけだと思う。Today we depart Hanoi and head home via Taipei. We were planning on going into a Taipei night market for dinner but the tentative state of our tummies means we will be hanging out in the relative safety of Taoyuan International airport instead. We'll look for a business lounge and relax a bit.

ハノイ空港は日本国際協力機関のお金と協力で作ったそうです。日本人、えらいなーーー。何か成田空港っぽいです。いい感じ！Apparently Terminal 2 of the Hanoi International Airport was built with the support and cooperation of Japan's International Cooperation Agency. This area feels a lot like the Narita Airport....big and full of light and space....really nice work...

あ。。。Lはお腹が弱いのにアメリカ料理が食べたくて、これにしてしまった！Even with her weak stomach, L was desperate for atlas te of home while we waited for our flight so this is what she had...no overdoing the veggies on this little cheese burger.

私にとって面白いのはここのバーガーキングでビールも注文できる。アメリカでは信じられない！In the Burger King in the airport, you can get beers That's unthinkable in the U.S....the home of BK!

We made it safely to Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei. It was a short flight--I barely had time to watch a lovely Japanese movie: Midnight Diner. We are definitely not venturing into Taipei. We only have 6 hours before our next flight boards and that is not really enough time. Also, we don't have the energy. So we are happily esconced in the Business Lounge enjoying oden, rice, steamed buns, and tea. And some peace and quiet far from the maddening crowds...

台北国際空港に着きました。ハノイからの飛ぶ時間は思ったより短かった。日本映画を楽しく見えた時間はギリギリあった。「深夜食堂」という映画でとても楽しかった。台北からバンクーバーへの飛行機に別の日本映画を見たい。「不思議な岬の物語」があったら見ようと思う。あ。。。日本戻ろうかな。。。久しぶりにアジアの経験で日本に戻りたい気持ちが強くあった。どうしよう。。。

今は空港のビジネスラウンジには入っている。一人3千円ぐらい払えば3時間入っていい。無料の飲み物や食べ物に重ねて静かな時間やシャワー室があって、お買い得だと思う。3時間乗り換えればわるいかな。。。

Danang to Hanoi

Spent the day travelling from Danang to Hanoi. We were up from 2:30am to 4:30am with some nasty stomach bug so almost didn't make the plane, but are safely in Hanoi trying to sleep it off...Heading to Taipei tomorrow and will probably have to skip the night market to protect our tummies...but it has been a good vacation and we are ready to be at home :-)

Free day in Danang 暇な1日

It was a nice, relaxing day, spent mostly in the hotel. after breqkfast, we took a hotel shuttle to the market and did some last-minute knock-knack shopping. This is the lobby...

The view of the pool from the lobby...

Orchids in the lobby...

And heading out to the shuttle...

But before that, breakfast here...

We sat right near the pastries...bad idea...

Verrrrrry bad idea...

The juices are fantastic: pineapple, cucumber, carrot, tomato...

...peach, guava, and orange...

Nit to mention the tea and coffee with condensed milk...

And superb array of fruit...

my favourite is the mango...

I started out with yoghurt and fruit and it went downhill from there...

Luckily at 2pm I had a pedicure...down these steps...

...to the spa on the 4th floor...

After the pedicure I headed to the 3rd floor, where the altar for the business is located...

...and also the massage chairs...

I spent a LOT of my day here...

I am going to miss being on vacation...

Last day of the tour ツアー、最後の日

今日は決まったツアーの最後の日だった。7：30時にピックアップで、マーブル山というところに行った。階段を登ってから嫌いな景色が見えた。仏像がいっぱいあって、洞窟(どうくつ)もあって、とても面白かった。帰ったら写真をいっぱいアップします。

9:30ぐらいにカトリックの教会に戻った。Lは挨拶をもう一度やりたくて、幼稚園にも参観できた。2歳から5歳まで子供を扱って、ランチも英語のレッスンも提供しているみたい。

ホイアン町にも戻って、作ってくれた服をやっと入れた。高いけどいいものです。残念ながら伝統的な服は作ってくれなかった。如何してかわからないけどお金を返してくれた。

午後はプールで遊んだりした。これから夕飯でそのあとはマッサージ。カナダへ帰ったら毎日はつまらないと思う。。。

Monday: Hoi An most of the day 今日もホイアン町

今日ははほとんどホイアン町にいた。今朝9時ぐらいについて、2時間ぐらい歩き回って、ちょっと買い物をしてしまった。シャーツ3枚、ズボン2枚作ってもらった。それで、ベトナムの伝統的な服も作ってもたった。それでカジュアルなズボン、2枚も買ってしまった。帰りにバグにスペースあるかな。。。明日、もらいに行くので写真をその時アップします。Today we spent mostly in Hoi An. We walked around and did some more shopping, trying on the three shirts and two pairs of trousers I had made. L got stuff, too. I then found two pairs of casual pants, and got a traditional Vietnamese outfit made. Expensive day, but oh well :-)

午後はプールでリラックスしてから高くて美味しくない夕飯を食べちゃった。最後に無料なマッサージをいただいたのでいい一日かな。。。おやすみ。。。In the afternoon, I hung out by the pool and then we went for a very expensive and wholly unsatisfying dinner. Luckily we ended the day with a complimentary massage...nighy night...

Sunday in Danang and Hoi An ダナング市とホイアン町の日曜日

Today was quite magnificent...it started with a breakfast that included pineapple juice, carrot juice, and cucumber juice, so I had to try them all. Then we headed out to Mojokey Mountain and to see the Goddess of Mercy at Ling Ung pagoda, overlooking the bay. We then dropped in at the Sacred Heart church to see if we could meet the nun that was at the orphanage when L was adopted...unfortunately she has passed away but we met some other nuns who knew her and saw L's name and details in the adoption record. It was a magnificent moment and there were tears...

We then headed to Hoi An for a lovely Banh Mi (baguette sandwich--Subway eat your heart out!) We did some touring of the Ancient Town and spent too much money getting clothes tailor-made. I'll let you know tomorrow if it was worth it. :-)

We came back to the hotel, relaxed by the pool, and enjoyed complimentary head massages in the evening. After that, we headed up to the Sky Bar on the 15th floor for some drinks, cards, and fun food...This is the local beer--same price as a soft drink and about as alcoholic!

Some yummy fried rice with cards...

There is a pool on the 15th floor...the roof...

It is pretty spectacular...

And there is a great rooftop view...

Then we descended back down to the 6th floor...good night!

Delightful DaNang ダナング市にいます

These are pictures from Saturday, when we drove from Hue to Danang...the Internet is being a bit fussy...

Happy in Hue またフエ市

I don't have any pictures yet for today. I took LOTS of great walks, had a lovely small lunch, and then took a Dragon Boat ride down the Perfume River. We headed to Thien Mu Pagoda, or the Lady's Pagoda. It is a symbol of Hue and the oldest pagoda in the area, dating from 1601. I have almost walked 20,000 steps today, so am heading out for a massage, a light dinner, and a nice walk back to the hotel. Oh, here's what I bought on the Dragon Boat ride...hand-painted bamboo bookmarks...how lovely are these?

フエ市の最初の観光 First tour of Hue city

Today was a fabulous first day in Hue. Our tour guide (Vu) is magnificent and our driver (Tzing) is really helpful and smiley despite our communication barriers.  We started out at the walled Citadel just across the Perfume River from our hotel. Inside is the Imperial Palace and lots of fabulous restoration, thanks to the support of UNESCO, the Korean government, and others. We successfully bargained a CD down to half price and paid the princely sum of $5 for it. After that, we went to the Dong Ba market and had some lovely food and craft experiences. Some of our purchases are below, including tiger balm, toe socks, bean paste treats, dried kiwi slices, and lotus seeds.

Next we headed to a Buddhist monastery for a vegan lunch served by nuns--one of the best meals for me so far. Then we visited Emperor Tu Duc's Mausoleum and after that, stopped to find out how incense sticks are made (by hand, using cinnamon paste), and purchase some, of course. :-)

The afternoon had us relaxing in the air-conditioned bliss of room 701. Here are some shots from our lovely (but high) balcony.

Off to take a walk by the Perfume river and see if dinner is in the cards...