Lucy On Asia

Faithful followers of the blog might have noticed that Hal's parents, Lucy and Hal Sr. (aka Luli and Gumps), joined the Phillips Vietnam Adventure for awhile. On February 22, we got to Ho Chi Minh City after 2 days in Tokyo, where our highlight was the 5:30 am tuna auction at the world's biggest fish market. We were wide awake at 4 am, so why not?! (Had breakfast at McDonalds, the only thing open so early.)

Spent 3 days in HCMC, getting used to the time change and the HEAT, lolling in the pool at the apt. complex and having wonderful Vietnamese food. Then we flew 1000 miles north to Hanoi on the first of the side-trips that Hal Jr. had arranged. From there we drove to Halong Bay--seeing lots of rice paddies, small towns and HUGE factories--for an overnight cruise. Back in HCMC, we rested (and saw the water puppets one night), then flew to Dalat. It's in the central highlands and cooler, so Hal Sr. played his only round of Asian golf. After a pit-stop in HCMC, the whole family went to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat. Even hotter there! But our Sofitel was cool and lovely, and a nice driver took us three times to the amazing temples.

The Vanderlips then returned to HCMC while we went to Bangkok for 4 days. Hal had reserved all our hotels in Viet Nam, but we found our own in Tokyo and Bangkok. The Old Bangkok Inn was almost too funky: our bed was in a loft, so we had to climb stairs in the night, etc. But we were too lazy to move, and the place grew on us...We saw the city with guides and by ourselves. Besides its gorgeous architecture, we especially remember the crazy canal boats, the birthstone ring we bought for my 70th birthday, and a riverside dinner with two friends from college. One is Thai, the other an American who's lived in Thailand 40 years.

After Thailand, we spent a day in HCMC: so nice to rest and feel taken care of! Then we went to Hue and Hoi An, our last destinations. In Hue, the imperial capital, Jim Sullivan showed us the famous tombs and also a new office for Mandarin Media. We went on our own to the Citadel, then had dinner with Jim and his wife. Next day, we took a train to Danang, through mountains to the sea, then drove to Hoi An. We stayed at the Life Resort, my favorite. (All our Vietnamese hotels were lovely--esp the ones harking back to French times--but the Life Resort was so simple and quiet...Maybe I was just getting TIRED!)

Back to HCMC from Hoi An, we got ready to fly home and had our last dinner with the Ketts, who'd just arrived. We had 4 days seeing old friends around LA and got to Boston March 22. Now we are back in our "comfy rut" culling photos and wondering how we actually made that wonderful trip! We never would have managed it without Hal and Sharon--and it was such fun to see them in HCMC, with Silas and Clara, all having such a good time there. What a great experience it's been...