This is egregious, I know, but we pick up our story on Saturday, February 8, in Phu My (Saigon),Vietnam.  I have been in to Saigon a whole bunch of times, seen the sights, and bought a lot of clothing and other stuff.  I am traveling in carry-on this time and don’t need much. All I wanted was a good Vietnamese meal and to see what there was in the Port City of Phu My.  So, I took the shuttle to the gate and negotiated for a taxi.  I wanted three hours, so he would wait for me while I ate. 

The port city has a very nice wide highway running through it, with a lot of commercial establishments along it, including restaurants, massage parlours, bars and karaoke lounges.  Lam, my driver, volunteered to take me to the supermarket, since I had managed to make him understand I wanted food, but I didn’t want to cook it myself, so that was a non-starter. 

I asked him for the best restaurant he knew and he took me down an alleyway, to what might have been a great place but, the chef wouldn’t be cooking for another hour, and I was having a hell of a time making myself understood.  I finally got the server and Lam to start google translating with me, and things improved. 

I understood that once we left this town, it was 30 km or 1 hour each way to get to a better one, and Lam would want more money, in that case.  We settled on him just finding me another restaurant.  He did pretty well the second time.  It was Quan An 46, which I decided to keep because it had tanks full of live seafood, and was next door to a massage parlour.  I never did have the massage because I was too hungry to have it before dinner and didn’t think it would be a great idea on a full stomach.

The seafood was good. It was a typical Chinese (or Thai, or Cambodian, or Philippine, or Indonesian) fresh seafood place.  Only the sauces vary a little.  But live seafood shines, and I was happy. 

I got back in time for Michelle Montuori’s show, and she was better for sure.

The next day, I had another office hour and a couple came with a good but ambitious plan of what they would see in Hong Kong on their one day.  I felt better about it when he said the two of them walk about eight miles a day, every day.  They have a chance but not much time.  All ships should overnight in Hong Kong.  I posted my log and blog, wrote and delivered another newsletter, caught up with my travel work and got myself to my 6:00pm Happy Hour in The Crow’s Nest, before dinner.  The Sons of Soulville were on stage.  They were worth going to.

Monday, February 10. At Sea.

My apologies if it is sparse from here on in.  I had too much fun in Hong Kong, and got too sick after I flew home.  Next thing I knew, I was at sea again.  It is now actually March 23, and I am on the Volendam Pole-to-Pole for a segment, because I have three cabins booked on it, and because it meets up with the Zuiderdam in Barcelona.  There will be a big retirement party for Henk Mensink, Zuiderdam, and formerly Amsterdam Hotel Manager.  Henk and his wife, Cristel, former Guest Services Manager on the Amsterdam, have been a big part of my hosting career.  I am flattered that they want me. 

There was always someone at office hour, wanting to talk about Hong Kong, but no one had any problems for me to help with, which is the way we all like it. I had a little no-host cocktail party before dinner and about six people came.  After dinner, StepOne did a thing called Musicology, and, as usual, it was very good.

Here’s where (on Mar 24) I took up this narrative on Tuesday, February 11, in Da Nang (Hue), Vietnam. I stayed on board and worked on the fun I was going to have in Hong Kong, a bit of a shame, but you can’t do it all.  I took a night excursion into Hoi An for a delicious meal, as good as it could be, considering they were serving hundreds of us.  Hoi An has come a long way since I first visited it.  It was more charming and more authentic before, but it sure looks like it is prospering now.  I couldn’t resist buying three of these great lanterns.

What I am going to do with them, I have no idea, but something will present itself.  I have friends.

The next day, we were still in Da Nang (Hue), Vietnam, but I didn’t go out again.  It was still a good day.  Jocelyn Ng, a modern violinist was on stage.  She was good.

Back at Sea on Thursday, February 13, HAL had its Mariners’ parties.  They are always interesting.  The cruise is winding down.  I’ll miss my nice people.  There are two brothers and their wives in the group, who have sort of adopted me for dinner.  It’s nice. The Sons of Soulville were back, and even better than the first time.   

On Friday, February 14, we docked in Halong Bay, Vietnam.  I took the shuttle in to the market and had some delicious street food, on the back street behind the market.  The Street Food Chef did her cooking in a sort of chimney and didn’t look like she would want her picture taken so:

That’s her, in black.  The one in blue is my fellow client.  This is what I got to eat for next to nothing:

And it was wonderful.  My only regret was that I didn’t have two of them.  Should have gone back.

This was the restaurant:

I know it just looks like a street and not a very salubrious one at that, but that’s where some of the best food is.  All you have to know about street food is that it must be cooked right in front of you.  Follow that rule and you’ll never get sick from it.  I sure didn’t.  My tummy purred for hours.  It only wanted more.

Back on board, Step One did a show called MOVE, and they sure did.  I think I am jealous.

Saturday, February 15 was our last day on board.  It’s the day everyone packs and says their “goodbye”s.  I don’t have much to pack, so it’s quick, but I had a lot of last minute communications with the Hong Kong side.  I was pretty excited. 

On Sunday, February 16, we finaly docked in Hong Kong.  I took a taxi to my usual home there, The Conrad in Pacific Place, HK side.  I am going to, give my nine days in HK very short shrift here, because it’s old news now and because my HK friends tend to be very private people and shun the Internet, as best they can. I did have fun, though, I had a ton of fun. 

It started with brunch with my HK family family at the Country Club in Deep Water Bay, a couple of hours after I checked in to The Conrad.  I decided to just provide a picture of the guest of honor.  This is no ordinary brunch.

After an afternoon nap, and a bit of work, I took a tram to WanChai, my old workplace.  I met some nice people from Chicago on the tram, and we ended up in a Dai Pai Dong, on Johnston Road.  Perfect.  Monday, I was invited to the unveiling of a new wing of the Art Museum at Chinese University of HK.  While I was out ShaTin way, I met up with a couple of old Mensa buddies at another Dai Pai Dong.  It was great, but half way through dinner, my appetite left me and all I wanted was a taxi home and my bed.  I didn’t want to waste any of my HK time, so I gave myself an immediate dose of Cipro and stuffed myself with cough meds.  I was going to the races on Wednesday night.  A kind friend sent me 4 tests, not only for COVID, but 9 other respiratory viruses, too.  Luckily, I didn’t have any of them and spent the whole day in bed.  I was feeling fine by evening, fine enough to take a young exchange student from McGill, to Ye Shanghai, one of my favorite restaurants in Pacific Place.  She has fallen in love with Hong Kong, too, despite having to put in 20,000 steps a day, just to live her life.  Wednesday morning I woke up in fine fettle, still testing negative.  This is my view from the Conrad.  It has been changing over the years, the harbour shrinking:

I got the horse race tips, and managed to make a little money at the races.  I place a lot of exotic bets in the hopes of a big haul, and that doesn’t happen that often.  But my host, who was more conservative, managed to pay for dinner for four, with two bottles of wine, in the Voting Members’ Box, and have a little left over.  That made me very happy.  My HK hosts are all so generous. 

The next day, I was on the tram to WanChai, again, this time to buy tea and presies for a few people at home.  Near Wing Kee Tea shop are some lanes, not as commercial as Li Yuen E and W, in Central, but well suited to my purposes.  I got some nice char siu to nibble on for my “breakfast” too.

Of course, by night I was having dinner in The Hong Kong Club, which is still going strong, albeit with a lot more Chinese members.  I told my hosts about Wednesday’s races, and next thing I knew, I’d be going to the races on Saturday, too. 

Friday, night, a nice Indian meal, and too much beer, at the Foreign Correspondents Club, but not the old silliness, which is how we used to drink ourselves.  We had a great time at the races in Shatin on Saturday.  The buffet in the Hong Club Box was amazing.  We wanted for nothing except for it to have been a better day for the tips.  But, that’s the way they work, and I know it.  I didn’t mind a bit. 

I caught some damn thing on the planes home, which were delayed again, seeing me home over twelve hours later than planned and feeling totally crumby.  I spent a few days in bed with Robbie, which would have been nicer if he were a cuddly cat, like Cowper, Henry, Charlie, or even Sylly P.  But he’s my guy, and I love him.

The eleven home days flew by and I’m back on board the Volendam, from whence this comes, and the next one will be all about South America.