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Good Morning, Vietnam
Southeast Asia Travel Day Seven: We were fortunate to be staying at the beautiful Intercontinental Asiana Saigon. We got a good night’s sleep and enjoyed a breakfast at leisure to start the day. This morning everyone boarded buses for an all day tour of Ho Chi Minh City. The older population and those in northern Vietnam still refer to it as Saigon.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Our first stop was at Notre Dame Cathedral. While an overwhelming majority of the population is Buddhist (over 90%), the Catholic cathedral is still a popular location for wedding photos because of the beauty of the building as a backdrop.
Near the cathedral is the historic Saigon Central Post Office. We met an 85-year-old man that goes there daily to help anyone that needs assistance translating letters. He offers his time as a free service from the goodness of his heart.
Saigon Central Post Office
This gentleman helps with translations every day.
Reunification Palace
Next, we visited the Reunification Palace. Formerly known as Independence Palace, this was the location of the final assault during the Vietnam War; where a tank crashed through the gates at 11:30 AM April 30, 1975.
This spot was of personal significance to me– linking history to my childhood memories of a war I was well aware of; but didn’t understand, while I was growing up.
April 30, 1975
The gates of the Reunification Palace.
Inside a temple in Ho Chi Minh City.
Following lunch in a large garden restaurant, we visited a small temple, tucked peacefully into the chaos of the city.
I have to say I was a little disappointed in the tour. Even though we visited a variety of locations, I didn’t feel like I’d gotten any real feel for the city. You can’t absorb everything in such a short time but it’s nice when you can get enough of a taste to feel the essence of the city and its people.
Incense coils hanging from the temple ceiling.
Power lines in Saigon.
Michael and I were both amused by the way electric service was maintained. Need power? Just run another cable… and another and another. Throughout the city you see large bunches of tangled wire stretching from pole to pole.
After a break back at the hotel, we were bussed out to Binh Quoi Village for the big welcome dinner. Everyone (200 plus) on the Broadway On the High Seas 5 cruise were together for the first time, celebrating the kick off of the actual cruise. The ‘village’ is a beautiful park and pavilion decorated with Chinese lanterns and colored lights. We were greeted with drinks and appetizers as we strolled down a path past a wide variety of artisans demonstrating their crafts, a clever puppet show and Chinese dragons leading the way to the center of the village.
The path through the village.
Candles floating in the water near the pavilion.
As part of the entertainment, we were treated to two numbers from the musical Miss Saigon as teasers for what we’d see on board. Liz Callaway, the original Ellen (Chris’ wife) in the Broadway production; was joined by Lindsay Mendez on the wonderful duet, I Still Believe. Then Norm Lewis who played John on Broadway, energized the audience with his dazzling performance of the anthem, Bui Doi.
Local talent filled the rest of the evening; a pleasant backdrop as people mingled and relaxed under the stars.
Liz Callaway
Lindsay Mendez
Norm Lewis
Hello, Goodbye
Southeast Asia Travel Day Six: Our last morning in Cambodia, breakfast then off to the airport. We were sad to say goodbye to our guide, Jun. He’s a great guy and a terrific guide. One of the best I’ve ever encountered. Jun didn’t just point things out and spout memorized facts. He was genuinely passionate about it. Jun and Peaches from Trails of Indochina really made everything about our three days in Siem Riep perfect.
There was a little drama when we got to the airport. First they were shifting our group from one counter to another and we had to deal with some awfully cranky ticket agents. I think I jinxed us by posting that we had no delays with our previous flights. Our flight from Siem Riep, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam ended up being delayed about two hours.
When it was finally time to board, Michael went through and I got pulled to the side. One of our friends, Mary, was laughing— “What did you do?” Then she and her husband George got pulled too. The laughing stopped. The gate agents moved us from the front of the plane to the back, a row in front of each other.
Once onboard, the woman next to me wanted to switch because her friend was in front of her. It worked out great because then I got to sit with Mary and George. Michael was still at the front of the plane and we were about 30 rows behind. The good news is that we were able to board and exit at the back of the plane and didn’t have to wait for the usual crowded aisles.
When it came time for the safety video, the screen above our heads decided to throw a fit. It kept lowering and raising, opening and closing, over and over. This got Mary and I laughing, though George, who isn’t crazy about flying—was not amused.
The bus ride from the airport was insane. Traffic, amplified by the ridiculous number of motorbikes, made traffic in New York City or Chicago look like driving in a small town. Michael compared it to the swarm that develops when you step on an anthill. It was pretty intense.
Instead of getting to the hotel after 4 PM, we didn’t get in until after 7 PM. We were pretty tired. After checking in, Michael and I just went up to the lounge on the 19th floor, checked out the view and had a snack. We had a full day tour the next day. I think I fell asleep as soon as I hit the sheets.
Ho Chi Minh City at night.
Broadway On The High Seas 5: Here We Come!
We’re finally packed and ready to go. In less than 24 hours, Michael and I will be on the first of four flights taking us to the other side of the world. Chicago to Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore and finally Siem Riep, Cambodia.
We had an incredible time traveling with Broadway on the High Seas 3- two years ago; and Broadway on the High Seas 5 is destined to be an exciting adventure. From the wonderful talent to the exotic destinations; it’s like getting two vastly different vacations in one.
Sponsored by Playbill and Playbill Travel and arranged by Judy Perl Worldwide Travel, Broadway on the High Seas is an exciting way to travel the world and tour on land by day; and at night, meet and be entertained by some of Broadway’s best performers.
Here’s our itinerary:
Nov 1- 3 2015 Siem Riep, Cambodia
Nov 4- 6 2015 Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam
Nov 7, 2015 Sailing the Saigon River
Nov 8, 2015 Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Nov 9, 2015 Ko Kood, Thailand
Nov 10, 2015 Bangkok (Siam), Thailand
Nov 11, 2015 At sea
Nov 12, 2015 Ko Samui, Thailand
Nov 13, 2015 At sea
Nov 14, 2015 Tio Man, Malaysia
Nov 15, 2015 Singapore, Singapore
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Jennifer Cody’s Broadway credits include Rumpleteazer in Cats, Cha-Cha in Grease and a blind…
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Lindsay Mendez recently starred in Roundabout’s critically-acclaimed premiere of Josh Harmon’s…
Baltic Cruise Day One: Onboard Regent Seven Seas Voyager
Sunrise on Regent Seven Seas Voyager.
We were picked up at the Sheraton Stockholm around noon on Sunday (August 4) and transported across town to the port to board our home for the next ten days, Regent Seven Seas Voyager. Our luggage was delivered directly to our room from the hotel, so we didn’t have to drag it through Passport Control before getting on the ship.
Regent is a luxury cruise line currently operating only three smaller ships in their fleet and soon adding a fourth. Our ship, Voyager, accommodates a maximum of 700 passengers in “all suite, all balcony” rooms. It boasts all the amenities of larger ships, including four dining rooms all providing delicious regional cuisine.
As we expected, it was a mostly older clientele (50 and above) but there were a small number a children and teens aboard as well.
On this particular sailing, half the ship had been reserved for Playbill’s Broadway On the High Seas 3 event and the entire ship was booked to capacity.
As with most cruises, once you board the ship you are directed to the pool deck where a buffet style lunch was available, while the rooms were being readied. One of the full service dining rooms was also open, La Veranda, which is where Michael and I chose to eat. After a light lunch, we headed to our room to unpack before the mandatory evacuation drill.
Voyager Cruise Director, Willie Aames.
I have to stop here and say that as the periodic announcements were being made: welcoming us aboard and directing us where to go… I kept thinking– that voice is so familiar. When we finally got to our room and turned on the ship’s information channel on the TV… there he was, larger than life… our Cruise Director, Willie Aames. Yes, THAT Willie Aames.–TV star from the 70’s and 80’s, most notably, in my life for the series Eight Is Enough and Charges In Charge.
Willie is a phenomenal Cruise Director. He was always out and about and so very friendly. Every time I heard his voice it just made me smile. It was a piece of home– a part of my past that felt so welcoming and inviting. Am I one of the few people that didn’t know he was also a fully ordained minister?
So back to my least favorite part of any cruise– the evacuation drill. I know they are necessary and for our own safety but why do they have to take so long? I do have to say it was run very efficiently and we had the bonus of getting our first glimpse of all the Broadway performers who were also in our lifeboat station. Spotting and watching them certainly made the time go faster.
Sailing in the Archipelago Sea.
Soon, we were sailing in the beautiful Archipelago Sea , through the Baltic to our first stop– Turku, Finland. Since the sun doesn’t set until around 11 pm, we had some time to enjoy the spectacular view of the world’s largest archipelago (island group) before dark.
The rest of the evening was spent exploring the ship, attending the Broadway Meet and Greet (I’ll talk more about this in a later post), and dinner.
The Voyager is a beautiful ship and the only way I really noticed its smaller size was that everything was in close proximity. There are no long, endless corridors like the larger ships. For exercise, I took the stairs whenever possible. We were on deck nine, and mostly used decks four through eleven. The layout of the ship is very similar to the larger ships we’ve been on and very easy to navigate.
From top to bottom, the staff and crew of Voyager were the very best. I can’t imagine any better. Everyone was so friendly and attentive and made every moment on board enjoyable.
This was our fourth cruise and by far, the best ship experience. We also met a lot of wonderful people and exchanged contact information with some of them so we could stay in touch. That’s never happened before.
I highly recommend Regent and hope we have a chance to sail with them again in the near future.
Regent Seven Seas Voyager .
Voyager Pool Deck.
The Horizon Lounge.
A view from the top.
(Stay tuned for more of our trip. I’m trying to break in down a little differently for easier reading. We were constantly on the go and at times it was a little overwhelming. Hopefully, this format will be easy to follow. Thanks for reading!)
How Do You Measure 525600 Minutes? 