Drum roll please…. Let’s hear a big round of applause for Betty Duggan, Merlene McAlevy and Victor Levin (yes, Victor, again.) CAMINO Betty Duggan took this photo in a small Galician village, several days outside of Santiago de Compostela. Lorna Romilly takes a break with our terrific guide, Jason Preater, […]
Tag: Vietnam
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN – Early reflections on Vietnam and Cambodia, pt. 1 of 2
Our last days in Cambodia were packed with magnificent and mysterious Angkor temples and local culture. Heat and humidity sapped my remaining energy, so I am now composing a final post from the comfort of home. Click on thumbnail images to enlarge. CAVEAT: Please understand that a trip of several […]
GUEST BLOG – Gary Schoepfel from the Mekong
When I travel I sometimes forget my ears. I venture out with camera in hand and eyes wide open. I search for the perfect photo op: that traffic stopping almond-eyed girl, the perfect sunset or moon rise, the Buddhist monk wrapped in mysterious yellow-orange, the twilight mountain silhouette, or that […]
GUEST BLOG – Colin Campbell, from Toronto, tries to understand Vietnamese communism
Trying to explain Vietnam in a few sentences is like trying to complete a large abstract motif jigsaw puzzle in one quick setting. There is no one quick way and understanding comes from many discussions with both locals and fellow travellers. There is no one way of understanding, and things […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN – The Mekong at night
It is cocktail hour on the ‘sun deck’ of the RV Bassac Pandaw. It it pitch black outside and we are on a narrow portion of the river. The warm and humid breeze is strong and luscious. We can see the occasional electric light or fire on shore and hear […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN – Scenes from Saigon
This is the Chinatown of Saigon and the primary setting of “The Headmaster’s Wager” by Vincent Lam, the book were ‘advised’ not to bring with us. We can picture the Percival Chen English Academy operating right here. These children are almost certainly ethnic Chinese and students in a private school […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN – Final thoughts from Vietnam
We are in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and have been on the Mekong River for the past few days, without Internet. Before thinking about what we are experiencing in Cambodia, I want to offer a few more reflections on Vietnam. We are discussing short stories written by Vietnamese writers. They are […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN – Confused by Communism in Vietnam
On flight from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly, and often still, known as Saigon). First, I want to say how the hearts of all of us on this trip are concerned for those who have borne the wrath of the benign-sounding Sandy. I hope you are all safe […]
ON THE ROAD WITH ANN – Encountering censorship
I leave for the airport in a couple hours, en route to Spain, for the Camino trip. I go directly from there to Vietnam. In selecting literature to discuss in Vietnam, I consulted a professor of Vietnamese literature who teaches in California. We soon discovered, from our tour operator in […]
GUEST BLOG: TRAVEL DINNER: A Classical Potpourri
submitted by Bobbi Speck, Toronto [singlepic id=160 w=320 h=240 float=right] On Wednesday night the Vic foyer was a hive of festivity as Classical Pursuers, our hands and minds freed of weighty texts, buzzed about sampling beverages and appetizers. Along the room’s perimeter a smorgasbord of flag festooned tables beckoned us […]