UNTETHERED

2026-10-21T08:48:51.276-06:00

Road Trip Recap: Milwaukee to Rochester and Back (~1,300 Miles)

Just wrapped up our mid-October loop across the Great Lakes and Upstate New York. Overall, it was a great trip—peak fall foliage, solid food, and a couple of important stops checked off.

Detroit & Windsor

Left Milwaukee around 9 AM and headed straight for Detroit.

Detroit Institute of Arts: Fantastic. The Diego Rivera murals were the highlight—we had someone there explain the detailed symbolism behind the frescoes, which made a huge difference. We definitely need to go back.
Outside the Detroit Institute of Arts
Ceiling in the main Diego hall

One of the Diego Murals

Ofrendas!

Georgia O'Keefe exhibit on Architecture, not a naughty flower to see.
Ottava Via: Rustic, authentic Italian food without feeling overly high-end or stuffy.

Niagara Falls

Crossed over into Canada for Niagara.

We stayed at the Tower Hotel. You pay for the location, but the prices are steep.

A room with a view.

The Promenade: Walking the promenade along the Horseshoe Falls was spectacular.

Rochester & The Finger Lakes

Spent a few days in Rochester staying with Amy and Joe.

Finger Lakes Drive: We took a drive through the Finger Lakes and hit some local breweries. The colors were at peak, and the whole area is just beautiful—felt somewhere right between Door County and Minocqua, WI, but with rolling hills and vineyards.

Canton & Cleveland

On the way back west, we hit two major museum stops.

Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton): It was OK. I felt it was a little cheap considering it’s pro football and all the money the league has behind it. Still, it was nice to see and a destination I needed to cross off the list.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland): Absolutely spectacular. They had some construction going on, and there was hardly anything covering the '80s New Wave era, but the rest of it was amazing. We ended up spending almost six hours there (10:30 AM to 4:15 PM).

The Drive Home

After finishing up at the Rock Hall, we decided not to bother stopping overnight in South Bend. We powered straight through the remaining drive and pulled back into the driveway around 10:30 PM.

Now it's time to put our feet up for the next five weeks before heading out for the Christmas Markets!

2026-05-19T00:17:13.359-06:00

Crypts, Colosseum and the Forums!

We are getting to the end of the trip and feeling pretty good still, not too much vacation fatigue and also readying ourselves for getting back to the Astor.

The Capuchin Crypts

The Capuchin Friars were a reform movement, they were the Franciscans but were more strict.

They came to Rome in the 1500s, built a small church on Via Veneto. and decorated their Crypts with the bones of about 3,700 friars.

The Colosseum!!

We finally made it to the Colosseum. Well we came several times, but we were finally hare to talke the tour and see the underground where the gladiators would be shuttled from their practice arena to the big show. Enjoy... We did...

The elevator used to bring the animals in to eat the criminals in a public display. (Hmmm...)

Luckily we made it out and will live another day.

The Roman Forums!!

The House of Livia frescos from 60 BC.

2026-05-14T02:12:30.961-06:00

The Barberini Museum

St. Mary Major Basilica

St. Frances's Tomb

Piazza Expositioni

Wine Tasting Event in Pigneto

Peru is all around us!!

The Carlos Biloti Museum in Borghese

We went to the Carlos Biloti Museum that used to be the Old Orangery. It had some nice modern art pieces from these guys, that is all.

St. Peters Basilica

We made our way to St. Peter's Basilica and after shooing away a skipper, we enjoyed the grandeur of the Basilica.

Michelangelo's Pietá

Bernini did the Baldacchino and the coat of arms on the pedestals. There are eight shields and eight faces. I have the first and last, the first one is a woman, calm. Each one gets progressively more distressed until the last one. That one's a baby. Look close. Oh and the bees!! Barberini bees are everywhere. That's the family crest.

The Swiss Guard

Changing

Changed

Francis's Addition Migrants

The Roman National Museum

Sleeping Hermaphrodite from the 2nd century CE, found in the ruins of a Roman house near the Teatro dell'Opera.

I was not careful enough, you can see it's male parts if you look real close. I just have the wrong angle.

A sculpture of me playing frisbee - Maybe not quite realistic.

The Boxer at Rest

His hands

Villa of Livia and the Villa Farnesina 20-30 BC

2026-05-09T01:23:45.985-06:00

Concerts, Museums and Cemeteries

The 2026 Concertone

The 2026 Concertone is a Labor Day concert, on the first of May. It is a labor-focussed concert and a great warm-up for us to go to Summerfest. It was a very local event, with plenty of tourists from all around Italy. The theme for this year was "Tomorrow is Still Ours". We had a great time and left when old people typically leave. Though I don't think we missed too much.

Museo Capitolini

We went to Museo Capitolini last Sunday. It is on top of the Capitoline Hill, which overlooks the Roman Forums. Sunday was a free day, so we got up early and got in line. We were pretty close to the front of the line and really enjoyed the museums.

I have big feet, but at least mine aren't stinky.

Romulus and Remus suckling the wolf

The Capitoline Venus

Medusa

Jesus, the original hippie!! Peace Man

Teatro di Marcello,

Teatro di Marcello is a Roman theater started by Julius Caesar and finished by Augustus around 13 BC. Yes, those are apartments on top!!

Museo Corsini

It's a real palace that is lived in, not built for display. The collection is old masters

Testaccio Neighborhood

Rome has an actual Egyptian-style Pyramid built in 12 BC. It's wedged into the Aurelian Wall in Testaccio.

The Protestant Cemetery is right next to the Pyramid, where Keats is buried.

Not allowed to take pictures for social media in the cemetery.

Castel Sant'Angelo

It started as a mausoleum for Hadrian in 139 AD. The popes eventually converted it into a fortress and connected it to the Vatican with a covered escape corridor. There's a café on the top terrace with a view straight down the Tiber.

Matt and St. Matthew

Matt and some guy painted on the wall.

Centrale Monemartini

Centrale Montemartini is a decommissioned power plant in Ostiense that the city uses to store overflow from the Capitoline collection. Ancient Roman sculptures are displayed between diesel engines and turbines. It is a super cool museum and very weird to see the ancient next to the old power plant.

Largemouth Bass mosaic!! And a sucker to boot!!

These fountains are everywhere, and the water is clean and free. I have been drinking out of them the whole time we have been here. I bring an empty water bottle and keep filling them up. They are fed by the same ancient aqueduct system that's been running since antiquity.

St. Paul's Basilica

St. Pauls is away from the tourist circuit. It's one of the four major basilicas of Rome and arguably the least visited. Kerry and I ran across it kind of by mistake. St. Paul is buried under the altar. The nave is enormous and lined with mosaic portraits of every pope in order,

Two great Papas

The Italian Tennis Open

We found out the Open was going to be here while we were. It is at the Olympic Stadium and on some iconic courts.

Notice the rain jackets. We were able to see the first match and then the rain started in ernest and they cancelled the second match for the night and we went home, a little wet.

Antonella!!

Antonella met us and we went to Castel Gandolfo, the Summer residence to the Pope. We haven't seen Anotnella in 25 years!! Lots of catching up to do. More to come with her.

Piazza della Libertà. The papal palace sits right on it, and so does a Bernini church — the Church of San Tommaso da Villanova.

2026-05-01T00:47:00.000-06:00

Some Iconic Roman Places

Trevi Fountain

Pantheon

Piazza Navona

Kerry Throwing a coin in the Trevi for a quick return!!

The Vatican Museums

The Borghese Gallery

David

This is a painting in a closed gallery

The ceiling of one of the rooms. Typical ceiling.

Venus and child

A floor mosaic

Piazza Popolo

Some foreshadowing.

Nasoni, 2800 of these all over Rome. Yes, I am drinking out of them and this one was in the middle of a "questionable" field where we took a walk. I am all caught up, we did the Borghese Gallery yesterday.

2026-04-30T23:38:49.557-06:00

Villa Borghese/ Borghese Garden

We made our way to Borghese Gardens/Park. It's a huge park in Rome; it is the Central Park/ Chapultepec of Rome. Absolutely beautiful. We came in from Piazza Popolo, walked up the hill, and right in front of us was this pond with people rowing around the lake. I refused because I know what it is like on those pedal boats, which are great for the first half, then....

Then we went to the ‎⁨Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea⁩ which was great.

Kerry's Favorite

On the way to dinner, we found this ancient wall with modern buildings built around it, crazy.

Me reading on our patio. We have such a great place.

Roman Forums the next day.

I have become a fan of the water fountains that are all around Rome. I read that they are called Nasoni, which means "big nose". There are 2800 of them all around Rome, and they test the water daily. You can fill up your bottles, drink from the tap, pour water on your head, whatever you want. The water is delicious, and they only lose 1% of their water from them.

Doria Pamphilj Gallery

We went to the Doria Pamphilj museum on Monday, and it was also spectacular. We got an audio guide, which I don't normally get, and it was very well done. The Doria is a currently lived-in palace that the owner wanted to open to the public to show off the art collection.

Portrait of Innocent X, Velázquez, the reason people come to the gallery. Me? I like the royal bathroom. (foreshadowing)

Beside the bathroom, this was my favorite thing in the museum. This is Prince Filippo Andrea VI Doria Pamphilj (1886–1958). He was an openly anti‑fascist member of the family who was exiled, hid in Rome under Mussolini, and later became Rome’s first post‑Liberation mayor (appointed June 13, 1944).

If you look very close, behind the sofa is the commode. 🤣

In case you thought there was no way this bathroom is currently used, the Doria Pamphilj family has occupied this building continuously for centuries. Through Napoleon, the Risorgimento, Mussolini, the Gestapo, and they're still here, using a water pick.

2026-04-24T01:26:29.124-06:00

On the Way to Rome

So we made it to Rome. We came through Dublin on Aer Lingus. Hopefully, they don't start cancelling flights so we can get home in late May. But then again, not so bad to get stuck here if that happens. Wow, I pulled up the blog and realized I kind of stopped the SE Asia trip a bit abruptly. :) Must have been a bit of travel fatigue. We have gotten through all our pictures at home while we were there and edited all the bad ones out of the albums. This trip we will edit as we go; that was a long process.

Centocelle

We are staying in a two-bedroom apartment in a local neighborhood called Centocelle, which was a working-class neighborhood during the reconstruction and now has gotten a bit gentrified and is really nice. We have a little Metro square that centers the neighborhood and provides transport right into the historic center in about 20 minutes.

This is our little public plaza where we catch our Metro, it is like a 4 minute walk.

This is a public fountain which I understand can be drunk from.

Our Apartment

We decided to head down to into Historical Center, so we hopped on the metro and went to Piazza del Popolo. and went to the Ara Pacis which is the peace alter dedicated in 9 b.c. we forgot to take any picture of it(haha). We did happen to see a lot of other historic sites.

Neptune

Spanish Steps

Saint Angelo Castle

St. Peter’s Basilica

2026-03-12T19:58:00.005-06:00

Model of Angkor Wat

Angkor National Museum

APOPO Visitor Center

APOPO is the organization that trains HeroRATs. Giant African pouched rats, specifically, trained to detect landmines and unexploded ordinance by smell. Cambodia is one of the most heavily mined countries on earth —(more about that below) It has a legacy of decades of war, the Khmer Rouge, and various other conflicts layering on top of each other. People are still being killed and maimed by ordnance that's been in the ground since the 1970s and 80s.

The Lady's Temple (It's Pink)

But first, some sweets!!

Our driver took us to a roadside shop.

A palm sugar sweet treat

These little pods of palm sugar milk are cut out of each palm nut and then cooked.

Our driver pretended to cook it for us.

They also had some hand-woven goods.

I guess our driver got tired from cooking the palm sugar.

Banteay Srei Temple

It is considered the Citadel of Women because they say that

men could not have made the intricate designs on the temple.

It was looted by a French guy in 1923. He got caught, tried, and convicted, and then became France’s Minister of Cultural Affairs.

This was an amazing temple, and it was the last on our Siem Reap adventure. We were supposed to see some phallic river stones, "River of a Thousand Lingas", in a waterfall, but we were too tired. The end is near.

Phnom Penh

We made it to Phnom Penh. We took the Giant Ibis luxury bus from Siem Reap, and it took about 5 hours. It was supposed to take 6 hours, but our bus driver was like a Formula 1 driver.

Think lots of honking, and swerving lanes on a two-lane road that was made into three lanes because of this Giant IBIS.

barreling down the middle. The carriage of the bus is gently swaying back and forth, rocking us to sleep.

Nightmares...

The other two directions of traffic are on either side of the bus. Scooters on one side and cars on the other at times because that was all that could fit. Honk .... honk!.... It was actually pretty pleasant considering all that.

We made it to Phnom Penh!

The skyline at night.

A Stupa at the Royal Palace of Cambodia Palace

I don't know, can you see the French influence?

We found a Peruvian/Japanese restaurant!

The National Museum of Cambodia

A lot of the pieces in this museum were much more interesting than the ones we've seen in the others. We guess this is because a lot of these were looted from the sites, and why would you steal something boring? They have been returned to Cambodia by the many different countries who bought the looted items.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

At the museum, we heard an amazingly depressing story about the early 70s in Cambodia that, not surprisingly, the US contributed to. The US bombed (more bombs than were used in WWII in a relatively small place) the supply lines to Vietnam in a secret mission that was not explained to Congress. This was in rural Cambodia. Almost 500,000 were killed or displaced.

So you have a rural population that has been bombed into trauma, displacement, and rage. Their villages are destroyed. They watched their families die from American ordnance. And here comes the Khmer Rouge recruiting from exactly that population, telling them the cities are the enemy, intellectuals are the enemy, everything modern is the enemy. They willfully destroyed their economy.

The museum is a former school, which was a little weird for me because all the cells were in the classrooms, which looked just like where I worked in Honduras except for the brick and wooden cells. The walls were broken in between the classrooms to make doorways so that the guards could see all the cells. It was torture and killing, and if you haven't read about it, you should.

The line that struck me most is when questioned about the random arrests, and what happens if we take someone who isn't guilty, the response was we would rather make some wrong arrests than miss someone and let them eat us from the inside. I think and hope you can see the parallels.

After that downer, it was time for some rest.

Our place has jacuzzi pool upstairs that creates a waterfall into this pool.

Skyline view from The Juniper Gin Bar

A Walk Street

Happy St Patrick's Day

See you in Milwaukee for a bit o' fun!!

(signing off from our SE Asia Extravaganza)

2026-03-07T19:07:00.004-06:00

Phare Circus

We went to the Phare Circus which has several different shows. We chose the heaviest which covered the Khmer Rouge period till now and it was amazing. It would bring you to an emotional edge and then pull you away with some acrobatics.

In the background you can see the American bombs falling. Later the Rouge erases the Buddha with a giant black X and then just paints it black to paint a happier scene.

The Phare also supports a school that teaches children the arts. We saw a Aspara Dance before the show performed by some of the students.

Giant Circuit of Temples

We did the giant loop which is an outer loop of temples in the Anghor area. I will show a name and the a couple of pictures from each. We were more organized for this loop.

A big thing about this temple is a two story part which wasn't done in temple building.

A temple in the middle of a lake with four pools surrounding it. Many with lotus lilies.

Another beautiful temple.

Elephants on each corner; Kerry staring one down.

A little temple in the middle of the lake.

This is the bigger temple on the land that was somehow connected to the lake one.

And our last one of the day. Two more to go on Monday.

And now for some of the entertainment.

Along the entry to many of the more popular temples, musicians busk for donations. They are the musicians who have lost a limb due to the unexploded ordinances left by either the Americans, Khmer Rouge, or the Vietnamese Army. The U.S. has contributed about $3 million a year to cleanup efforts. We spent over $2 million a day dropping the bombs.

I only did the sound on the walk up so you could get a feel for the music.

Kerry and I have been analyzing this trip extensively because of the significant role the US has played in the region. We’ve also been struck by the incredible kindness and resilience of the people we’ve met. Despite the past atrocities and questionable actions they’ve endured, they remain incredibly friendly, humorous, and simply pleasant.

I hope that todays attacks on places across the globe come to an end soon. Nobody but those that are profiting want this.

2026-03-06T19:22:00.001-06:00

Siem Reap

We made it to Siem Reap, Cambodia home of Angkor Wat and the Ankor UNESCO Heritage site.

We are staying in an incredible resort with a huge room and this pool that has a bridge to it and it goes all around a swim up bar. It is pretty chill though. Not a lot of splashing and/or music, just people enjoying the heat and taking a dip.

Angkor Wat is a giant temple that is housed in the Angkor Ancient City which covers 400 Square miles . The Ancient city is comprised of a whole bunch of different Wats and temples and villages. In it's peak the whole ancient city had a population of 700,000 to 900,000.

The Naga, not a cobra or serpent because it has 7 heads!

Reclining Buddha

The pictures that Kerry and I would like to have all over our place but can't have because we usually go without a photographer. 🤣

We then went to several other temples in the UNESCO site called Angkor the ancient city.

Before I get there, our driver explained that all Cambodians drink beer after they work and he promised to have some beer for me in the car, he also explained that on the tab which he didn't know the name of you could win another beer and keep on drinking or a million bucks. Well, he did not disappoint.

I explained that the proper name is a pull tab or poptop and then I explained to Kerry that if you didn't want to litter or expose someone to a cut foot, one would just slip it right back into the can after pulled.

Anyhow, I won him another beer. Oh, yes, and you might notice we are in the car and what you wouldn't notice is that we are driving. He isn't though because he was working and not off work.

Pra Tom

The jungle takes back civilization

Banyon Temple

The faces....

For Ann

A Buddha ready for the rainy season.

The gate with a tug of war for good and evil.

Our guide and photographer, Salon.

2026-03-06T17:58:00.004-06:00

Ho Chi Minh City (Siagon)

We made it to the city named after Uncle Ho, and when we left the plane, we got to hear a rendition of the Ballad of Uncle Ho!

Yes, as we arrived at the airport, this started playing over the sound system, and kids started singing. Gotta love Uncle Ho. Well, back to our regular programming.

We didn't realize where we were staying, but the Rex Hotel is a famous hotel because it was the headquarters for news and spies during the Vietnam War. Every day at 5:00 p.m., military leaders held meetings there (5 o'clock follies) to tell reporters what was happening, which became world-famous. It’s a place where history’s biggest secrets were traded over drinks at the rooftop bar.

Our travel day evening walk.

The Time Square Building entrance. Those are all peacock feathers.

This is the Opera House

The War Remnant Museum

This is the only picture I took. It was a very difficult museum to see, and it stopped us from going to the Cu Chi Tunnels, especially after the Iran War started on the day we visited.

Independence Palace

The Independence Palace is where the Vietnam War officially ended. In 1975, a big North Vietnamese tank crashed right through the front gates, which signaled that the war was over and the two sides were becoming one country again.

Everything is frozen in the 1970s, including secret underground bunkers and old-school war rooms with giant maps.

And it even has a helicopter on the roof.

Our hotel from and observation deck

Ahhh.....Mexico

2026-03-01T19:38:00.011-06:00

Cheers!

Cocktail culture has not let up. Another crazy one called Grandma's Gift. Not sure what the little red pebbles were about. They weren't even that tasty.

Part of Vietnam's famous Reunification Express line, which runs all the way from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to Hanoi in the north, the Da Nang to Hué stretch is widely considered one of the most scenic train rides in the entire country. It had some good parts, but most of it was slow and long.

The journey is supposed to take about two and a half hours, passing through nine tunnels and hugging the coastline over the legendary Hai Van Pass which translates to "Ocean Cloud Pass"

They had entertainment in the car behind us.

While some of the scenery is really spectacular, much of it was in the dark and the trip takes a really long time. I think ours took 3+ hours.

Hué

Hue is considered the Imperial City. It is set along the Perfume River in central Vietnam, Hué was home to Vietnam's last dynasty of emperors.

First we went to the Imperial Citadel which is a city within a city; massive walls, a moat, palaces, temples

It was built in 1803 by Emperor Gia Long after he unified Vietnam and moved the capital to Hue the whole complex is enormous, with each of the four walls stretching about two kilometres long.

Inside sits the Forbidden Purple City; where only the royal family and select staff were allowed.

War wasn't kind to the place. Of the 160 significant buildings within the site, only 10 major ones survived the battles of 1968.

Just as we were going to leave, we took a little rest next to these stairs, and this music group set up and started playing.

The big 3 Mausoleums and a Pagoda

Khai Dinh Mausoleum Khai Dinh was the most eccentric of the Nguyen emperors, he embraced French colonialism and spent enormous sums on his tomb.

The outside is dark, almost gothic concrete, and then you walk inside and it's floor-to-ceiling glittering mosaic art. To get to the top, you climb 127 stairs guarded by four dragons.

Minh Mang Mausoleum is the most stately of all the tombs. Perfectly symmetrical gardens and grand gates.

Minh Mang valued Confucian order and traditional Vietnamese-Chinese principles, and the geometric precision of his tomb reflects exactly that.

Tu Duc Mausoleum Emperor Tu Duc had a thing for poetry and romance. It's the most sprawling and picturesque of the three: lakes, lotus ponds, pine trees, and pavilions where the emperor used to sit and write poems.

He basically built himself a vacation palace and then just happened to be buried there too. Oh, and he had 104 wives but zero kids. Hmm...

Thien Mu Pagoda is also on the Perfume River, it is one of Huế's most iconic landmarks. The seven story Phuoc Duyen Tower has become the unofficial symbol of the city.

It's also got a dramatic history. The pagoda was a major organizing point for Buddhist protests against the South Vietnamese government in 1963, and it still houses the car that drove the monk Thich Quang Duc to his famous self-immolation in Saigon.

We finished our time in Hue with a boat cruise on the Perfume River. If you know Kerry, she has never seen a boat on a river that she didn't want to cruise on.

The Hueritage

We had a blast on this cruise. There were only about 10 people. They had a 5-course fine dining meal, folklore, and entertainment.

The Hoan Bridge in Hue?

A sample of the entertainment

And now for some other kind of entertainment.

Kerry learning and mastering the teacups.

Matt not being able to play two sticks with two nails and some washers.

They didn't even give me the third stick I was supposed to use with my other hand to create alternative rhythms.

2026-02-21T19:30:00.002-06:00

Lost in Hoi AN

Well, I am not literally lost, just a little lost with my pictures. Basically, we have been waiting for things to open, and a couple of days ago, they started to reopen after the TET holiday.

So, in order, we walked (shopped) around three days ago and found that a lot of the community temples and houses had opened, but not the main tourist attractions.

Plaques outside the community house

A fountain in the community house.

Kerry at the happiness table.

The alleys of Hoi An. The alleys give a respite from the crowds until a crowd comes by, and then three scooters.

Hoi An is a historic shipping port. So there are replica ships in a lot of the community houses.

So, what is a community house? It is a unique type of building that serves as the spiritual and social heart of a village or neighborhood. In Hoi An, these structures are particularly significant because they blend the town's complex history as a 15th-century trading port with traditional Vietnamese culture.

In the picture above, you can see incense coils that you purchase and light for your family members. These conical ones burn for weeks. In the middle are papers with the names and birthdates of your family members and ancestors. They represent the prayer for them being open for the life of the coil, which can burn for 2 weeks to a month. There were so many in this house below that my eyes were burning from the smoke, and I was outside!

Two days ago, we did more shopping (walking), looking for the tourist attractions, and found a Folk House, another community House, the Museum, and a folk show. The Hoi An Museum opened along with a few more community houses.

Folk Museum

Hoi An Museum has not too much. It is kind of sad actually for a museum.

This is a little game of BINGO that they play at the folk theater. Neither of us won. 🏅

Yesterday, we took a pool day and sat at the pool all day. Today, we will ride our bikes to the beach.

Looks an awful lot like my last pool day

2026-02-18T18:03:50.523-06:00

Hoi An

We made it to Hoi An, an historic shipping community now a tourist/beach town. It is in the middle of Vietnam on the east coast. We have seen the leadup to Tet (Chinese New Year), and on Tet Eve, the fireworks were seen throughout the city. We took some walks, and yesterday we had a pool day. Today might be a beach day. We will see. Here are some pics.

Ringing in the Year of the Fire Horse

Kerry found her Irish Bar

We love our place!!

Our place in Hoi An is the best Hadana Resort . It is a resort/hotel which is great. We did our walk about a couple of days ago and have since spent a day in the cabana by the pool and got a massage. and road bikes to the beach, on the road which Kerry wasn't very pleased about and spent the day. We rode back through the rice paddies and that was a lot more chill. We might go back on Saturday by bike. So not much to post about.

Soursop for me and Fig for Kerry

No photos from the ride, we couldn't peel our hands off the handlebars for that.

Then the nice ride through the rice paddies.

I don't even know what is happening here.

2026-02-15T18:37:00.007-06:00

Ha Long Bay

We took a trip to Ha Long Bay and did realize we were going to be part of the demonstration booth at the State Fair. We were told we were going to stop for a rest stop about 30 minutes into the 3-hour trip to the cruise ship dock, and suddenly...

We were watching a demonstration on silk and how they make it and bamboo fibers. Such a bait and switch. I read what was happening right away and went to the restroom and went outside to wait for everyone when our tour guide came out and told me Kerry was looking for me and he also told Kerry I was looking for her and then swoop, we were part of it. Here are some highlights.

Well, we made it to Ha Long Bay. We got on the boat with little problem and were able to just make out the karsts through the fog. Ha Long Bay is famous for its limestone karst landscape. These are steep, dramatic rock towers that rise straight out of the water. Some look like giant teeth, others like rounded jungle-covered pillars. Luckily, the fog cleared up the next day, and it was beautiful.

There are roughly 1,600 limestone islands and islets scattered across the bay. Many are uninhabited. The dense vegetation on top makes them look soft from a distance, but up close they’re sharp, vertical limestone cliffs. They are formed by erosion from the rising sea and the (acid) rain over millions of years. I guess the acid rain over the last few years.

Well, we got off the boat in a little town and got to bike ride through, well, paradise. It was truly magical with the butterflies.

We arrived at the town where we were biking.

We were plied with some snake wine. Think dead minnow shots, only with a snake .

And then a little spa treatment. Think live piranhas...

Just listen to the shade Kerry is throwing at me.

I eventually could leave my feet in there for about 20 seconds at a time, but the tickle factor was the first time in many, many, many years that I felt the uncontrollable laughter from being tickled. Now I was fortunate that I could just lift my feet to make it stop, but wow...

We lovingly called our ship the Battle Cruiser.

This is what it was supposed to look like. They were in the middle of painting, I am guessing.

This was our crew that we got to know on the ship.

Nice hot tub on the top deck.

We headed back from Ha Long Bay in a private transfer to Hoi An. Which surprisingly is very similar to Hanoi, and we keep forgetting where we are. We are checked into an amazing resort and will be here for about 9 nights. Time to do some laundry, get a massage, and do some exploring.

2026-02-10T18:43:00.000-06:00

The Museum of Ethnology

This was a nice museum that was focused on the many, many different ethnic minority groups in Vietnam and many of the other countries in SE Asia.

It was set up a bit like Old World Wisconsin. The inside had a section, it seemed, for every ethnic group represented, and the outside had buildings and areas set up like the different villages you would find in the extreme rural areas of SE Asia. The only picture I took of the inside was a picture of the different guitars. Go figure.

The outside was much more interesting.

It was essentially a massive photo shoot for the women of Vietnam once again. When people claim that the pictures didn’t capture the essence of the event, this is also true. At every turn, there were photo shoots. They were everywhere, but they also quickly moved out of the way if asked. It was quite a phenomenon.

The rest of the place was fascinating. Climbing into the houses on stilts and hoping that my 200-pound frame wouldn’t crash through the bamboo floors was exhilarating.

Did I mention the handles on the stairs?

This is a funeral/tomb area celebrating the the cycle of life.

Falling through this floor would be quite the morning wake-up. No fun stair knobs at the top of this one, though. What you don't know is that I had to wait quite a while for the photo shoot to end so that it was a clean picture.

Thang Long Water Puppet Show

We left here in an Uber (Grab) an hour before the show, and what was a 15-minute ride to the museum turned into an hour-long ride back. We arrived 2 minutes after the start of the show and made it just as the intro music had begun.

Basically, what happens is that there are about 6 or 7 skits that are performed by wooden puppets in a pool of water. There is a band on the side providing theme music and some vocal actors providing the dialogue. Here is a short example.

I mean really, it was an hour of our time, two if you account for the travel, but totally worth it. So fun to watch and to see the different instruments being played and well just kind of campy fun.

The puppet masters taking a bow.

The Food Tour

On the way back to the hotel to get ready for the food tour, we came across a person burning fake money in the street. This was happening all over the city. This is the first chance I had to get a video.

The belief is that the spirit world runs parallel to ours. Burning paper items “sends” them to ancestors or wandering spirits in the afterlife. If ancestors are comfortable and cared for, they look out for the living. If spirits are ignored, they may cause bad luck.

What gets burned: Fake money (for prosperity), paper clothes, shoes, houses, phones, motorbikes, even paper iPhones and passports. The offerings are often burned outside homes, shops, temples, or on the sidewalk.

The 1st and 15th are thought to be moments when the veil between worlds is thinner. People make offerings to reset luck, ask for smooth business, health, and protection. Businesses are especially serious about this because bad luck = bad cash flow.

Our food tour was great. We met some other travelers and had some beef noodle soup (not Pho), Bahn MI (a sandwich on a baguette), a spring roll (pictured below, as is our guide), some fish something that was neither of our favorites, some Egg Chocolate (Delicious), and finished up with some ice cream. I was too busy eating and chit chatting to take too many pictures.

2026-02-08T18:11:00.001-06:00

Museum of Fine Arts

We are considering ourselves pretty fortunate because today was the first day of rain (possibly acid rain) since Hong Kong, which was a mere month ago. (Wow, only a month?? Feels like it has been forever.) We trudged through the rain and very light traffic to the museum. The museum was organized chronologically and was a gem. We thought that it was well thought out, organized (except for where to start), and just really well done.

Looking at our hotels in Siem Reap. We picked a hotel and went out for our first Korean meal of the trip. This is what travel is all about. We arrived at the table with food on it and later found out that these are the sides for whatever we order.

I ordered what essentially was a beef short rib soup, and Kerry had a Bibimbap, which luckily Joel walked me through before we left home.

And then they came out with the egg soufflé, which was also complimentary!

It was tons of food and very nice service. At times we were really fish out of water, which is what travel is all about.

I woke up this morning to the NFL jingle in my mind. As I write this, the Seahawks are up 3. Another rainy day here, but maybe not all day.

2026-02-07T18:18:00.001-06:00

Hỏa Lò Prison (Hanoi Hilton)

Well, let’s just say that it wasn’t a pleasant place to stay. It appears that Senator McCain didn’t have a particularly enjoyable time as a prisoner of war. While the exhibits in the prison suggest that the men and women engaged in activities like playing basketball, celebrating Christmas, joking around, having family dinners, and sending and receiving mail from home, that is propaganda and this was a prison and they were prisioners of war.

It’s a former French colonial prison in Hanoi, built in the late 1800s to lock up Vietnamese political prisoners.

Later, during the Vietnam War, it was used to hold American POWs. Today it’s a museum: small cells, iron shackles, guillotines, and interestingly, plenty of info about French brutality and resistance.

Women's Museum

This museum gave a very nice history of the people of Vietnam and their customs. It focuses on women’s lives across Vietnam—family roles, marriage, childbirth, fashion, work, and especially their roles in war and resistance.

IIt was a pleasant experience because it offered a glimpse into Vietnam’s daily life rather than focusing solely on emperors and generals.

This perspective prompted me to reconsider my approach to exploring new cities and countries. It wasn’t until now that we discovered a museum like this in Hanoi.

As we travel into cities and countries, particularly the first city we visit, We’ll make it a point to find a logical list of museums that can guide us through the cultural nuances of the respective countries.

This approach should help my understanding of the people and their way of life.

Hoàn Kiếm Lake at night

We found out two things yesterday, one was that the French Quarter is a lot easier to walk around than the Old Quarter.

Secondly, the streets around the lake are closed off to traffic on the weekends and you are able to promenade around the lake and enjoy the lights and other tourists walking around.

Additionally, I suppose a third thing is that the city appears to be less crowded on weekends. The roads are not as congested, and even the Old Quarter is not as challenging to navigate.

A bit of foreshadowing

2026-02-06T18:31:00.001-06:00

The Imperial Citadel

Kerry and I navigated through the smog and traffic, making our way to the Imperial Citadel in Hanoi. This ancient walled palace area served as the residence and workplace of Vietnam’s rulers.

It’s more than 1,000 years old and used to be where the rulers of Vietnam lived and worked. We walked through large gates and wide open spaces, following stone paths past old ruins with a few renovated areas. When we were there, they were getting ready for Tết, so people were planting lots of flowers and setting up a folk fair. There were booths from all over Vietnam selling local food and products from their home regions.

It’s much quieter than the busy streets outside(more on that later), so it feels like a break from the chaos. A lot of it was under construction for Tết, and just under construction in general. Some areas were blocked off because they’re still doing archaeological digging and working on the site.

There were exhibitions that showed the different dynasties, which were done really well, and then the surprise Vietnam secret bunker where they planned to defeat the Americans. This was a super interesting exhibit which was taken from a different perspective than we know it. It was pretty weird walking through the bunkers that were used during the Vietnam War.

Back to the Turtles!!

And Back to the Traffic!!

While fun, the traffic poses a constant feeling that you are going to be hit or otherwise injured. This makes walking here very stressful and tiring, once we arrive to the location we are looking for, we are fine. It just makes us very tired by the end of the day, as does the smog. Clouds = Smog

2026-02-06T18:30:00.003-06:00

Hello Vietnam!!

We are now in Hanoi, and what a city! I am still suffering from my illness, though I thought I was all better in the morning and tried out some Vietnamese coffee, and it put me on my back the rest of the morning.

We got started slower this morning, but still managed to walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, see some sights and get some more rest. The streets are very chaotic and we have been enjoying the busy vibe and learning to cross the street. The air was rough, though, and a reminder that clean-air standards matter.

Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the park around it are in the middle of Hanoi. The lake is famous for the legend of a giant turtle that took back a magical sword from an emperor after a war, which is why the lake’s name means “Returned Sword.” The small temple on the island, Ngọc Sơn Temple, is run by local authorities and honors a mix of traditional beliefs and a Vietnamese national hero. It’s not really a place for deep religious practice, it's just a deep lake with a scary turtle.

Maybe not so scary.

All along the lake for Chinese New Year are women dressed in traditional outfits having their pictures taken.

We made it all the way around the lake and back to the hotel.

We took a rest and went out to the train street to sit at a cafe and have a train crush our toes, but we learned that the bridge was out and no train for us. We are here for a while so we will see the train. It was fun to just sit and take in the vibe.

The Temple Of Literature

The Temple of Literature is one of the few quiet places in Hanoi built almost 1,000 years ago to honor learning. It became Vietnam’s first university, where top students studied to become government officials. Today it’s a calm spot with courtyards, gardens, and stone slabs listing the names of scholars who passed hard exams. and a whole bunch of these girls getting their photos taken.

The stone turtles carry tablets carved with the names of scholars who passed the royal exams hundreds of years ago. The turtles stand for wisdom and long life, while the inscriptions celebrate learning and hard work.

The temple follows Confucian ideas, which stress education, respect, and moral behavior as the foundation of a good society.

Of course, Col. Sanders watching over things, wait, is that a hammer and sickle?

So let's take a second and address the girls around the lake. While you didn’t see any in the pictures above, they were all around the Temple of Literature. There are troops of girls with photographers and usually a person with a reflection screen for the perfect light. I understand that it is a recent happening, probably a combination of Instagram, tradition, and influencers. They can hire a photographer for between $40.00 and $80 a day and a make-up artist at 6:00am for the big shoot. I will post a picture later to show the gravity of it. There are so many, one can barely get a picture off or move through an area without getting into someone's picture. In fact, it is many times difficult to move through an area because there are so many pictures being taken.

2026-02-03T18:23:00.006-06:00

Luang Prabang

Kerry has never met a mount, something or another, that she doesn't like. She found one here in Luang Prabang.

Mount Phou Si is basically the small hill in the middle of Luang Prabang that everyone climbs, so of course we did too.

It’s not a long hike, just a lot of steps, with little shrines along the way that make you slow down whether you mean to or not.

From the top, you get the full picture of the town wedged between the Mekong and the Nam Khan.

We went to a couple of more Wats and a bit watted out. However, there is always something interesting to see.

Here we have a dragon boat, which may not seem so surprising.

But, here we have the holiest of holy Volkswagen Beetles in a glass garage. One of the famous monks owned this, and it will sit here for thousands of years.

We capped off Luang Prabang with a sunset cruise on the Mekong. It was really a nice time, and we met some Wisconsinites from Kenosha. We sat and chatted with them all night and enjoyed the most magnificent sunset.

Monks on the shore of the Mekong.

Not our boat, but it looks like it.

Our friends from Kenosha. Los Capitánes!!

Vientiane

Another city, another night market. This particular area of the night market has all you can eat hot pot or grilled seafood for $ 20.00 USD, all you can eat, no time limit.

I guess alligator is seafood? Well, so are river prawns.

Careful with the beer nuts..

Salty and crunchy as you would imagine.

Another day, another Wat.

We went back to the seafood place and had an amazing Hot Pot Seafood experience. We entered the outdoor restaurant and for $20.00 we got a hot pot and we could walk all around where they had fresh oysters, squid, sliced pork, vegetables, and other amazing things including fresh alligator or crocodile, I am not sure.

When we first arrived, we had no idea what we were doing, and a couple of waitresses took pity on us and showed us the way. The food was amazing. We cooked it after all.

We went to the Laos Art Museum, and while pretty amazing, it's not finished and fairly weird. First, you have to walk across a lake to get to it.

It is filled with reclaimed wood carvings. They are against clear cutting and have reclaimed wood that someone or many people have carved into beautiful sculptures.

This is the entry hall.

These line the entry hall kind of like the National Statuary Hall.

Then down to the lower floor on an elevator that is not functioning and dark. Also, I didn't mention that the whole place is dark. No lights on anything except for the lower halls. The big hall on the upper floor is completely dark, no light, no power. Not even in the bathrooms.

On to the National Museum

Yes, the whole thing is practically empty except for this exhibit that explains the war where the American imperialists came and invaded, which was very interesting to see from their perspective.

We also went to the Textile Museum.

Then we got sick for a day and a half (36 Hours) and moved on to Vietnam after adding another day to Laos and Changing the flight.

2026-01-28T19:58:00.002-06:00

Luang Prabang

We made it to Luang Prabang and it really resembles Cajamarca.

We landed, went to the end of the runway, did a U-turn, and went to the terminal. It's very small.

We went to the Waterfalls with a driver who picked us up from the airport. On the ride from the airport to the hotel, we booked him for the next day. He was great, had very good English, and was very informative.

The waterfalls are the Kuang Si Falls. We were told it was best to get there before the rest of the tourists. Luang Prabang is getting ready for an increase in tourism, and it was evident as we made our way to the Falls. The road was heavily under construction and was quite a challenge to get both there and back. Back was especially challenging with a few games of chicken with steam rollers and back hoes and other tourist buses coming in the opposite direction.

Kuang Si Falls

There is a bear sanctuary on site to save the bears from some awful things people do to bears.

We hiked to the top of the 534 stairs for the vista.

On the way back we stopped for a water buffalo cheese and ice cream tasting at a farm.

Sunset on the Mekong

The Obama Cafe

2026-01-28T18:19:00.004-06:00

Chiang Mai

We packed up and got our driver to drive us the 3.5 hours to Chiang Mai, and the ride was mostly under construction and dusty, but we ran into a really cool little hot spring (Mae Khachan Hot Spring) on the way with a mini geyser.

Yes, the water was coming right from the ground, and we were invited to rest and soak our feet for a little while. The water was hotter near the source. Hotter as in too hot and more comfy away, and it was sulfuric. Nice and stinky but my favorite.

We made it to Chiang Mai along with about a million other tourists, from backpackers to older people like us. The streets were filled, but thinned out as the weekend passed.

Back to the Wats, just a few interesting pictures.

Wat Chedi Luang sits right in the middle of Chiang Mai’s old city. The massive brick chedi has been standing here since the 14th century, since it was once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom.

Here, Kerry bought some gold leaf and is applying it to her Buddha of her birth year. Most of the Buddhas in this Wat were covered with gold leaf purchased by the patrons.

And now a couple for my Mexican Friends

Wat Mok Molee

This one is one of Chiang Mai’s older, less-hyped temples, and that’s what makes it appealing. It sits just outside the old city walls with a large brick chedi that dates back to the 15th century and once held the ashes of Lanna royalty. This was my favorite Wat in Chiang Mai.

These are Mae Chi, similar in nature to a sister in a Catholic church. They are not ordained, but have duties around the Wat. In this case, they are doing a practice that develops focus and mindfulness.

WhWhat Kerry and I realized is that in all of these Wats there are about a million ways to donate money to the Wat, just like lighting candles in churches. Below you will find one of the more unique ways I have seen yet. Look closely, basically there is a vessel filled with holy water being pulled to the top of a ledge on the Wat and the rope is adjusted so that the water spills/blesses the Wat and maybe makes your luck more likely to happen.

Another night market

One thing I would like to capture that was funny to us: Marijuana is legal at the moment in Thailand. In the night market, they do not allow smoking of any kind nor drinking. Every once in a while, the police warning would come over the speaker, thanking the foreigners for being there and reminding them that weed and drinking are not legal. " If you are smoking the weed or drinking the alcohol, please stop now." I love Thailand!!

And another band. This one is an alternative band, and because the Wat was hosting the party, people could drink the alcohol, but probably not smoke the weed. Sounds familiar to me when thinking about church festivals. The band that was playing was Klee Bho.

On our way to Luang Prabang, Laos!!

2026-01-26T19:57:00.000-06:00

The Night Market

Shabu, a popular dish at the night market, involves cooking ingredients in a hot broth and enjoying them. It’s like working for the restaurant, but in a fun and interactive way. At Least that is what they tell us, If you know Kerry, you know how much she loves checking her own bag at the airport, checking out her own groceries, and now cooking her own food at a restaurant. Actually, this she did love. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was lively, and it was undoubtedly our favorite market experience in Chiang Rai.

TUK TUKS!

2026-01-26T19:39:00.000-06:00

Chiang Rai

Up in the northern part of Thailand are Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. We are about to leave Chiang Mai and Thailand as I write this. So I am close to catching up.

We stayed in a beautiful resort right outside of the Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai has two major sites, well three, but I am not really sure why it is a major site. We saw all three on a private tour and almost made it back to the resort.

The three temples are the White, The Blue and the Black.

Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple, is Chiang Rai’s most talked-about sight—and for good reason. It looks traditional at first glance, but it’s really a modern art project disguised as a temple.

Created by Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, the all-white design is meant to symbolize purity, with mirrored glass catching the light to suggest wisdom and awareness.

The walk across the bridge, over grasping hands reaching up from below, is intentionally uncomfortable—a blunt reminder of desire, suffering, and the messiness of being human.

Inside, the murals mix Buddhist themes with modern pop culture, making the point that good and evil aren’t abstract ideas—they’re very much part of the world we’re living in now. It’s striking, a little unsettling, and impossible to forget.

The Blue Temple

Wat Rong Suea Ten, better known as the Blue Temple, makes a strong first impression without trying to shock you. The deep blue and gold colors are rich and intense, but the overall feeling is calm rather than overwhelming.

Blue is meant to symbolize wisdom and the infinite.

The Black Temple

Baan Dam, often called the Black Temple, is easily the strangest stop in Chiang Rai.

It’s not really a temple at all, but a collection of dark, museum-like buildings filled with animal bones, skulls, and unsettling artwork.

Kerry always looking for a little fun

Created by artist Thawan Duchanee, it explores death, impermanence, and the darker side of human nature without any attempt to make it comfortable or pretty.

It’s eerie, provocative, and intentionally abrasive—more something to experience than to “enjoy.”

The Big Buddha

Just when you thought there were not going to be any more Buddhas.

This is in the top of the big white Buddha luckily an elevator took us up there.

Yes, we climbed tot he top of this one.