Nha Trang

After returning to Hanoi, we travel by air to Nha Trang. From the airport we took a cab and then a boat and then a...




another car (great for the Colorado river house).



Arriving at our hotel, the Vinpearl, located on Bamboo Island.


On top of the hotel...



The pool and beach...



The city of Nha Trang is becoming more popular with the tourists in recent years. Yet, with a population of 300,000, Nha Trang still retains its small town atmosphere. This resort town is well known for its miles of beach and the friendliness of its people. The city is flanked by nearly ten kilometers of prime beach where the water is warm year round.

While in Nha Trang I went on a dive trip to some nearby islands. The dive trip was arranged through Coco Divers. I had a very good experience with their staff and boat and highly recommend them.

http://www.cocodivecenter.com/

Ha Long Bay II

Panoramic view of Ha Long Bay (click on picture)



Below are pictures of a floating village.








Morning glass on ha Long Bay. Not ruined yet with wave runners.

Ha Long Bay I

On day #2 we took a 4 hour ride to Ha Long bay.

Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a human presence. The site's outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest. The Bay is a World Heritage Site and, like many attractions in Asia claims to be “the Eighth Wonder of the World.”

We boarded our boat, the Lagoon Explorer.

Our restaurant...



Our room...



Our view...



Our shower!

Hanoi

For the past two years, Beth and and I been fortunate to travel to some amazing places. As our time in Okinawa is almost complete, we planned our last vacation to the countries of Vietnam and Cambodia. We both believed we saved the best for last...

Our first stop, Hanoi City. The landmark Tortoise Tower rises from Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake.


Exploring the streets of Hanoi...



and making new friends.


Busy streets near the hotel cluttered with motorcycles. Amazingly it was quiet at night!

4th of July

For our last fourth of July in Okinawa, Beth and I traveled to IE (Ieshima) island. It is about a one hour drive from our home and then a 30 minute ferry ride.

Beth and Bijou on the ferry.




One of the main scenic spots is Gusukuyama, a mountain on the center of the island. We met a local Okinawan at the beach who took us to the top.

Gusukuyama, which is called fondly by the nickname of Ijimatacchu, stands slightly toward the east and faces the center of the island. The mountain is 172 meters above sea level. Halfway up the mountain, there is a place called Gusukuyama-utaki, where it is thickly wooded and where people go to pray for safe voyages, good health, and good harvests.



View from the top of Gusukuyama...

Tropical Okinawa...

Another stop was the Ernie Pylie monument.

Ernie Pyle, the son of a farmer, was born in 1900. After studying journalism at Indiana University he found work on a small newspaper in La Plante, Indiana. In 1923 he moved to the Washington Daily News and eventually became the paper's managing editor.
In 1932 he was commissioned to write a travel column for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. He did this until the outbreak of the Second World War when he became a war correspondent. He moved to England in 1940 where he reported on the Blitz for the New York World Telegram.
Pyle went with the US Army to North Africa in November 1942. This was followed by the invasions of Sicily and Italy. He also accompanied Allied troops during the Normandy landings and witnessed the liberation of France. By 1944 Pyle had established himself as one of the world's outstanding reporters and Time hailed him as "America's most widely read war correspondent."
In 1945 Pyle was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for journalism. Later that year he went with US troops to Okinawa. On 17th April, 1945, Ernie Pyle was killed by a Japanese sniper while on a routine patrol on 18th April, 1945.

For more information on Ernie Pyle see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Pyle

http://www.journalism.indiana.edu/news/erniepyle/

For more information on IE Island see:

http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/007/english/point/ie/index.html