James McDonald

Breakfast in Phu Quoc Sometimes you can tell they arent using trained staff. But I love vietnamese coffee in both its black and white varieties and its hot and cold variants. And the little filters used to make it So this is our last day in Vietnam just a morning...

Sorry I havent blogged been busy swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing. Phu Quoc pronounced foo kwook is a holiday island with a dark past. It was the home of a prison created by the french in 1953 which was later used by the south vietnamese to incarcerate north...

Went to the zoo in HCM without my wife because she was out with her sister. Discovered the 8000Dong entry fee creates a place where there isnt so many people and the park like surrounds and many park benchs provide many spots for young couples to currouse (speling?)...

Saigon River 49 Floors above the street the skydeck gives great views. A good list of globally significant buildings. Not just the tallest either which I like. View toward Ben Thanh markets(in middle of photo)  completed in 1914 the largest covered markets in Vietnam....

I'm sitting in Highland Coffee a chain cafe along the lines of Gloria Jeans if you come from Australia or Starbucks if you are state side. I have an outdoor seat. The patron behind me is making loud phlegm (speling) clearing sounds but these issues are minor. I have...

Last night went to dinner at friends from Perths unit in District 7 which is an area where a lot of expats live because there isnt as much hussle and bussle as closer into the city centre. As you can see the unit is very modern. My mother-in-law made Pho earlier in...

Went to the Cu Chi tunnels. A complex of tunnels about 60kms outside of Ho Chi Minh used by the Viet Cong ( Communists) in their fight against the American "Imperialist" aggressors. Its amazing how the wording changes when the story is told from the other side of the...

Transporting roof tiles Front door motorbike access Biodegradable drinkware Prime mover

Currently in Ho Chi Minh or Saigon as people still call it. A big big city. Have met up with sister and mother in-law and been out to dinner last night The hotel we are currently in isnt as good as it could be, and is too far from the in-laws. So we are going to move...

Sitting in a resturant watching the world go by at the moment. Today we did a tour of My Son ( pronounced Me Sun ). I will blog about that later. Lisa has left me here to go off and find a shoulder bag so we can take some more stuff on the flight. We went to a boat...

My Son pronounced Me Sun is an ancient set of Hindu temple ruins about an hour out of Hoi-an built by the Cham people. It was bombed so heavily during the American War because it was a Viet Cong base that the temples are pretty much rubble. Adding to that is the prior...

The first day in Hoi-an we went to a tailor to get measured for clothes. Today was the final fitting and shipment home. Hopefully when we get them home they will look good. I always get buyers remorse, but at 1/3 the cost of back home its too good to pass up. They are...

Hoi-an is a tourist trap. All the same its got great ambience and westerners can see Vietnamese Culture while swaddled in the familiar.

Had a great day yesterday with the cooking class. We did a market tour. Basically they  showed us what was available and what the differences were between our supermarket products and the market produce. It was especially interesting to learn how to spot fresh fish...

At breakfast at the Sunshine Hotel Today we are planning a cooking class and a visit to a tailor.