Sarah Moore from our NZ team recently boarded Intrepid’s Reunification Express and here’s her diary extract for Day 5 in Vietnam…
“Our train pulled into Hue station around 8.30am. We were all struck by how quiet Hue was compared to Hanoi. The roads were almost empty (and easy to cross) and there were few other tourists in the vicinity of our hotel. We spent our morning familiarising ourselves with the town, wandering around shops and grabbing some of Hue’s famed pancakes at the Mandarin Café.
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Nepal is one of those extraordinary places where the verve of being there encourages your soul to sing. Express reader Bradley Stulberg spent a month trekking in the Himalayas and now shares the experience with you, just as prayer flags shared the energy of others with him…
“The sound of prayer flags flapping in the wind is one that I will never forget. Nearly all the high points, both literally and figuratively, of my recent Himalayan adventure were marked and connected by the thudding vibrations of these multi-coloured pennants.
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Cuba is renowned for its rich heritage of music and dance and as Intrepid’s Claire Baxter discovered, you can’t help but tap your toes to the rhythms of Central America…
“Music and dance are everywhere in Cuba and definitely provided some of the great highlights of my trip. I’d been attending salsa classes for a year or two and was looking forward to practising with people who really knew how. When we arrived in Santiago our leader organised a fairly informal class in a private home so that we could all learn some basic steps and rhythms. Then before dinner we were taken to watch a band practise in what appeared to be akin to a garage. As well as being a wonderful opportunity to interact with the locals, the band encouraged us to get up and dance so that we could practise amongst ourselves without a whole club watching.
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Hello,
When I read your item about the Marquesas, I really got nostalgic. I sailed from Newport Beach, California, in February of 1974 aboard our 32 foot double-ended wooden sailboat, to New Zealand. Our first stop was Taiohai Bay in the Marquesas. Just hearing about your travels there made me want to return to the Marquesas.
We were 32 days at sea on the first leg of the trip, with three of us sailing our boat, taking turns ‘on watch’. It was an exciting and wonderful experience.
The Marquesan people are so very friendly. In one bay a lady led us on a trail through an amazing green forest to a wonderful waterfall. We all had a swim in the pool at the foot of the falls. We also hiked from Taiohai Bay over the mountains on a path that the warriors of old used when on the war path from one village to another. We could still feel their energy, and it felt like we should crouch down and slink along so we wouldn’t be seen.
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Morocco is a mouthwatering destination where the flavours of Europe and the Arab world combine. Here distinctive dishes celebrate cultural traditions and as Howard Jack discovered, even a medieval method of cooking is still on most Moroccan menus…
“We had just spent 15 days on Intrepid’s Colours of Morocco trip, thoroughly enjoying the sights, the people and the food. Nearly every evening meal included a choice of various tajines – beef, lamb or fish. After two weeks you could say we were tajined out.
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Intrepid makes no promises that you’ll fall in love on the Malay Peninsula, but somewhere between Singapore and Thailand Christopher Colvill discovered that anything was possible on this trip…
“I was working in Japan and decided to do an Intrepid trip before my return back home to New Zealand. I landed in Singapore a day early to get in a bit more sightseeing before my Malay Basix tour started. That night I had an unexpected intruder, who woke me up abruptly, said sorry, and made a loud and speedy retreat out of my room.
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Given any opportunity the Intrepid team will head off to wild and wonderful corners of our world. Sarah Moore from our NZ team has recently jumped aboard Intrepid’s Reunification Express and her journey continues on Day 3 in Vietnam…
“Everyone was looking forward to today – we’d all heard so much about Halong Bay with its emerald waters and unusual jutting islands. But first it was all aboard the Intrepid bus for a trip to the Blue Dragon Charity – another institution set up to help disadvantaged children earn an education.
We were welcomed into a beautiful building decorated with children’s art and brought upstairs to a breakfast of thick coffee, cakes and fruit (including the popular dragon fruit – a watery but tasteless produce specked with seeds that look identical to black sesame seed. Huong assured us that dragon fruit is very delicious and refreshing, but I’m not sure she’s going to secure any devotees on this tour).
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Italians are passionate about their food – and with good reason! Every region gives you a special taste of Italy, and the Cinque Terre in the provence of La Specia is no exception…
“I was on an Intrepid trip in May [2008]. When we were in Levanto, Italy, our wonderful leader Kriztina arranged a pesto cooking class for us. Six of us attended – it was amazing – we spoke no Italian, our teacher didn’t speak English, but with a bottle of wine and cheese and biscuits to help, she managed to teach all of us (with a lot of laughs and hand gestures) to make the most fabulous pesto. It was a great way to end our first afternoon on the Cinque Terre.” Gerry Martin
So if you want to try this delicious sauce at home, here’s the secret ingredients…
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