Vietnam Cruise: Hue

We had a full day of touring Hue, pronunced "way", starting with the Imperial City.  The grounds were beautiful, as was the Vietnamese architecture.

On my tour bus was Gloria Loring. She was performing on the ship, and was enjoying a tour herself.  I remembered her from Days Of Our Lives years ago, it was a delight to see her. 

After visiting the Thien Mu Pagoda, we took a little boat ride on the Perfume River.  These are the colorful ornaments on the front of the boats.

We then had lunch, followed by another interesting shopping experience.  The sights and smells of these markets is very "unique". 

Vietnam Cruise: Hanoi

After a restful day at sea, we sailed into Halong Bay.  From here, we took a 3-hour bus ride to Hanoi.  It was a long day, but I couldn't be that close and not see Hanoi. 

We stood outside the Ho-Chi Minh Mausoleum, the inside is rarely open to the public.  Then we walked over to the One Pillar Pagoda.

The thing I will remember most about Hanoi is the culture shock I got from the sights and sounds of the city.  It was information overload in many ways.  A lot of it was the scooters. 

It is a medley of constant beeping, and they buzz by you so fast you can feel the wind.  Crossing the streets is treacherous.  And the shopping was crazy.

We had some time to shop, but you had to bargain.  I am so uncomfortable bargaining, but my friend wasn't.  So she did the bargaining for both of us. 

Silk is one of the prevalent items, I bought several scarves in beautiful colors.



People were gathered on the streets, this was a common sight - throughout the whole trip.

It was a great day in Hanoi.

Vietnam Cruise: Hong Kong

Travel and photography are my true passions, and I was fortunate enough to go to Vietnam.  Vietnam?  Yes, Vietnam.  It never ceases to amaze me how lucky I have been to travel the world.

We flew into Hong Kong on March 28, 2011 to join a segment of the Seven Seas Voyager's World Cruise.  We got to our hotel late in the evening, but we were so excited just to be there.  We went to the rooftop bar for a few drinks and to relax a little after that long flight.

The rooftop bar had a pool that overlooked the city. 

We had some time in the morning before getting on the ship, so we walked around the area by our hotel.  We ended up by the olympic stadium.

It was a relief to get to the ship.  Now everything is taken care of for us on a six star luxury cruise ship.  Embarkation day is my favorite day in the whole world.  Nothing makes me happier that the feelings I have on embarkation day - when you are tired from traveling but you have gotten there ok, and are ready to get started on a trip of a lifetime. 

Ming & Suki, the Leopards at Panther Ridge

There are two Leopards at Panther Ridge, Ming and Suki.  Their coats are beautiful, their eyes are gorgeous - just like the Jaguar, they are very photogenic.

Things were different at Panther Ridge this time, and I was not able to photograph the Leopards very well.  Some ungrateful, trouble-making person called in and filed a complaint against Panther Ridge.  As a result, they had to make some changes at the facility.    We were no longer able to put our lenses up to the fence and get an unrestricted shot of these beautiful animals.  Instead, they built a fence behind another fence, and we had to shoot through both fences.  It was nearly impossible to get an unobstructed shot.  The only reason I got these is because I had a huge telephoto lens on and the depth of field blurred out the foreground.  The faint white markings on these shots, are blurred-out fence.  We are all so disappointed that this person spoiled the exclusive access that Panther Ridge was giving to our photography group. 

Nap time for this Leopard.  I thought it was a cute shot.

Bella the Jaguar at Panther Ridge

This is Bella, the young Jaguar at Panther Ridge.  Not only is her fur beautiful, but she has these amazing eyes that are playful and full of light. 

Bella loves to play in the pool.  She jumps right in after her toys, lounges for a while, and jumps out when she's ready. 

Bella's coat is normally yellow and tan, but the color can vary from reddish brown to black.  The spots on her coat are more solid and black on the head and neck and become larger rosette-shaped patterns along the side and back of the body.

Bella is so playful and photogenic - she's a lot of fun to photograph.

Charlie the Cheetah at Panther Ridge

I had another chance to go back to Panther Ridge to photograph the Cheetah, Jaguar, Lepoards and other endangered species of big cats.  This is Charlie, he is the resident Cheetah.  I love the "tear mark" markings on his face.








An adult has yellow or tan fur with solid round black or oval spots.  The spots cover nearly the entire body; only the white throat and abdomen are unmarked. 





The tail ends with 4-6 black rings with a bushy, white tuft. 

Virtually every part of it's body is adapted in some way to help it run faster.  Special paw pads and semi-retractable claws provide great traction. Large nostrils and  lungs provide quick air intake; a large liver, heart and adrenals also facilitate a rapid physical response. A long, fluid, greyhound-like body is streamlined over light bones. 

 The tail acts as a rudder for quick turning plus the eye's retinal fovea is of an elongated shape, giving the cheetah a sharp, wide-angle view of its surroundings. The dark tear marks beneath each eye may also enhance its visual acuity by minimizing the sun's glare.

But the great speed is very taxing physiologically. The top speed, 71 miles per hour, can usually be maintained for only 200-300 yards.  At that point, the Cheetah's body temperature increases from the exertion and rest is mandatory. 

Charlie is an endangered species.  I have really enjoyed photographing him at Panther Ridge.   

Horses at Panther Ridge

Went back to Panther Ridge a second time, this time they had a few horses for us to photograph.  A few of them were practicing jumps. 

 But this horse was acting playful and made me laugh.

I think if you look closely enough, you could see what he had for breakfast.  He's not shy.