We are docked at Tien Sa Port, Vietnam, 7.5 miles from Danang, the third largest city in the country.  What most remember of this area is China Beach. Why?  There was a TV series that ran for four season from 1988 to 1991, set in an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War  in the late 1960s at My Khe Beach, Danang. China Beach , had a  Rotten Tomatoes  score of 94. Show was actually filmed in California. American soldiers use this R&R spot, and provided the nickname, China Beach. No official length, but a series of beaches over a 21-mile stretch of the coastline beginning in Danang, going south. I was here in 2010.  A quote from my posting. I am now at the Furama Resort in Da Nang. I walked out to the beach, looked one way, and couldn't see the end of the beach. Then I looked at the other end and couldn't see the end of the beach.     China Beach is 20 miles long   and mostly about 100 yards wide. Some of you might have watched   ...

Again, my tasting session in The Living Room Bar was the highlight of the day.  The Luminara is docked in the port of Phu Mai, Thailand.  I guess this is also called Saigon Port. Lunch was a steak salad with pepperoni pizza.  Except that this was not pepperoni but some other kind of sausage. On the way back to our stateroom, dropped by The Living Room Bar for a Kentucky whisky tasting, all bourbons, except the ninth one was a rye.  Started with Four Roses and Basil Hayden. You can see all the bourbons from left to right. I then mixed all nine bourbons into one blend.  Tasted it.  Great.  For something different, because there is no such thing as a peaty bourbon, I had Alfarino smoke my combo.   For further uniqueness, he had a way to add bubbles. He also had a foamy additive, but said it doesn't work for whiskies.  So he went ahead and made a foamy whisky sour. Should have gone for a long walk, but instead took a nap.  Went to Mistr...

This scenic cruise on the Diamond Princess of Halong Bay ranks up there with my first view of the Grand Canyon, the fulfilling experience of Niagara Falls and incredible visit to Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.  This latter waterfall system is the largest system in the world.   Went there 8 years ago: has a max flow more than five times that of the Niagara is 50% higher is three times wider has 275 drops versus 3 is 200,000 years old compared to 12,000 is a UNESCO World Heritage Site--Niagara Falls not but is difficult to reach Woke up to see another ship next to us.  Just in time, for the Diamond Princess was departing at 7:35 in the morning. Here are videos of our scenic cruise. Lunch brought back noodles, Dinner was again in the Pacific Room.  Ordered only appetizers. First, salad with Pasta E Fagioli.  Duckhorn Chardonnay. Duck Liver Paté and Oysters Rockefeller, The dessert menu, . Harvey's Bristol Cream on ice and a cream brulé Did...