Oct. 28 – Day 8 – We are now back on the power boats and arriving at our floating hotel. There are several of them lined up here. We are going out to the outer islands to spend a calm and silent night. We climb aboard the ship and are directed to our rooms. They are lovely. One wall is a sliding door that opens to a balcony. The bathroom is more than adequate.

In a few moments all of the boasts are heading out to sea between the most beautiful small and tall islands one has ever seen. We are in flotilla of these boats. I suppose there is safety in numbers.

After passing many islands and coming to an even more beautiful spot far from the coast now behind us, we drop anchor and look in amazement at the world around us. We are perhaps a hundred yards from any other vessel and the islands seem to float on the clear blue water. We have passed every size and shape of island possible and are now in a silent sea and watching the blue translucent water and verdant scenery all around us in amazement.

The walls of our room are made of a dark wood with a shinny finish and everything is as clean as a whistle. We have air conditioning above our bed. The boat is three levels tall with a deck on top. 

The food is served buffet style and there will be a cooking demonstration. Yes, some of us will participate. You know what that means. Yes, I did participate and did a fair job of making a flower out of a tomato.

There will be squid fishing later tonight off of the ship. They use lamps and flashlights to attract the squid.

Mark Twain would feel at home here among these boats. They look like Mississippi steam ships without the paddle wheels. They are decorated with dark turned posts and victorian style carving on the facias and wood trim. The boats are white for the most part with dark wood accents. I looked for Mr. Twain but could not find him. Perhaps he had found the whisky and the card game in the engine room. I did not. My wife had a sharp eye on me and I could not escape.

I am resting in our cabin as we sail northwest back to the mainland on smooth seas under a clear sky.

My wife as usual has taken very good care of me as we have been traveling. She has kept me from mischief as best she can and saved me from embarrassment more than once.

That is part of her job, after all. Men need the guiding hand of a woman, to become civilized.

We have just left the Hang Tien cave where people lived in its warm embrace thousands of years ago. It was spacious and had a pleasant air about it when lit by electric lights. It was a dry refuge if nothing else. Perhaps it was not so inviting back a few thousand years ago. But better in a cave than out in the rain.

By the way, I have several novels available on Amazon. Look for “The Adventures of the Smith Family” and others on Amazon by R. C. Hand