Fishing the Gunpowder River Maryland

https://youtu.be/7c-TEtN2HYY

New Travel Apps

Travel Apps that can make your trip easier.

I have found a few apps that can really make your self planned trip easier. Android version. All of these apps can be kept on your phone to minimize the amount of tech you need to carry. If you have a good phone cam and a gimble or selfie stick you are set.

GPSmyCity has preloaded walking tours for many cities as well as good travel articles for those places. It uses the gps in your phone in advance mode.....or just follow the map in economy mode. Take tours without a group and at your own pace and enjoy the shopping and food tips in the articles.

Google Flights helps you look for great deals for plane tickets. In addition it helps you book hotels and find things to do.

SD Currency Converter. Look up exchange rates and figure out how much things cost in foreign currency.

Google Translate...is it perfect, no. But it can help you if you need to shop or go to the hospital in a foreign country. I would say its 80-90% accurate.

Pinterest is another app to find info about different locations like travel blogs...food and places of interest.

Google Lens...dont know what something is? Take a pic of it and find out. Food...plants, whatever. Great app to check out.

WhatApp - Skype. Basically any app to keep you in touch with friends and family back home. Works even when you have a foreign sym card from another country.

Google Maps. I find this works in every country I have visited. Of course it will depend on the network of the country you visit and amount of data you get with a sym card and plan.

Similar symbols of two Cities

Singapores Merlion and DaNangs Ca Chep Hoa Rong.

Ca Chep Hoa Rong. The carp dragon. Symbol for DaNang Vietnam. The carp symbolizes luck and perseverance and the dragon symbolizes power. The carp merges with the dragon in the water and becomes this. Local artists at the Marble Mountain village near DaNang spent 3 months carving this for DaNang. It sits on the Han river next to the dragon bridge.

Merlion. .The symbol of Singapore. Its a fish with a lions head  The fish symbolizes Singapores beginning as a fishing village. The lion represents Singapores name which means lion city. The symbol was designed by the Singapore Tourism Board in 1964.

Champa

 The Cham in Vietnam.

The Champa empire occupied the area of central Vietnam. Essentially from Hue to Nha Trang. The Champa were a collection of city states that prospered from sea trade. The South China Sea was called the Champa Sea during their time. Their empire was at it peak from the 7th to 10th centuries, and slowly declined until Minh Mang the second emperor of Vietnam annexed their lands. The were rivals of the Khmer and managed to sack Siam Reap in 1177, but later suffered defeats to the Khmer. 

My Son near the port city of Hoi An is the oldest of the Cham temple complexes. The Cham were great builders of brick temples and sculptors. They were predominately Hindu but some converted to Buddhism and Islam through the years. 

Temple at My Son

Sculptures at My Son.

Laterite - Building material of Asia

Laterite...what is it?

Laterite has commonly been referred to as a soil type as well as being a rock type.

Rich in iron and aluminum and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. It is typically cut into blocks and dried.

 Konark Sun Temple in India

The technology probably spread from India east to Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The material can be polished or left in a rough texture and sometimes stuccoed over. At Ankor Wat its used as a base material then clad with sandstone. In northern Vietnam its used instead of brick.                                                                                                           

Laterite brick walls near Hanoi.

Video of Laterite course in My Son, Champa temple.

Since laterite is porous it is light weight yet strong. It is used as a base course for roads, bearing walls and for aquifers. In its clay form it is cut in many sizes then dried and used. This makes it a very versatile building material.                                                                                                     

Laterite walls in East Mebon Siam Reap Cambodia.

The Ancient Imperial City of Hue

Imperial City - Hue, Vietnam

25 years of civil war between Gia Long and the Tay Sons finally ended with Gia Long as Emperor of Vietnam. Gia Long....nephew of the Last Nguyen Lord who was executed by the Tay Sons, now ruled what is modern day Vietnam. The year was 1802 and Gia Long set about securing his dynasty and country. Many citadels were built but Gia Long made Hue the capitol and made a square design for the citadel based on Chinese design rather than French design as the others were based on.

During the war Gia Long had received help from the French. Even tho Vietnam remained independent of the European powers, this help from the french would ultimately lead to french colonization of Vietnam in later years.

Statue of Gia Long over the site of his first citadel in Saigon.

Areal view of the city and Imperial city within to the right.

In 1947 the last Emperor Bao Dai abdicated. This lead to a ruinous period of neglect and partial destruction of the old city. Fighting between the French and Viet Minh as well as the TET offensive in 1968 between the forces of the North and South and the USA took its toll on the old city.

1968 TET offensive destruction.

Kien Trung Palace built by Emperor Khai Dinh currently being rebuilt.

The old city was added to by successive emperors for about 120 years. Tu Duc was essentially the last independent Emperor. His death in 1883 led to internal strife in addition to colonization pressure from France. The French laid siege to Hue and looted the city although they did allow the Nguyen Emperors to remain as a figurehead government until Bao Dai's abdication.

In the 1990's The Hue Monument Commission started a restoration program of the Citadel, Tombs and Monuments in and around Hue. Work is ongoing but great progress has been made. Tourism is around 2 million visitors a year. The history, architecture, food and close location to DaNang and Hoi An is what attracted me. The architecture in and around Hue is a mix of Asian and Western influences. The French left their mark in the cuisine and architecture. Hue has some of the best food in Vietnam and still retains its Viet heritage and charms.

 Above: Main Gate

Right: East gate 

Short video of Hue       

Interesting Cemeteries

Cemeteries you may and may not know of.

Cemeteries arent usually tourist destinations, but if you are near any of these places, take the time and visit.

1. Arlington Cemetery Virginia USA.


This was originally part of George Washingtons estate by the marriage to Martha Fairfax. Later Robert E. Lee married Washingtons granddaughter and took over. At the start of the Civil War he left due to its proximity to Washington DC. Union troops occupied it and used it as a field hospital and cemetery. Over the years it became a national cemetery for military veterans. John F Kennedy and the Tomb of the Unknown are notable burials.

2. Sulewasi Indonesia - Toraja cliff tombs and the walking dead. 
Funerals in the Toraja culture can take several years. The dead arent interred and are kept in the home...essentially mummified until preparations are finalized. This involves a feast and preparation of the tomb. A detailed explanation can be found at
https://maketimetoseetheworld.com/toraja-death-rituals-cave-burials-effigies-walking-dead/



3. Lafayette Cemetery, New Orleans La. USA

                                                                               photo by Rusty Travel Trunk

  The city's first planned cemetery, but not the oldest, it is notable for the architectural significance of its tombs and mausoleums, often containing multiple family members, and for its layout, a cruciform plan that allowed for funeral processions. This cemetery has been the location for many movies and music videos.

4. The hanging coffins of China on the Yangtze.

Practiced by the Bo people of China, this practice dates back 3000 years. There are many theories why this was done. A detailed explanation can be found at 
https://www.historicmysteries.com/hanging-coffins-china/