Sandra Scott Travels

There are many interesting places to visit in Vietnam and one of the most colorful places is the Cao Dai temple not far from Saigon. Cao Dai is a religion that was founded in southern Vietnam in 1926 mixing ideas from many other religions. Cao Dai draws upon ideas from Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity. Its saints includes such diverse figures as the Buddha, Confucius, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Pericles, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Sun Yat-sen.

Cookbooks are one of the most popular selling genres and now people can turn to the internet for recipes plus we all have family recipes. But, the best way to learn a new recipe is to take a cooking class. John and I have enjoyed cooking classes in several countries and we always learn more than something new to cook. When John and I were in Seoul, Korea, we took a cooking class at O’ngo Food Communications.

Nicaragua is the new Central American hot spot. Costa Rica has been done, so now people are looking for a new tropical adventure that is unspoiled. Nicaragua has a coast on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans offering visitors beaches, rainforest, history, colorful culture and adventure.

John and I arrived in Nicaragua late in the afternoon and so we stayed at the Las Mercedes Best Western Hotel which is across from the airport. The hotel provides free transportation but it is walkable from the airport. Ometepe Island, located in Lake Nicaragua, is one of the world’s largest freshwater islands. The island was formed thousands of years ago when sand accumulated creating an isthmus between the two volcanoes. Only the Conception Volcano is active.

O’Henry is better known for “The Gift of the Magi” but he also wrote “Cabbages and Kings” based on his stay in Trujillo, where he fled in order to avoid being charged with embezzlement. He coined the phrase “Banana Republic.” The book was written in 1904 but not much has changed in Trujillo. Trujillo has a fascinating history.

The Gerald R. Ford Library in Ann Arbor on the University of Michigan’s campus has the President Ford’s baby book indicating that his birth name was Leslie Lynch King Jr. He didn’t change his name legally until he was 22. Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but was raised in Grand Rapids and graduated from the University of Michigan where he played football.

When John and I were on the last leg of our Blount Small Ship cruise, it included a visit to Hyde Park and West Point. The scenery along the Hudson River was beautiful as we passed by several lighthouses, under some bridges, and by some stunning countryside. It is easy to see why President Franklin Roosevelt said, “All that is within me cries out to go back to my home on the Hudson River.”