We left Hanoi today and I am a bit sad. Suzanne and I both really enjoyed our time in Vietnam and especially Hanoi. We had low expectations for Vietnam and wondered how we would spend three weeks there. Now we are wondering if we left too soon! It was very authentic and beautiful. It has … Continue reading Hanoi – Beautiful Chaos
Ha Long means “descending dragon” because there is a Vienamese myth that a dragon mom and her babies came down to earth and made huge rock karsts (like mountains) in the sea to protect Vietnam from intruders. We visited Ha Long Bay on a small ship and cruised through the islands. During our visit, we … Continue reading Descending Dragon Bay
The past few days did not go as planned, and winter seems to have caught up with us even as we try to chase summer. SE Asia is experiencing “unseasonably cold and wet weather,” so we are making the most of our time despite the rain and lack of warm clothing! On Sunday, we woke … Continue reading Changing with the Weather
On recommendation from several people, we took an unscheduled side trip to the town of Hue (Pronounced “Whey”). We had two open nights on our itinerary and heard there were some nice sites, a beautiful train journey to get there and some history related to the Vietnam War. We agree the train journey was beautiful … Continue reading Hue too Rainy
Even though we’ve moved on in Vietnam, Hoi An stays with us. Maybe it’s because we miss home, but we found it hard to say goodbye to the family we stayed with for six nights. A farewell dinner, parting gifts and hugs, strangers became friends in a once unknown and foreign place. The quaint town, … Continue reading Until We Meet Again, Hoi An
A few days ago we took a bike tour around Hoi An. Our guide was practicing her English. First, we took a ferry to an island. We rode around the corner to a place where they were making boats. I learned that the boats have eyes painted on them for three reasons: 1. to tell … Continue reading Learning How They Live Life in Hoi An
We’ve been in Hoi An, Vietnam for three days and I’m just able to collect my thoughts on this exotic world we’ve entered. After hearing about the country for many years in terms of war and politics, I wasn’t sure what to expect of the culture and its people, and what they would think of … Continue reading First Impressions of Vietnam
We were impressed with how many interesting activities Siem Reap, Cambodia had to offer. Of course there are the temple ruins of Angkor, but we also spent a day visiting a silk farm where they created beautiful fabrics literally from worm to loom. It was a hands-on, step by step tour that rivaled any school … Continue reading Field Trip to the Silk Farm
We’ve discovered a great way to dive into the culture and food of an unknown country, and I think we’ll adopt it as many times as we can along our journey. Taking a cooking course is a fun opportunity to unpack the traditional dishes that can, at first glance on a menu, look strange and … Continue reading Same, Same, But Different
About 1,000 years ago, Angkor was the capital of Cambodia. When Angkor had 1 million residents, London had only 50,000. They built hundreds of temples with large stones quarried 50 kilometers away and floated down the river by raft. The ruins that remain today are an adventure to explore. It looks like a scene from the … Continue reading Temple Run
