More Vietnam Pictures!

Me in my cute conical hat!

The best French bread in the world... besides France!








Old gentlemen playing checkers (or something like checkers).








Some random fruit seller pushed her pole on me and made me carry it. I think they expect to be paid for the novelty of holding their stuff. It was pretty heavy.








The village kids knew one word in English (Hello) and every kid that passed said it to Kuang. For some reason they found it a real riot to hear him say something back to them.

On top of the mountain thingy in the middle of Ha Long Bay. We had to climb over 400 steps to reach the top!



The cave we explored in Ha Long Bay.









The coolest trashcan in the world (they had penguins too!) These were in the cave in Ha Long Bay. Random, but true. If they would've sold these in the giftshops, I swear I would've bought one. I can't resist their cute little faces.

The "toilet" at the prison.







A street vendor in Hanoi.

Me looking adorable.

Shops in Hanoi.









Kuang posing in front of a pile of trash.

Season I, Eposode 1: Vietnam, Land of No Rules

Vietnam is a great place, don't get me wrong. But if you are the type who tends to be a bit "blur" (Singlish for "head in the clouds") like me, you may want to travel with someone else who can warn you about oncoming vehicles and swerving motorcycles. I almost got run over quite a few times actually. Apparently traffic laws do not exist in Vietnam. Or if they do, no one cares! Technically they drive on the right side of the road like in America, but often both sides are fair game, as is the sidewalk and even the middle of the street. Motorists don't seem to care how they get places or who they have to run over to get there. But hey, if you want excitement, this is the place to go! For those extreme thrill seekers, try renting your own motorcycle! Warning: in the six days we were there, I saw four motorcycle accidents....

We spent most of our trip in Hanoi in Northern Vietnam. Nice for a short visit I suppose, but I can't say I'll go again anytime soon. I didn't find the people particularly friendly (see above traffic comments) and it is very difficult to make yourself understood if you don't speak the language. Most Vietnamese don't seem to speak English. I would recommend getting a "fixer" as Kuang calls them, who speaks English and can help you get to where you want to go. Otherwise you end up all over the countryside looking and random pottery villages catering entirely to tourists... but that's another story completely.

Things worth doing and seeing in Hanoi:

The Waterpuppet show- Yes, it is very touristy and everyone there was white, but still. It's interesting. Amazing what they can do with puppets.

Pho- (pronounced like "fuh") Noodle soup, yum. Vietnam is famous for it's noodle soup, the most popular is the beef and the chicken. Chicken is hard to find now because of Bird Flu but the best meal we had there was definitly the chicken pho.

Ao Dai- (pronounced "ow zai" in the North, "ow yai" in the South) The traditional costume of Vietnamese women. A lot like a Chinese cheongsam, but slit high up the sides and worn with pants underneath. I bought four tailor-made dresses for US$30 each.








Cyclo- A small two seater with umbrella on top, attached to a bicycle. Fun and dangerous! One ride is enough in these things!

Hanoi Hilton- Don't be fooled by the name. It's really a prison where many American prisoners spent their time during the Vietnam War (known as the American War there.) The prisoners knew it affectionately by this name. From an American perspective, this is interesting to see. It is tiny and dismal and pretty depressing if you think about all the torture they went through. Look for the two rooms dedicated entirely to propaganda claiming that Americans were treated well and humanely during their stay... Senator John Mc Cain was kept there and they have his uniform on display, along with several random sweaters, blankets and shoes that were graciously given to the American's to make them more comfortable....

I took this picture while sitting on the floor in this cell. I wanted to see what it felt like for the prisoners. It creeped me out and I ran out as soon as I'd taken the picture....

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum- Ok, so I slept in and didn't make it to this one, but I heard it was a hoot. Basically you walk in and file past a dead and preserved Ho Chi Minh. You're not allowed to speak, walk too fast or too slow or to take pictures. Interesting fact: he didn't want to be preserved and gawked at, he wanted to be creamated. Go figure.

If you're going to visit Northern Vietnam, you MUST take a trip to Ha Long Bay. It is truly spectacular and definitly worth a look. We stayed on a Chinese junk that took us around the bay and to explore a cave in the middle of the bay, then to climb a big mountain island. We slept on the boat in the bay, then cruised back to the harbor and went back to Hanoi. It was definitley the most enjoyable part of the trip for me. There whole bay is filled with karst formations (like jagged mountain islands all over the place) and the water is very green (and probably very polluted since we saw them dumping the contents of the boat refuse into it.)

All in all, it was a great trip, not at all relaxing, except at Ha Long Bay, but it was interesting. I give it 3 1/2 out of five stars! More pictures will be posted soon!