Our first friend to jump on the opportunity to join us in Vietnam, is my life long friend Lois (aka Lo, Loi, Loee po…).
We go back to my Cincinnati days, before our kids were born and have dealt with our lives’ many twists and turns together. Lois visited us twice in Nicaragua and now she jumped on the plane to visit us here in Vietnam.
When she arrived, she asked “Where exactly am I? What city am I in…?” in true Lois style. She had no preconceived ideas nor reading done, given her busy life as head of Radiology Dept in a leading hospital in Cincinnati.
Below a photo essay of our time and adventures together in Vietnam for two weeks.
 |
| Always active together. Stretching it out in front of a temple. |
 |
| Our first motorbike ride into the outlying countryside near Hoi An |
 |
| Toes and bettel shells at the courtyard of a temple |
 |
| A hazy day hug |
 |
| and a kiss… |
 |
| wheeeee! |
Each day starts with a visit to the Tra Que water wheel restaurant “girls” ~ our first friends from our stay on the organic farm (where the restaurant is located.) Lois became a “defacto” family member during her stay here.
A visit to the An Bang Beach with “the girls”” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR1WytVu9E0
Our most brilliant move was to organize a personal motorbike driver (“xe om”) while Lois was here. How lucky we were to connect with Hanh (aka Flower). Hahn morphed from xe om driver to multi dimensional personal assistant and close friend.
Lois was invited to visit Hanh’s home, meet her family and had a really close connection with her. Hanh has the perfect laid back personality and good energy that fit right in with the three of us. We had great fun together.
 |
| On the back of the bike, on one of our adventures |
 |
| Pit stop along the way…. |
 |
| Biker chicks |
Lois’s position as head of Radiology in a hospital gave her an insight on the use of masks, which she shared with us, shaping our strategy for our outreach to potential hospital related applications.
 |
| Once you start wearing face masks, you wonder how you managed without them before! |
 |
| Stopping at the “fish cake/patty factory” near our house |
One of the highlights of Lois’s trip was our visit to My Son, Vietnam’s most significant archaeological ruins, an hour away from Hoi An.
 |
| Along the way…. a bamboo broom “workshop” |
 |
| Walking through and experiencing the magic of “My Son” (pronounced Mee sunh |
 |
| The temples at My Son are dedicated to the goddess SHIVA |
 |
| Taking a break inside a temple |
We had fun introducing Lois to many of our local favorite places to catch a Vietnamese yummy bite ~
 |
| An Bang beach… for Ben’s French breakfast on the top right ~ baguette and cappucino, and our fish carpaccio |
 |
| Banh Mi ~ A baguette filled Vietnamese sandwich on the go |
 |
| Breakfast spot for Mi Quang ~ rice noodles, greens, broth and of course chilis. |
Hoi An is known for its 400 tailors, a huge assortment of fabrics and silk and the ability to copy or create designs in 24 hours. Perfect opportunity for Lois to refresh and replenish her wardrobe – especially for work and tango dancing. Lois was delighted to have Ben as her fashion consultant for designs and Peta as her color advisor. Let the shopping frenzy begin…..
 |
| Full moon celebration in Hoi An. Children with candles in paper holders which bring good luck when floated down the river |
Want more? See this great video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL9cPSL4pvk
Cool stripe pants, I hope Ben got some too! 🙂