Vietnamese is a ridiculously difficult language to learn. I thought Spanish was hard, but this Vietnamese in an entirely different league. There are five different tones. A word takes on a whole different meaning depending upon whether you say it…
Foodie update ~ Sea snails, Superfoods, and Sweets, Viet Nam
Sea snails Just one of the more intriguing street side vendors… cooked on the street corner with lemon grass and spring onions and served with a spicy chili sauce. Utensil used for spearing the snail and extraction, are small metal…
Limestone cliffs and rice paddies … beauty all around ~ Tam Coc Garden Hotel
We take the 9 a.m. train out of Hanoi, towards Ninh Binh in the countryside. The train is pretty easy. We are the only non Vietnamese (falang = gringo in Latin America), and squeeze into our seats with the rest…
First Vietnamese connections
Building a new life is a multi-dimensional process. One selects a place, a region, a city or a neighborhood. Then one starts making human connections. Some are transient, others are lasting. One never knows. Here are early connections that already…
Foodie update ~ fish, eel, crab in Hanoi, Viet Nam
It’s quite obvious that we are going to have a problem writing this blog. It’s going to seem as though we are doing nothing but eating… Well, that in fact may be true, but it’s not our fault. World class…
Day trip from Hanoi, Viet Nam to an ancient farming village
After spending a week in the bustle and hustle of Hanoi, we head out to visit an ancient farming village which has managed to stay relatively intact over the past 100 or so years. The ubiquitous triangular hats and water…
Hanoi street vignettes, Viet Nam
Hanoi is full of visual surprises. Foot Massage parlors are EVERYWHERE! At about $10 for a 60mn reflexology session, it is hard NOT to have one every day… This building goes to more length than most to distinguish itself from…
Temple of Literature ~ Hanoi, Viet Nam
A rate example of well preserved Vietnamese architecture, the Temple of Literature, founded in 1070 (yes, 1000 years ago!!), by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong who dedicated to Confucius in order to honor scholars and men of literary accomplishments. The first…