I TRY to keep up with Ben. If you know Ben, then you know that he is a most adaptable creature. For the next chapter of our lives in Viet Nam, he reinvented himself as a bamboo industry guy ~…
The bounty of food markets of Asia ~ Viet Nam (part 1)
Our recent visit to, and blog post about Colombo’s Pettah Market here in Sri Lanka, reminded us how much we have enjoyed experiencing markets all over the world. Markets are where it’s at when it comes to cultural discovery and…
Ben sculpts ~ Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An may be about the architecture and the food and the beach, but Than Ha, the nearby town where fishermen live, has another striking attribute: it is a centuries-old hub for ceramics and pottery. We know the ceramics capability…
A return to resonance, in Hoi An (Viet Nam)
Hoi An is a place we keep coming back to. It’s not ONE thing that draws us back, but rather a unique combination of several traits of Hoi An that just make it an inevitable long term “home base” for…
Adam’s Iphone pics of central Viet Nam.
For years, our son Adam nurtured a twin passion for gastronomy and photography. For a while, we thought he would become a professional photographer, but the pull of the kitchen proved stronger and he became a chef. Still, Adam has…
Ho Chi Minh Trail, Viet Nam ~ Day One: From Hoi An to Kham Duc
The night before we embark on a big adventure — namely a motorbike ride form Hoi An in the center of the country, across the Central Highlands of Vietnam I have mixed feelings about this upcoming trip. Of course, I…
Travel by motorcycle ~ over the mountainous Hai Van Pass from Hoi An to Hue, Viet Nam
After almost a week back in Hoi An, relaxing at the Sleepy Gecko hostel, we decide on our next move. We are ready to have a new adventure. Our journey will take us in a Northernly direction towards the Imperial…
Hoi An, Viet Nam ~ ceramics, temples and seafood
Though a small town, Hoi An is a treasure trove of surprises at so many levels. Here is a smattering of Hoi An moments… and an inevitable set of culinary vignettes of Vietnamese street food culture. For us, Hoi An has…