Our visit to the Hanoi Museum of Ethnology whets our appetite for visits to the countryside. In all, Vietnam is comprised of 54 distinct ethnic groups, each with their own language, traditions, arts, clothing etc. Here, 9 sub groups of…

Our visit to the Hanoi Museum of Ethnology whets our appetite for visits to the countryside. In all, Vietnam is comprised of 54 distinct ethnic groups, each with their own language, traditions, arts, clothing etc. Here, 9 sub groups of…
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 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…
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…
It’s been how long? 3 days since we arrived? “Don’t worry” Ben said, “I’m taking a LONG (and much deserved) break”… (before jumping back into work) MMhmm… OK, so on our second day, we open the Vietnam News (English newspaper)…
What to do when jetlagged and waking up at 4:30am? Join the locals of course and go for early morning exercise of stretching, yoga, walking etc… in the park around the lake, before the daily heat sets in. These people…
Strolling new pockets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, enjoying the colorful street scenes… The old quarter is of course only one small section of Hanoi, with other areas quite built up. Surprisingly while we understand Vietnams’ history with French colonialism, we…
After a fabulous transition from Nicaragua to a new adventure, we had 3 consecutive family visits to bond with family members on the West Coast. L.A. gave us the Sandzer connection, (Jacqueline, Chantal, Sophie and Kenny and Rebecca), Portland our…