Xin Chao from Saigon!

"Xin Chao" is Vietnamese for "Hello", so Hello from Saigon! :)  We are settled in at the Rex hotel now here in Saigon.  The first part of our trip is finished, and now we begin the grand finale - meeting David and bringing him home!  

The flight from Hoi An/Danang to Saigon is only one hour, but it feels as though you have travelled to a whole new world.  Saigon feels like a very large American city, but Bill & I can't agree which one it is most like.  Bill says Saigon reminds him of New York, with all the hustle and bustle and the fact that it never slows down much at night.  I think of the Las Vegas strip a little here, with all the neon lights and a bit of glitz.  Saigon is the most Western of all the cities in Vietnam, with a melting pot of architecture, restaurants, and people.  We seemed to be the only Americans in the other parts of Vietnam.  In Saigon, on the other hand, we are one of many, and we were able to have spaghetti, pizza, and Diet Coke today for lunch.  I even bought Maybelline lipstick yesterday at the mall across the street from our hotel.  Having experienced several parts of Vietnam, I have to say though, that what you gain in convenience in Saigon, you lose a bit in culture and charm.  Saigon's new, it's modern, it's sleek - it's just a little low on history and beauty compared with other parts of the country.

On Saturday when we arrived here, we toured the downtown area a little bit and saw some of the beautiful buildings here.  We went by the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post office, and the local market here.  We had intended to tour Reunification Palace on Sunday, but it was closed due to the funeral of a previous Vietnamese Prime Minister.  Instead, we went to Saigon's Chinatown and saw the throngs of cheap products that you can buy there.  We also enjoyed wandering through some of the interesting shops and galleries in downtown.  Sunday night, Bill & I had dinner on a boat cruise on the Saigon River, which runs adjacent to the downtown area.  It was a great view of the lights of the city and a great way to finish our touring time.

Tomorrow, we will head down to Vinh Long and Can Tho.  Vinh Long is a small, rural town without Western hotels or restaurants safe for the tummy, so we'll stay in Can Tho across the river.  Can Tho is the fourth largest city in the country (after Saigon, Hanoi, and Danang).  The other three adoption families here right now all have children at the Can Tho orphanage, so we'll be able to spend some of the evenings with them.  We'll ferry back and forth across the river to visit the orphanage until David's G&R ceremony on Thursday morning.  If all goes smoothly, we will travel back to Saigon with David on Thursday afternoon and fly to Hanoi on Monday, June 23.  

Next post:  David! :)

The Charm of Hoi An

A View of Hue

Hue and Hoi An - Part 2

Hoi An
.
Note to readers: I posted these blogs about Hue and Hoi An at the same time. Sorry for the delay, we have had limited internet access. Start with the one below about Hue, then move on to this one!
.
We drove from Hue to Hoi An, crossing the mountains at Hai Van Pass – literally translated Pass of the Ocean Clouds. The road is the Vietnamese Route 1 – interestingly, the same as the other side of the Pacific along the California coastline. The road winds along the coast, through rice patties with views of the ocean and little fishing villages beyond. You pass the little town of Lang Co, where we stopped for a break and took pictures of the aquariums of fresh seafood where you can pick and eat! They have prawns here that are as long as from my hand to my elbow! Past Lang Co, we headed up the pass across the mountains. The road is lush and pretty, with greenery growing everywhere – very tropical. For those of you wondering, I did great despite my tendency towards carsickness, probably because you only drive about 20 mph max and because my Mom and Leigh B. have been praying for my tummy! J Seriously, the road is lovely and in good condition, although it is very steep (8% grade) and filled with switchbacks and hairpin curves. We enjoyed the drive during the day, but I kept thinking how scary it must’ve been for the U.S. military that defended it during the War – literally, every turn was a spot for ambush from the Viet Kong. Even today, it’s probably pretty hairy when it’s wet, as indicated by the number of altars along the way built to the god of not dying in a car crash!
.
After the pass, we reached Danang – today a bustling industrial town and major seaport, during the War a large base for US operations and the well-known China Beach. If Hue is a picture of Vietnam’s past, Danang may be its future – tons of industrial factories making everything from LG washing machines to Crocs shoes. The beach is also a skyline of tower cranes right now, building resorts as far as you can see. Some of the travel magazines call Danang “the next Hawaii” and I understand why, because there are high-rise beachfront resorts and condos, as well as ultra-luxurious spa-type lush resorts being built everywhere. Twenty years ago, the land along the beachfront from Danang to Hoi An (about 20 miles) was so worthless that it was only used as cemeteries – nothing grew and everything flooded there. Now, it’s a tourism goldmine!
.
There’s good reason for all the building, because the beach is gorgeous. It reminded Bill & me of the Florida panhandle – wide, white beaches, blue ocean with low surf great for swimming, jet-skiing and fishing. It is even better here, though, because there are mountain views as well. Amazingly pretty!
.
Hoi An is charming. The people here are craftsmen – very talented at all sorts of handcrafts. We stopped at a marble factory, where they carve ornate marble and jade sculptures. We toured a ceramics village, where clay is still mixed by feet (stomping to soften and mix it, sort of like old-time wine production) and then pottery is formed and fired. Very pretty people, but very, very poor – the mechanized production of dishes and steel cookware has left them almost penniless, and it shows. A highlight for us was to stop at a silk factory, where we toured to see all the way from the silkworms through the production of the silk, the huge rooms of looms, and then the finished fabric. We splurged on some handmade, custom clothing there – Bill bought silk shirts and had a suit and a blazer made, I had two silk blouses and two skirts made. (The highest-quality, hand-made, silk blouse with gorgeous embroidery cost me $30 – what a deal!)
.
Hoi An was an ancient seaport, and it feels like a melting pot here. We walked the town (no cars allowed in town) and saw a Japanese-style covered bridge, a Chinese clan meeting house, and a 400-year-old typical Hoi An Vietnamese home. Really neat! Just like in most of Vietnam, the front of each house is a shop or restaurant, selling anything from handmade jewelry to clothes to paintings. The back of the house and the second story are where the family lives. Most Vietnamese still sleep on a bamboo mat, although many put the mat on a solid wood bed frame now instead of on the ground – still not our cushy American beds! Most Vietnamese also still cook behind their homes unless it rains, often on a wood-fired small stove. Propane is available, but is still pretty expensive, so they try to save money and cook over wood fire instead.
.
Even though the cooking is simple, the food is incredible – really the best we’ve had so far in Vietnam. Hoi An specializes in rice vermicelli noodles, often served stir-fried with a sauce of peanuts, lime juice, chilies, and soy sauce. They’re topped with pork or shrimp, bamboo sprouts, and lots of mint and cilantro. Tasty! My favorite here is the wontons – a large wonton (like 4-inches square) deep fried crispy and served with diced vegetables on top. So good! Will would love it here because they always serve the fried wontons with the meals – he calls them “Chinese Chips” when we order take-out at home, and they are his favorite part of the meal! The first night, we had dinner at a lovely restaurant on their outdoor patio under a bamboo-thatched roof. A few minutes into dinner, a huge thunderstorm came up, but we stayed totally dry, enjoying our dinner while listening to the rain on the roof and enjoying the coolness the rain brings – really a wonderful evening!
.
We also went for a walk on the beach, Bill swam in the ocean just to say he’d done the beach on both sides of the Pacific, I sat under a bamboo-thatched umbrella and sipped fruit juice – all included with our hotel room! Like I said, it’s the next Hawaii! :) I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful the flowers are on our hotel grounds, so I’ll post pictures instead. Let’s just say, there are so many flowers here and they put them everywhere – on the bed, on the bathroom counter, even in the toilets! :)
.
Later today, we will drive back to Danang and fly to Saigon. We will tour there for a couple of days, and then meet up with our Dillon group to go see David! :) We had a special surprise, as many of the Dillon families received their travel approvals this week, including our dear friends from OKC, Mai & Chad. They are meeting us Monday in Saigon, and we are thrilled! :) Their son is in Can Tho, where we will spend our nights, across the Mekong River from where David is in Vinh Long. My heart already races at the idea that we are maybe 4-5 days from meeting him for the first time!
.
Off to catch our flight to Saigon! More to come soon!

Hue and Hoi An - Part 1

Hue and Hoi An
.
Hue and Hoi An are smaller Vietnamese cities, lying closer to the center of the country. Though they are only maybe 50-60 miles apart, they are almost two different worlds.
.
Hue is the old imperial city, where the last kings of Vietnam lived. In the early-1800’s, the king of Vietnam moved the capital of the country from Hanoi to Hue, to a more central geography for better control of the entire country and to be farther away from the threat of Chinese invasion. The past still looms large in Hue, and most of the tourist sites relate to the king. We toured the remains of the imperial palace and stood on the top of the wall where the king would address all of the people. We also toured the tomb of Ming Mang – considered one of the fairest and best of the Vietnamese kings. It’s not a tomb in the way we think as Americans; rather, it is a beautiful acreage, with ornate gardens and several buildings all surrounded by a high stone wall. King Ming Mang was said to have had 500 wives and 142 children (at least, though with 500 wives, how could you really keep track!). When he died, all of his wives and children moved to the tomb site to live out the rest of their lives. Although one of his sons became the new king, keeping all the jealous brothers, sisters, and mothers nearby evidently was not an option!
.
Hue is also linked to the past in another strong way. It is the closest significantly-sized city to the heart of the fighting of the Vietnam War. We took a boat ride a couple of miles up the river from Hue, and we were only maybe 20 miles from the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and could still see remnants of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the mountain in front of us. There are reminders of the war all around Hue – concrete bunkers, old military bunkhouses, and lots of stories of the war. It’s amazing how close we were to it all – only 15-20 miles from Quan Tri, maybe 50 miles from the border to Laos. Our guide was 8 years old when Saigon fell, and he remembers much about the war. Hue was strongly sympathetic to the South and very allied to the American forces there, so life was hard for them after the war ended. Although the area seems to have a good future with lots of industry and manufacturing building nearby and promising tourism with the Imperial and military sites, the past will always be near in Hue.
.
The Hue festival was going on while we were in town. The city was at its prettiest, with silk lotus flowers and lanterns hung in all the trees. Hue is cut in half by the Perfume River, and the heart of town lies along its banks. There were huge silk lotus flowers (bigger than a boat) floating in the river that lit up at night. The bridges across the river were all lit up as well – really enchanting, especially looking down from our 12th floor hotel room. The festival was a week of music and dance troupes from around the world. There were also boat races during the day, where teams of paddlers (think crew in a Vietnamese bamboo boat!) would race on the river. Each village could submit one team to race, and the winners received $500 U.S. and a pig! There were lots of people sitting on the shore watching the races when we took our boat tour up the Perfume River.
.
Hoi An is next!

Ha Long Bay!

A view of Hanoi

Ha Long Bay

How do you describe Ha Long Bay?  There just aren’t words.  Now, keep in mind that Bill & I grew up in Colorado, hiking in the Rockies.  We’ve travelled just about everywhere in the U.S. but there is nothing, nothing, nothing we’ve ever seen as beautiful as this place.  The rocks, the greenery, the peaceful waters – it’s just indescribable. 

We booked an overnight cruise on a boat in Ha Long Bay.  We arrived about noon, boarded the boat, and were absolutely floored.  It looked nice in the website pictures, but it is the most beautiful  hotel we’ve ever stayed in.  The floors are teak wood, the walls and ceilings paneled in bamboo.  The dining room has silk tablecloths and hotel china.  The staterooms are queen-sized beds with fluffy hotel linens and full-sized bathrooms and showers.  So luxurious!

We had lunch on the boat while sailing to our first stop.  First stop was an island with a beach and lookout tower.  The tower was 400 VERY steep steps up, but really worth the climb.  You could see the whole bay from up there!  Okay, I admit, Bill made it to the top of the 400 steps – I stopped at an intermediate landing at 250 – still really great! :)  He keeps telling me he’s one up on me though, at the top of the world! 

We sailed on a bit more, and then anchored for the night.  Bill & I had made arrangements for a two-person kayak.  We kayaked for about an hour or so, through a couple of caves and to a hidden lake, completely surrounded by one of the Ha Long islands.  It was just about the coolest thing we’ve ever done!  We saw sea eagles swooping down over us to catch fish straight from the bay.  One of the caves had a lot of bats too – yikes!  Little mouse-sized ones, but still!  Our guide went first and chased them out, but the bat-thought was definitely on my mind! :)  When we got half-way inside, Bill says, “Boy, I bet there are a lot of snakes and spiders in here too!” just to be mean to me!  No more Indiana Jones movies for him for awhile!

We swam a little, and then had a nice Vietnamese dinner of fresh fish and seafood on the boat.  Prawns were the size of your hand, I swear!  So good! 

In the morning, we had coffee and croissants, and then went to tour another island to tour a really big cave there.  It’s like 10,000 square meters – really big!  We came back to a huge brunch on the boat and some free time to write this post while sailing back to Ha Long Town.

On the way to and from Ha Long Bay, we stopped at Dong Trieu ceramic and pottery village for some major shopping.  This village is all staffed by disabled children and street children.  The village supports them as well as trains them to the highest level in all sorts of Vietnamese handwork – jade carving, marble carving, jewelry making, embroidery, lacquer ware, silk-making and embroidery, and woodcarving.  It is just literally room after room after room of beautiful, unusual things made by these kids.  They are beyond talented.  Suffice it say, we already have to buy a new suitcase! :)  Please, please, please stop here though if you travel to Ha Long Bay!  It’s so great because it provides for those who most need it and it is a quick and easy way to hit a lot of the highlights all at once.  All prices are in US dollars, and you really don’t bargain here, which is great for me.  I love this country so much, I keep wanting to pay more for what I buy, rather than less, so I stink at the bargaining!

 Tonight we are off to Hoa Sua – a recommendation of the Clines, our resident Hanoi experts! :)  It is a French restaurant that is also run as a training center for disadvantaged young people.  Our tour guide said he thinks it is some of the best Western food in Hanoi as well.  We’ll let ya know! :)

P.S. - I posted two posts at the same time, so read about Hanoi below, if you haven't done so yet! 

Touring Hanoi

I’m totally enchanted with Hanoi!  It’s a mix of old and new everywhere – literally.  On the same street, you can buy either a brand-new, state-of-the-art LG washing machine (your drooling, Shelly Cline!) or a freshly-butchered pig!  There are thousands of little shops everywhere, each its own little Mom-&-Pop place with its own little niche.  Usually they only sell one or two items in each place – might be copier paper, might be kites, might be shoes, and might be copper wire.  But it’s their specialty, and they seem to make a happy living at it.  All the shopkeepers sit  on little plastic step stools in front of their shops, eating noodles, playing with their children, maybe shucking corn for tonight’s dinner, talking together.  It’s really peaceful in the midst of the big-city chaos.

Because Hanoi is a really BIG city.  It feels bigger here than Chicago to me.  Not bigger as in skyscrapers, bigger as in waaaaay more people.  There are people and motorscooters and cars everywhere.  The streets are very, very full with everyone just living there lives – going to the market for food (so gorgeous, I think I may never shop at my sad little grocery store again!), running errands, delivering goods…you name it.

We spent the first half of our tour day in Hanoi visiting the major sites.  We saw the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s house, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Hanoi Hilton Prison (really creepy!), Hoan Kiem Lake, The Red Bridge and a Temple by the Lake.  It sounds like a lot, but really everything is only packed into the downtown area – only about maybe one or two square miles, so you can get to all of it really quickly.  (We also had a tour guide who knew where he was going to make it happen too!)  I wish I could describe everything to you, but I just don’t have that much typing time!  My general impression is that it is all beautiful, and it is so much better with a guide to tell you the stories behind the buildings.  There is so much history, pride, and tradition here in Hanoi – it is reminded Bill & I constantly of how you feel when you visit Washington D.C. 

Late in the afternoon, we went to the Water Puppet Theater.  It’s neat to see – basically, the puppets are controlled with really long bamboo sticks submerged under a pool of water, so it looks like the puppets are floating on the pool.  The puppet show is accompanied by traditional Vietnamese singers and musicians, playing instruments similar to an autoharp, a mandolin, and big kettle drums.  They sing the stories that the puppets are acting out in Vietnamese, sort of like an opera.  The sound is sort of beautiful and eerie all at the same time.  It must be a tourist favorite, because there were a ton of charter buses parked in front, and we were NOT the only Americans there! :)

More to tell you later!  Ha Long Bay is next!

Hello from Hanoi!

We’ve made it to Hanoi!  After a couple of long days on airplanes, we have arrived in Hanoi!  We flew from OKC to Chicago, Chicago to Tokyo (12-hr flight), and then Tokyo to Hanoi (5-hr flight).  Our flight from Chicago to Tokyo was a 777 – the biggest of the commercial airplanes, and every single seat was full.  It is amazing to think that there are probably 500 people on your plane.  The service was great, but there’s just no getting around the fact that 12 hours is a LONG time to be on the plane!

We’re settled for a couple of days here in Hanoi.  Tomorrow, we are taking a tour of some of the major sites in the city – Ho Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh’s Masoleum, the Hanoi Hilton Prison Site, the One Pillar Pagoda, and the Temple of Literature.  We’ll round out the day with a ride in a cyclo (think peddle-cab or rickshaw on a bike) and a Water Puppet Theater show.  Should be a whirlwind, but a good way to get to see the grandness of Old Hanoi.

Thanks for all your prayers for our flight and smooth arrival.  All baggage arrived and cleared customs easily.

We’ll try to get some photos posted before we leave for Ha Long Bay if we can!