Vietnam

In the beginning of May we took a six day family vacation to Vietnam. We spent the first couple of days in Hanoi, the country's capitol and second largest city. As one would expect, Hanoi was teeming with people, noise, dust, horns, and manageable chaos. I did not expect to see so many motorcycles (upon which families of 2-4 people were perched) weaving in and out of the orchestrated mayhem that are the streets of Hanoi. We spent most of our time in the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake area.

Vietnam is known as one of the top 5 cities in the world for street food, and foodies also recognize Vietnam for its local cuisine at the other end of the spectrum. Vietnam's most widely known dish is called "Phở" - a simple noodle soup (usually eaten for breakfast) made with chicken or beef. Carmen, Ani and I ventured out one morning to try some Pho Ga... Ani thought it was the best meal she had the entire trip. I was not entirely in agreement but it was well worth the walk, playing frogger with the cars and motorbikes in the process.

we escape to taste the local Pho... tastes like chicken? Ummmm, no... another street food venture

We spent some time around the Lake, meandered through the city and the Old Quarter, traipsed through some of the varied and local markets, visited the Temple of Literature with the girls, and treated ourselves to one of Vietnam's most famous cultural traditions, a "water puppet show." Here, puppeteers (hidden behind a screen) maneuver big, lacquered wood puppets in waist deep water, while a traditional Vietnamese orchestra and singers provide music, vocals, and the backstory to the action. The puppeteers are amazingly skilled and we were glad we took the time to see it.

our Pho Ga up close... The water puppet show.

After Hanoi, Hoian was a welcome escape from the city's frenzied pace. Hoian is a charming and still unspoiled little town on the coast of the East Vietnam Sea, home to one of the top beaches we've ever been. The girls had a blast in the ocean as well as in the gigantic pools. Vietnam is also known for its excellent tailors, and (Hoian in particular) for these brightly colored handmade lamps, which hang in various shapes and sizes from every storefront and alight the trees in a kaleidoscope of colors at night. The town was a beautiful little surprise: friendly, charming and welcoming.

Because the depth of my historical knowledge is embarrassingly shallow and U.S.-centric (I am trying to catch up), I was probably the only one surprised that in Vietnam, they call the war the "American War." There were a few situations, when the crowd in which we found ourselves learned we were Americans, I felt the air in the room suddenly drop 5 degrees. 90% of the Vietnamese people we encountered however were more than helpful and friendly to us as visitors in their country, and they welcomed us with open hearts and smiles.