VIETNAM

I took a short trip over a weekend to Hanoi, Vietnam with two new friends. We missed you Carrie!

Hanoi is in the northern part of Vietnam. We spent one day in the city and one day in the country. And it wasn't enough! I would love to go back. There was so much to see and learn and do.

Vietnam was constantly being ruled by the Chinese or fighting them off for centuries. So there is a lot of Chinese influence (Buddhism, Confusism, ancestor worship, pagodas, temples, etc.)

But then Vietnam was colonized by the French in the 1880s until 1954. The city has french architecture, french food, and a surprisingly lot of people speak a little french. You see french cafes next to Chinese temples and baquettes being sold next to noodles.

The American War lasted from 1961 to 1975. From my super limited understanding of this war, the Americans supported controversial Southern Vietnam in fighting the North to keep the country from becoming communist. Northern Vietnam won and the country became communist with support and influence from the Soviets.

Soviet looking propaganda could be seen throughout the busy city and as well as architecture of some government buildings.

And did I say busy city? The streets were crazy. Lots of scooters. Lots of bikes. Lots of people. The guide books even give you advice on how to cross the street 'keep a slow and steady pace and the scooters will go around you.' By the end of the weekend we were pros.

The fresh springrolls and beef noodle Pho were my favorites. We ate at 2 restaurants that came recommended and loved it! KOTO and Highway 4. We tried ostrich, goat and an unidentified sea plant found in Jessie F.'s salad. But so much more was out there for the brave.

We learned to say hello 'Xin chao' good bye 'Tam biet' and thank you 'Cam on.'

My haggling skills got a little better and we also learned that everyone and the guide books are serious when they say only use taxis from a reputable list provided by your hotel. Ask me someday, and I'll tell you a story about a guy not on the list...

VIETNAM: One day in the city

We spent the morning shopping in the Old Quarter. So many shops! Lots of tourist ones mingled with interesting others. It was a maze of back streets. You walk with the traffic in the street because the sidewalks are crowded with parked scooters and men crouched on plastic stools slurping their noodles.

From shopping we walked to Hoan Kiem Lake. There's an 15th century building right in the middle called the Tortoise Tower. The Vietnemese story tells about a giant tortoise that rose out of the lake at that spot to give Emperor Le Thai To a sword to defeat the Chinese.

18th century Ngoc Son temple is also in the lake. You take the red Rising Sun bridge to get there. We went back at night and stood on the bridge crowded with local lovers enjoying the view.

Everywhere we went in the city I felt like we were among the local people doing their business. Exercising near the lake, playing badminton in the center of the traffic circle, praying in the temples.

The Temple of Literature was built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. It was the first University in Vietnam and the names of the scholars who received doctorates and passed examinations were engraved on these tablets.

The Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest in Vietnam. The buddhas in the pagoda were so pretty and there was an ancestor worship hall in the back. We took off our shoes, snuck back there and watched a hall full of little old ladies chanting the recitations.

After the pagoda we walked to a little cafe for ice cream and passed little boys playing soccer and crouched grandfathers tugging at their whiskers over a game of cards.

We also walked past the Presidential Palace

and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Which was closed so we didn't get a peek at 'Uncle Ho.' Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam's revered leader who led the Vietnam to independence from the French and was president of North Vietnam during the war. When he died he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes spread throughout North and South Vietnam - but instead he was embalmed and is on display in this very soviet Mausoleum.

We spied the frenchie Opera House and the Cathedral from the taxi. But we missed the Hanoi Hilton Prison- which held some famous prisoners during the war, like John McCain.

But we did of course make it to the Water Puppet Theatre, which was darling. The puppets are carved from wood, painted with lacquer and attached to long poles. There's a live Vietnamese orchestra and the puppets perform in waist deep water. The books say the tradition is at least 1,000 years old and unique to Vietnam.

The puppets were for sale throughout the city. The dusty fisherman in the lower left stole my heart.

VIETNAM: One day in the country

We woke up on the 2nd day to rain and flooded streets. This is the street right outside our hotel. Luckily the drains were cleared by the time we finished our breakfast.

We took a tour to the Ninh Binh town areas about 2 hours south of Hanoi to see Vietnam's ancient capital - Hoa Lu. Out in the mountains. We were told that most of the area was bombed during the war, but had mostly been rebuilt.

Our guide walked us around two palaces, one for King Dinh and one for King Le, telling us stories of good kings, infant kings, betraying brothers, Chinese invasions, wicked kings, and worship in his trying English.

After the palaces the guide explained that 5 people from the tour were riding mountain bikes to the next destination while the rest of us would get back on the bus. Mountain bikes??!!! Did he say mountain bikes??!!! Yes, please! So I asked him if I could ride a bike, instead of the bus ride. "No, no, no, not on your tour. You not on list." I tried to ask him to add me but he didn't seem to understand. I asked in about 48 different ways, including lots of hand gestures. "No, no, only 5 on list." "Only 5 bikes." "No bike for you." "You not on list." Finally, after lots of back and forth, holding up the bus, I asked if I could pay extra to ride a bike. "Oh! Yes! 5 American dollars."

And it was my favorite part of the trip.

Can you see the girl with the baby on her hip?

We took a dirt road between Hoa Lu about 12 kilometers to Tam Coc. Along the river, past small houses and village cemeteries, around the mountains, through small villages, rice paddies and even a small duck farm. There were cows grazing, white mountain goats scurrying, ducks farming, and water buffalo loafing. "hello hello hello, beautiful!" the school kids running up would yell as we rode past. We saw others riding home from school on their bikes in uniform.

Next was the boat ride through the streams at Tam Coc. One hour each way - through the river alongside rice paddies and mountains. They told us, "Four Vietnamese per boat, but only two Americans." Linh Lanh was the name of the happy lady with the sweet smile who rowed my boat with her little sister. Linh chatted and laughed with me the whole way. Mostly in french. She told me she worked the rice in the fields everyday, made hand embroidery and rowed boats once a week. On the way back she tried to sell me her embroidery so I asked her to show me how she did it. So she did. Stitched a full row on a pillowcase. Natalie and Jessie F.'s rower was a bit pushier, stopped the boat and refused to go further until they bought some embroidery.

But even with all that craziness, the river was lovely. We went through 3 limestone caves. It was quiet. still. and gorgeous.

Back to it

We are back to the routine.

Here's Gage walking to school to pick up big brother. He insists on wearing a backpack. Just like the other kids. The contents: toy rocket and a granola bar.

I was away for a few days with some friends (details coming...), so it was a Daddy's Weekend. They had a blast. Chicken Rice for dinner, MRT rides, swimming, a day at the Science Centre. David said his goal was to wear them out so they'd go to bed easy and early. And he did! I came home to happy kids.

Happy Mother's Day

Universal Studios

Singapore recently opened a Universal Studios. And thanks to some lovely friends, we spent the afternoon with Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Shrek, and the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Not everything is open yet, but most of the kid rides were ready so it was perfect for us. Although I did see David eyeing that Battlestar Gallactica corkscrew loop de loop craziness pretty fierce.

And who knew these little boys would love roller coasters? After 3 times in a row I had to herd them to calmer castles.

Noah keeps the map in his room. Even read it for a bedtime story a couple of nights. He can't wait to go back.