Welcome to the BIG city

Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, was like nothing we could ever imagine. Tree lined boulevards encase the surviving old neighborhoods, and are totally absent and replaced with skyscrapers in the new ones. Everything is steamy, unlike anything or any place. My diving watch steamed up, so we could only know the time if we could stand in air con. We ducked into any place with shade. We carried and drained bottle after bottle of water. We wilted.

The amazing thing about being so hot, is that you are forced to slow down. Take in the details. Appreciate things that you would ordinarily breeze past.

We loved the light throughout the day. Balanced in the early morning, and again in the early evening. It was light at six and then dark at six. The evenings were cooler, and our most leisurely time. We learned how to ride in cabs armed with pleases, thank you's, and google maps on the iPhone.

We stumbled through the Cholon district, chinatown, almost forgetting we were still in Vietnam. Apothecaries, dragon and lion costumes, and Chinese noodles reminded us of home.

 

"Sometimes, less is more", does not fly in Saigon. The food has layer after layer of flavor. Colored lights bathe everything from hotels to sacred Buddhas. Flowers are dyed, sprayed, and then dipped in glitter. The whole city sparkles through the emanating heat.

 

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Finding Moments

Sometimes in the heat of the day, and it is hot here, we seek refuge in a pagoda or temple. We all keep our eyes peeled for red and yellow, ornate doors and arches.

 

 

 

There is always a hush in the air, a sweet smell of incense, and usually a friendly caretaker, eager to show us around.

 

Everything slows as we taken in the different alters.

 

 

We marvel at the rituals.

And our eyes fill with smoke and tears.

 

Each town, a different interpretation. Each candle lit for luck and loved ones.

 

And then we walk into the room of a thousand Buddhas. Every nook in the wall houses a Buddha. Every petal of the lotus flower upon which the large Buddha sits contains another small Buddha. The focus of everything is inward, reflective.

Off to the side a monk chants and rings a giant singing bowl. The sounds of the outside city completely disappear.

 

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Motherland

We are passed from hand to hand. So many sisters, mothers, grandmothers, all wanting to touch a cheek or a lock of hair for luck. The men are somewhere else, building a new road, driving a taxi, sleeping in a hammock somewhere. The women are the face of this country. They rise early, we never seem to beat them, no matter how early we wake. They sweep, cook, wash, sell all morning until the afternoon heat forces everyone to return home and refuel.

 

Sandalwood to burn for good luck, keeping away sickness, and sweetening the air.

Fresh veggies, herbs, mushrooms, even baby ducklings, sell quickly on Sundays.

 

A whole street where all that is sold are noodles of all different shapes, sizes, flavors, and textures.

 

 

 

 

No one is in too much of a hurry. There is always time for a cold glass of che!

 

Grandmothers make sweet black sesame cakes filled with mung beans, wrapped in banana leaf, and steamed until sticky and gooey. Almost better than a chocolate chip cookie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are well looked after here. We are well fed here. We feel welcome here.

 

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We are Awake!

The heat of south Vietnam does funny things. It makes us look funny, because we are sweating so much. It makes us fall asleep early and wake up early. And it hides our hunger. Sometimes we don't realize just how hungry we are until we wander out onto the street and smell something wonderful.

 

 

 

 

Dry roasted rice paper sandwiching a fresh rice paper is made perfectly delicious when dipped into a fresh made salty, fish, spicy sauce. And our new favorite, is che, a barely sweet soup of corn, or beans, topped with sweetened condensed milk and fresh grated coconut. Hot or cold, we love it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there is the wonderful mid morning snacks of fresh sweet tofu, still warm,or bananas dipped in batter and fried like donuts.

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch can be found by following our noses, grills are set up all over the sidewalks, and the coals are fanned to keep them just right and waft the sweet smell to hungry passers by.

 

 

Pork or chicken, always with lots of lemongrass, and a cup of nuoc mam for dipping. Lots of herbs and noodles. Everyone is happy

 

 

 

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Automobiles, Trains, and Planes

Coming down and out of the mountains was a long day of travel. We bid farewell to out mountain paradise, and had Mario Andretti's distant cousin zip us to the nearest city, Sapa. There we had a few hours to walk off our vertigo, grab a coffee, and climb back into the van for the second half of our ride. Within five minutes of departure, one of our party, who shall remain nameless, realized they needed to pee. Unfortunately, there was absolutely nowhere to pull off on the snakey, skinny roads for a painfully long hour down to the crossroad town of Lao Cai.

Again, we had a short time to grab a bite, at the worst restaurant (when you order pho, and get no broth, but instead a pile of greasy noodles and French fries, you know you are in trouble). Then it was back on the night train to Hanoi.

We arrived before the city woke, caught a cab back to our familiar hotel, and crashed for a nap and shower before we headed to the airport! Luckily, domestic air travel is easy and efficient in Vietnam, no one quart ziplocks with your toiletries, or taking off your shoes. However, brass mouth harps bought from hill tribe people will get you stopped and questioned for drugs and weapons!

 

Landing in Da Nang, we were greeted with 38 degree (C) heat, and a driver with an air conditioned car and cold, bottled water. Such a change from the mountains. Everything was brighter, spicier, delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

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Mountains of All Sorts

Along endless, winding, bumpy, mountain roads our van leaned and veered. Ahead of us was the lodge and beyond that China, off to the right, rice paddies, corn fields, and mountains, and behind us you could almost make out Laos. Everything was green, and brown, simple and purposeful.

Just when our stomachs were about to give up the fight to stay in our bodies we arrived at the most magical place.

We unfurled and breathed. Oh, and of course met some wonderful guest from Seattle with ties to Vashon!

Gus and Freja learned how to play pétanque with the lodge cat Henry.

 

And we hiked, and ate, and met the most wonderful people, who are such good salespeople we worried we would leave with all of their wares.

After being spoiled for a few days it was back to the lowlands, and the night train back to Hanoi. Then a few hours rest before flying into Da Nang and then catching a ride into Hoi An.

We realized, several days later, that sometimes the most physically taxing journeys sear into our memories so much clearer and sharper, than easier ventures. This one just about took all the cakes in all the bakeries.

 

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Getting out of Dodge

After several days in the bustling city, we took for the highlands, and caught the night train to Lao Cai.

The kids were so excited they fell asleep before the train even started moving.(maybe in part because it departed at 9 pm)

The ride up into the mountains was a total throwback to another era. We had our own sleeper cabin with very comfy beds, flowers on the table, and toothbrushes on everyone's pillows; hygiene is very strongly encouraged here!

When we arrived at the last stop, Lao Cai, it was 5:30 in the morning and we still had a long way to go. We were greeted by our guide and taken to a small restaurant to wake up, eat a little breakfast and slurp down very strong green tea.(it will put hair on your chest if you are not careful) Once it was finally a civilized time, 7:00, we headed off with our tour guide to a remote, regional market.

This was unlike anything we had ever seen, raw, efficient, and essential for all the people living within several miles in all directions. Most people ride scooters here, and it is amazing what they can haul home on their tiny seats. Some families get very dressed up in heavy, dark, hand-embroidered clothes, and walk for many hours just to see and be seen.

Animals are traded and sold. Typically water buffaloes, but there were also some song birds being sold for up to $3,000!

We watched people bargain for seed corn and fertilizer, choose custom cuts of "fast meat", and Freja played dress up and bargained for a new skirt. By 10:00 we were exhausted and climbed back into the van for several more hours up to our swanky digs in an Ecolodge outside of Sapa.

 

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Wandering Pilgrims

We do not practice or follow one particular religion. We celebrate Jewish holidays, and enjoy the myths that accompany them. We try to live a spiritual life and encourage each other to think of how our actions affect others and fit into the grander scheme of the universe. So it was not too surprising after booking planes, trains and automobiles that we realized we would be arriving in Vietnam two days before Easter. Not a big deal right? Right, except Gus and Freja were worried that the Easter Bunny would not visit a mainly Buddhist country. Fear not! We awoke to bags of candy in our shoes, and fizzy bath bombs shaped like eggs in our bags. Thank you Easter Bunny, bawck bawck!

We decided to see if anyone in or around Hanoi celebrated Easter and found an eclectic gathering at St. Joseph's Cathedral. So many people that the marching band had to sit outside on stools.

We learned that although the cathedral was sanctified in 1886, Catholicism was outlawed and worshipping in the cathedral was only allowed starting in 1990. There is now an entire city block that is dedicated to the cathedral, a convent, a monastery, and a school; all very neatly maintained.

After "church" we visited two Buddhist temples. The first was a very famous and ancient one called the One Pillar Pagoda. It was originally built in 1054, destroyed by the French in the mid 1950's and rebuilt soon there after. The second was the temple of Hoa Kiem, on an island in the lake right near our hotel. The temple is dedicated to a giant turtle that lived there, and is now preserved there and displayed for the public. A legend about the symbolism of the turtle as a good omen and a keeper of power for the people was the basis for building the temple. Outside the temple many elderly men, some in their pajamas, played a raucous game that looked like a cross between go and chess. We were glad we did not know any curse words in Vietnamese!

We capped off the day with a fantastic sit down meal...

Fancy.

Delicious.

 

A total treat, a totally wonderful, wandering day.

 

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