Flying to Vietnam with the family tomorrow

[oskie]

Thank you, @Bodhisattva, for these outstanding photos, plus your commentary on your journey. Very enjoyable to follow along.

Must point out this one photo:



Love this particularly for the image of Lily in the mirror

 

[gtowntide]

Where in VN were you? Have you been back since? I hope to be able to meet you one day and talk about your experiences. If my wife were able to meet you, she would sincerely and tearfully thank you for trying to save her country. 💕

No I haven’t been back and really don’t care to. Most of my time was running up and down the Mekong delta on a PBR.
I’m happy your family got to return to your wife’s homeland.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Thank you, @Bodhisattva, for these outstanding photos, plus your commentary on your journey. Very enjoyable to follow along.

Must point out this one photo:

View attachment 44007

Love this particularly for the image of Lily in the mirror

My photography skills are pedestrian at best. But occasionally I'll luck up on a good one. I'd like to say that I intended to catch Lily's reflection in the mirror, but ... sure, why not. That's what I tried to do. I have mad photo skills.

 

[Bodhisattva]

The next day we visited Cao Bang, Pac Po, and thac Ban Gioc.

We sometimes had to share the road with water buffalo.






Terraces of rice fields:






Still in the mountains of northern Vietnam, we arrive in Cao Bang, which is the beginning of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.




Nearby is Pac Po, an area of mountains, rivers, and caves, where Ho Chi Minh resided for two years after his return to Vietnam in 1941.






Notice the signage two pictures up. Tributes to Lenin (Le-Nin) and Karl Marx (Cac Mac).👎

A long trek through the mountains to get to the caves.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Communist propaganda monument to peasant life and loyalty to Uncle Ho and the Party.

 

[Bodhisattva]

In the afternoon we made it to the waterfalls at Ban Gioc. Stunning! On the other side of the river is China. We took a boat right up to the falls.

 

[Bazza]

Fantastic - thanks, Bodhi!

How was the weather while you were there. Can you put it in context with the sauna here in Florida right now? Cheers, mate!

 

[Bodhisattva]

Fantastic - thanks, Bodhi!

How was the weather while you were there. Can you put it in context with the sauna here in Florida right now? Cheers, mate!

Our time in Hanoi and points north were not bad weather-wise. That area is largely in the mountains, so the temperature is mild. Still humid but not uncomfortable.

The beginning of the trip, in Saigon, was rough. Triple-digit heat and near-maximum humidity. But, stopping at a cafe for a cold drink every hour or two made it manageable. When we were back in Saigon at the end of the trip it wasn't as bad. Maybe I had adjusted to the heat and humidity by then. But I think it was just a stretch of more (relatively) mild temperatures.

The worst day was in Hue during our tour of the old walled forbidden city. It was extremely hot and humid, and there was not much of an opportunity to take a break. It's a massive compound without any cafes or convenience stores. No air-conditioned place to take a break. The water I had with me quickly became warm, and the best I could do was find a little bit of shade. Not much relief. That was a rough day.

 

[Bodhisattva]

The next morning, we went to the VN-Chinese border checkpoint in Lang Son. Lily and I were not allowed to checkpoint, but Lan did because she's special or something. So, I didn't get any pictures.

We then stopped by the Dong Kinh market. I passed on all the assorted knock-off merchandise and the open-air butcher shop.







The next place we visit is Tam* Thanh pagoda, which is built into a cave. The religion (with three gods) here pre-predates the arrival of Buddhism to the area.

*ETA: The Tam are a minority people in the area. They specialize in making blades. Originally, they were known for making swords. Now this an area to get kitchen knives and souvenir weapons. Lan bought some kitchen knives. I got a something much cooler and impractical.





Guardians:













Near the Tam Thanh pagoda is the To Thi mountain. We climbed to the observation desk, so we could look across to the top of the mountain. The story goes that centuries ago the husband (Mr. To) left to fight a war. When the war ended, he did not return. His wife (To Thi) climbed to the top of the mountain with her infant every day to look for him. Eventually, she and her child became a rock formation. So, she still stands on top of the mountain looking for her husband's return after all these years. It's a long-distant shot, but she is holding her child on the ledge in the middle of the picture. There are thousands of years of history in Vietnam, much of it sad.

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[Bodhisattva]

Hanoi!

We get to the Old Quarter of Hanoi the following afternoon. This area is absolutely beautiful, with the colonial architecture and abundance of shops and restaurants. We stayed at the Silk Path Boutique hotel, which sits on the lake in the heart of the quarter.











We chose to dine early at a nearby restaurant called Quan An Ngon, which means "tasty food." Beside the food being, in fact, very tasty, the restaurant's design was pretty cool. Although modern, instead of having one kitchen, there were many small, traditional kitchens around the perimeter of the restaurant. One made sticky rice dishes. Another made soups. Noodles. Rolls and dips. Etc.









We had our dinner early so we could walk around Ho Guom lake.







At the north end, across The Huc bridge, is a small island with the Ngoc Son shrine. The shrine celebrates General Tan Hung Dao, Vietnam's greatest national hero. He won three wars against Chinese invaders. He is practically considered a saint. Always weaving ancient history with myth, the story goes that the general won his battles with the assistance of a giant turtle who inhabited the lake. The turtle gifted the general with a magical sword. (There is also a monument to the turtle on a small island in the middle of the lake. It is not accessible - look but don't touch!) So, I guess what they say is true: if a turtle is with you, who can stand against you?

 

[Bodhisattva]

A quick aside ... in the long run, who do you think won the war?

 

[Bodhisattva]

The next morning in Hanoi ...

The aforementioned shrine to the Sword Lake Turtle:



Like Saigon, coffee cafes are big here. One of the most interesting is The Note Coffee. As the name suggests, the place is covered in sticky notes.









Neither Lan nor I are really coffee drinkers, but Lily wanted to try the famous "egg coffee," which is the traditionally very strong local coffee topped with whipped egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk.







What an unusual and pleasant way to start a day!

 

[oskie]

The turtle gifted the general with a magical sword. ... [snip] ... So, I guess what they say is true: if a turtle is with you, who can stand against you?

Especially, if said turtle is wielding a magical sword

 

[Bodhisattva]

Next stop was St. Joseph's Cathedral:



And then Vietnam's first university:













No love for musicians and singers back in the day. Per below, they were lumped in with criminals.

Sorry, @crimsonaudio











This little "tent" is where one would take exams.

 

[Bodhisattva]

And then we went to the "train coffee shops." The train tracks pass through the narrowest of streets, and it is a very popular place to get a drink. The train wasn't scheduled to come through for hours, which is the only reason we were able to move down the street and get a table at a balcony.












This is one of the many places in the country where it doesn't make a lot of sense, but it sure is fun!

 

[Bodhisattva]

Walking around Hanoi:

 

[Bodhisattva]

That evening we went to the Thang Long Water Puppets Theater.

Appropriately, a monsoon hit.










The show included many stories about the lives of farmers and fisherman and the noble struggle of commoners. Other stories included tales of boat races and mythical creatures. It was all impressively done. Very enjoyable.

















Next stop: Ha Long Bay

 

[Bazza]

-snip-
The Tam are a minority people in the area. They specialize in making blades. Originally, they were known for making swords. Now this an area to get kitchen knives and souvenir weapons. Lan bought some kitchen knives. I got a something much cooler and impractical.

Amazing and wonderful travelogue, @Bodhisattva - thanks - made my day!

 

[Bodhisattva]

Amazing and wonderful travelogue, @Bodhisattva - thanks - made my day!

Ha! Not a sword, but a really cool curved dagger. Nasty bit of home defense. Looks really cool with it scabbard and stand in my library. I'll post a picture of it soon.

 

[Bazza]

Ha! Not a sword, but a really cool curved dagger. Nasty bit of home defense. Looks really cool with it scabbard and stand in my library. I'll post a picture of it soon.

When he was the Governator, he had that sword in his office.