July

1

Mekong Delta trip: pineapple plantation, Mekong River boat ride, sampan ride on canals, visit coconut candy factory, visit bee honey farm, Vinh Trang Pagoda

Hang out with Vietnamese students teaching American slang

Ailment of the Week: In a masterful portrayal of a pregnant woman experiencing her ninth month in August, my ankles swell up like a bullfrog's cheeks; I convince myself I have pending renal failure.

2

Saigon: Ben Thanh Market; postoffice nightmare; ugly scene with cyclo driver; but day is salvaged when I hang out with the Vietnamese students again (F.I.L. #9).

Ankles still a problem, especially to my sense of vanity.

Happy Birthday, Ade

3

Bus to Dalat where it is actually cold -- yay! And my ankles return to normal.

Wandering around Dalat: French District, Hoa Binh Square, marketplace.

4

Dalat and environs tour on motorbike: Crazy House, Paradise Lake, Buddhist Meditation Monastery, Chicken Village -- home of the K'ho tribe -- where I see traditional weaving and incense-making, then onto mushroom farming and silkworm-raising (I love this kind of thing!), Volcano waterfall, Prenn waterfall, Flower Gardens, Xuan Huong Lake.

That night I wander into the Stop 'n Go Cafe and meet a Bohemian Vietnamese poet.

5

Dalat: Dalat University, Stop 'n Go Cafe (again!), Lam Ty Ni Pagoda

Happy Birthday, Shelby

6

Bus to Nha Trang, see Poklong Garai Cham Tower on the way.

Nha Trang Beach

7

Nha Trang: Doc Let Beach and Ban Ho Waterfalls

8

Miserable 14 hour bus ride to Hoi An (F.I.L. #10 -- guess the ride wasn't quite so miserable!), stop at Dai Lanh Beach and Sa Huyanh on the way.

9

Hoi An: Spend morning at a tailor's chosing fabric, styles, and wondering what I am doing having so many clothes made!

Wandering around town.

Cua Dai Beach.

10

Hoi An: motorbike tour (with cutie from the long bus ride driving) of the countryside on the way to My Son Holy Lands.

More wandering and back to the tailor's for a fitting in Hoi An.

11

Hoi An: Again, the wandering (it's a pleasant place to do that) and the tailor, Japanese Covered Bridge.

Bike ride to Cua Dai Beach where I try to live out my savior fantasies when an unconscious man is pulled from the water, play with children and chat with a family that knows no English (my Vietnamese(!) can cover some basic info), drink a mango shake and eat squid as I watch the sunset, and then get cheated when given my change by the lovely people who made me feel so comfortable.

12

Bus to Hue: stop at Hai Van Pass and Lang Co Beach. Unfortunately, unlike the brochure promised, we do not stop at Marble Mountains or drive by China Beach. In Hue: bike ride around town, Dieu De National Pagoda, Tinh Tam Lake, Tang Tau Lake.

13

Hue: Perfume River boat ride with stops at Thien Mu Pagoda, and the Tombs of Tu Duc and Minh Mang.

14

Hue: Citadel, Imperial Enclosure, Forbidden Purple City
Decide to fly to Hanoi early.
In Hanoi, wander around Old Quarter.

15

Hanoi: Ho Chi Minh Museum, Dien Huu Pagoda, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature

16

Hanoi: In an amazing display of bravado, I defy my bike wimpishness and ride a bike all over in scary Hanoi traffic!
Market, Ngoc Son Temple, Haon Kiem Lake, "Hanoi Hilton."

Further displaying my new-found bravery, I get my haircut!

Water Puppet show

17

Halong Bay trip begins: drive to Halong City, lunch there, board a boat for touring all around Halong Bay, including wonderful stops for swimming. Visit Amazing Cave (it was). Swim in phosporescent (how is that spelled?!) water. Sleep on boat deck (at the "Thousand Star Hotel") in Lan Ha Bay.

F.I.L. #11

18

Halong Bay trip continues: Cat Ba Island, trek (through chest high water at one point!) to Viet Hai Village, hike up Radar Mountain in Cat Ba National Park, more cruising in the Bay, swimming at Van Boi Beach. Stay in hotel in Cat Ba town and experience a Vietnamese disco.

19

Halong Bay trip continues with more cruising and swimming. Lunch again in Halong City and bus ride back to Hanoi.

Ailment of the Week: While jumping off the upper deck of the boat into the water -- and holding my nose to keep water from rushing into it -- the impact of hitting the water pushes my thumb off my nose and causes me to gouge my eyelid with my thumbnail.

20

Hanoi: getting organized for next trip; Women's Museum, Martyr's Monument.

Night train (without air-conditioning, ugh) to Lao Cai on Chinese border. Share six person sleeping compartment with one Australian and 6-9 Vietnamese who seem to be doing a tag team approach to sleeping. In the morning a man emerges from the top bunk who I had never seen before.

21

Arrive and drive through Lao Cai. Bus ride to Sapa. See first of many amazing rice terraces. Sapa market with many hill tribe people in attendance.

Three day trek begins through H'mong village of Lao Chai and onto Ta Van village where the Dzay hill tribe lives. Guide cooks amazing meal. Home stay with local family.

22

Trek continues -- some in the rain -- to the Tay village of Ban Ho. Get very, very muddy, but amazingly I don't hurt myself.
Play pool with locals and astound them when I hold the table for a few games. Try to talk "trash" in Vietnamese. Another amazing meal and home stay with local family.

F.I.L. #12.

23

Swim at Lave Waterfall. Trek back uphill to catch jeep back to Sapa.

Happy Birthday, Patti

24

Hang out in Sapa, wandering around market, and trying not to get taken too badly. Night train -- miserably hot -- back to Hanoi. Only one incident between conductor and Vietnamese.

25

Arrive at 4am. Hotel seems to have forgotten I'm coming and I can't shower or be in air-conditioning for hours. Supposed to have taken plane to Laos, but changed flight to next day.

Hanoi: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum -- weird.

26

Happily leave Vietnam!! (An eventually-written story will explain why.)

Plane to Vientiane, Laos. Actually stay at a place fancy enough to have its own swimming pool. I gladly make use of it and begin the much-needed recovery.

27

Vientiane: Black Stupa, American Embassy (checking in seems like a good idea), Talaat Sao Market, Wat Si Saket, where I have a real conversation with a local that doesn't involve the words. "how much?" Dinner along the Mekong (swatting mosquitos!).

28

Vientiane: Xieng Khuan Buddha Park, then bike riding to Victory Monument, Pha That Luang, Haw Pha Kaew, and past several of the town's wats.

Another swim and a massage continues the recovery.

Happy Anniversary Patti & Tim

29

Fly to Luang Prabang, Laos -- fall in love with the town immediately. Talaat Dala Market, Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham, Royal Palace Museum, Wat Xieng Thong, and many others.

F.I.L. #13

30

Luang Prabang: boat ride on the Mekong River to Pak Ou Caves (wherein are many, many Buddhas). Stop at two villages on the way -- Xang Hai Village and Pak Ou Village. More wat wandering.

31

Luang Prabang: ride through Lao countryside to Kuang Si Falls, walk up Phou Si Hill for sunset (and get rained on, but still nice).