Hanoi

 When we got up the first morning in Hanoi it was utter chaos outside. Since we were here about twelve years ago the number of cars has dramatically increased and the bigger the better for wealthy Vietnamese. There is a 200% import tax on cars. The narrow streets can’t accommodate cars, bicycles, pedicabs, carts being pushed by vendors, buses, tour company vans and pedestrians. The sidewalks are used for parking motorcycles and the cars park right on the narrow streets. Everyone walks on the streets with vehicles coming at you from every direction. We couldn’t believe that within two days we were walking into traffic through intersections like locals but feeling like we were taking our life in our hands every time we stepped out the door. There are no stop lights, traffic just flows through intersections from four directions and you’ve got to walk through it. 

Our first day was a little stressful. We used an atm and no money came out. Then we had to find the main branch of the bank which was a distance away. After that got straightened out we tried to use the atm attached to the bank and it kept Philip’s card. They couldn’t return Philip’s card without his passport which he wasn’t carrying so we had to taxi back to hotel and back to the bank.  The whole thing took most of the day but we learned a few lessons from it and so many wonderful Vietnamese tried to help us. We’ve met nothing but wonderful people. I find that the first few days you are vulnerable because of the time change and the culture shock. 

For the first few days we got lost every time we left the hotel but I soon learned to get around and getting lost is great because you find things you might otherwise not see. We’ve been eating anything and everything with no problems at all. Google maps has been a godsend. My favourite meal in Hanoi is Bun Cha. You get a bowl of broth with your choice of bbq pork or veggies and then a bowl of noodles and a giant platter of greens with tons of thai basil, coriander, mint and many other greens we didn’t recognize along with different spices and sauces, Then you add what you want to your broth. I think it cost about $2 cad each. I was in heaven. 

We hired a driver for a morning and he took us to some places we couldn’t find. Here there is a street for each thing. A packaging street, a shoe street, an eyeglass street etc etc. we were both on the back of the same motorbike in all the chaotic traffic but didn’t feel nervous though we had no helmets 

We haven’t seen many of the tourist sights and have been contented to wander the streets and tiny alleys. We did go to the water puppet show which was lovely. We saw one last time in Ho Chi Min but this one was even better. 

We brought our eyeglass prescriptions from home and have both had glasses made for about $15 each. They were so good we had second pairs made. 

It was very hot and muggy when we arrived for four days. On the fifth day it dropped dramatically and we went from sleeveless and shorts to undershirts, two long sleeved t’s one being light wool, scarves, fleeces and down coats. 

We did manage to go to the ethnographic museum about 8km away and wished we had days to spend there. World class museum with exceptional local and world textiles. I shocked myself because for the most part I knew which country each textile piece or garment was from without reading the exhibit details.

We’re super excited because in about a week we splurged to go on a tour at the very north of Vietnam with an ethical tour company for five days. Staying in stilt houses with four different ethnic groups. Stay posted to see where we are now.

I’m having trouble getting pictures to be the right size but will figure it out soon.

Vancouver Island on the way to Hanoi

We spent six days with Oliver and Meagan and our little grandson Noah who had just turned two. We fell in love with him even more. He knows us now and ran into our arms without any shyness and is the apple of our eye. He’s speaking in full sentences and has the delightful habit of saying ‘maybe not’ instead of no. He’s busy exploring his world and is the most cheerful little fellow.

We rented a car to drive Victoria airport very early in the morning to make the connecting flight in Vancouver with Korean Air. What an incredible airline. Tons of attendants to meet your every need. Three gorgeous meals either western or Korean. Lots of cool snacks like bananas and juice and drinks or ramen on demand. Pillows, blankets, slippers, great headphones and reclining seats. We messed up on booking seats because it was 48 hours before and not 28. Had middle section back seats but it was no problem. The seats still reclined and they made the isles on either side wider so nobody was holding onto your seat while waiting for washroom. Only hitch was we were a little late arriving in Seoul and they rushed us through security and we literally had to run to our gate which was at least a km. We were overdressed and hot but had no time to shed layers. 

When we arrived in Hanoi it was chaotic. Philip’s bag didn’t arrive till the next day but they gave us some compensation. Outside our hotel had arranged a driver who was holding a sign with our name. After such a long travel day, nearly 24 hours, it was a relief to be met. 

We loved our hotel immediately. It was in the middle of the old quarter but quiet. 

Isla Ometepe, Nicaragua

We are on an island in Nicaragua right now called Ometepe. It’s shaped like a figure eight with a volcano eat either end. One is active and one isn’t. We flew into Liberia , Costa Rica, and Oliver picked us up at the airport? We drove toward the border and spent the night and he dropped us at the border the next morning. The border was a kilometre of madness. Transport trucks were backed up on the Costa Rican side for 8 km and all the side roads were packed with them too. We got through it all and by noon we’re on a ferry to Ometepe. 

We’ve been staying in the largest town, maybe geographically the size of Annapolis., to get our feet under us. It was a few days till we got used to the heat. 

Today we took a chicken bus to the other side of the island and are now sitting on a beautiful terrace with an onshore breeze looking out at waves with no sign of land on the horizon. It’s just like the ocean. Getting here was an adventure.

This a lovely example of colonial architecture near our hostal. It has an interesting roof detail because of it being on a corner.

This is the street that the house was on. Behind those dark clouds is the active volcano. We have explored every inch of the town especially all the outskirts and we found a lovely lane along the lake where the next pictures were taken. Very poor people who went out of their way to be friendly as we went by. Kids run up to us and ask us to take their pictures and when we showed them the pictures they roared laughing at themselves!

                                                         

The next pictures are of the lake as we walked along the lane. The one with people in it is of women washing clothes using roofed platforms that are built out into the water.

 I’m having a lot of technical problems so I am going to add more pictures and post before I lose this.

Making Cane Sugar

While rambling around the countryside on bikes, near Inle Lake, we saw many many sugar operations. There were people planting new cane in the fields that had been plowed by buffalo. A narrow trench is formed and a long stem of old cane is laid end to end in the trench and it roots from the old stock.
I was really surprised at how high the mature cane was. Standing next to it, it towered over the head at least a body length. There were women harvesting and bundling the leaves to be used as fuel to boil the sap, carrying giant bundles on their heads. I'm going to digress a bit. While walking along streets in cities and towns we would hear tinkling bells. We followed our ears to find carts with primitive machines bearing bells that juiced the cane which people were drinking. The other place that we'd seen cane was Vietnam. People , especially hill tribe people, chew on it for the sweet juice and I suppose the sugar rush.
One day we rode our bikes far down the lake and walked up a huge hill to a forest temple. It was very beautiful up there but a little disappointing because the visibility wasn't so good. We had to leave our bikes halfway doown the hill as it was too steep to peddle up. When we came back we were beckoned into a sugar operation.
At one end, under a long roof, there were men operating a press that juiced the cane. The sap flowed along pipes into what looked like huge woks that were within another pot so that they could overflow. They bubbled away overflowing with gusto with a man standing at one end feeding the fire with a constant supply of leaves. After reaching a certain consistency the liquid flowed into another huge wok where it boiled and was beaten at the same time, much like the molasses taffy my grandmother used to make when I was young. The wok probably held about 5 gallons and I'm sure it was very hard work to beat it. When the desired thickness was achieved the liquid was poured over a sheet and spread out to about an inch thick. Once hardened they broke off big pieces for us to try. It was a bit like a sugary brown fudge. Very, very sweet. The whole operation was really hot and the people were sweating and hot. It was demanding physical work and I suspect they were working long, long hours.
They sent us on our way and we had a wonderful coast down the rest of the long hill to the floating village. A man approached us and asked if we would like to hire his boat to cross the lake. It was a grand idea which meant that we didn't have to backtrack and the heat of the day was less on the lake. We parked our bikes which would be loaded onto the boat and went out along a huge wooden walkway. The village was beautiful with many floating gardens and it was our first glimpse of the Inthe men rowing with one leg while balancing gracefully on the other. Our boat picked us up and we made our way across the lake. Luckily the ride home was more or less downhill because by then we were tired.

The Way of the Buddha

Of all the places we've traveled we've never experienced Buddhism like we have in Burma. Monks and nuns are everywhere and there are more monasteries and pakodas then anywhere on earth I'm sure. The absolute splendor of some of them surpassed anything we'd seen and the serene simplicity of others was breathtaking. While we were there the school holidays were coming and many people were preparing to send their children to the monasteries for a few months. The numbers really grow during this time. The nuns wear an orange underskirt with a pink overdress. Both monks and nuns have matching umbrellas to protect them from the sun. I don't know if it's just in the Inle Lake area or the whole country but I was told that the nuns can only be given alms twice a week so they must collect enough food to sustain them at those times. I think I saw novices both male and female around 5 years old. Many of the monks we met who were between 20 and 30 years old had already been in the monasteries for many years and wanted to maintain that life.
One day we rode by a monastery that was described as the most photographed monastery in Burma.It's a bit disturbing because tourists are distracting the monks. I even saw a woman taking pictures of the monks bathing behind the building. The boy monks who were at the windows seemed to be confused about the attention and you've never seen so many giant cameras in one place in your life.
In Thailand, Laos and Cambodia when you visit a temple you must take off your shoes before entering but in Burma you must take off your shoes before entering the grounds which made for a lot of walking in bare feet on concrete, marble or tile. It was hard on the feet and could be really dirty with pigeon poop and other unidentified stuff. We walked up and down hundreds of steps in our bare feet and sometimes had a hard time keeping track of our shoes!
Another thing that was different was the way monks behaved. In Burma it's possible for a woman to speak to a monk and you can look directly at them and they at you.
We went to one teak monastery that was the oldest in Burma and there were only two monks there in a giant space. One was elderly and one young. The elder greeted anyone who entered and offered a seat and fruit to eat. He was very very interested in where we were from and our lives at home. We visited him again another day and took out computer to show him. He examined every inch of it while asking endless questions about it. I would have loved to give him one. His is the first picture.We had the experience over and over of talking to people and when we asked if we could take their pictures they became really solomn. He was so warm and his face radiated kindness but he looked very serious in the pictures.
These are some of the images of that life we took around Inle Lake.