Spent the last few days in Danang nursing my head/chest cold and talking myself into packing. When I arrived in Danang a month ago, my pack was to the near exploding zone. I brought a lot of gifts for Sharon and Laura and was looking froward to all the empty room. Funny thing was that I had acquired quite a few new clothing pieces and now closing my pack was not even possible. A trip to the post office was necessary and right now I have no idea what went into...

Back on the road...or should I say the rails and then more rails and then the road......This is my plan.....I am leaving Sunday at noon, from Da Nang to Hanoi. - 16 hour train. Arrive in Hanoi at 4 am, will head into town and grab a hotel room to clean up and maybe sleep???? before heading back to the train station where I will grab another overnight train at 8 pm. This one runs north of Hanoi - up into the beautiful terraced mountains where the colorful hill t...

Our Da Nang family consists of Nam and Phouc - 30 somethings who have rented out a room in their large house to Laura. The house is typical of this neighborhood - large and three stories high. This style of house is common all over urban Vietnam - the homes are made from brick and plaster and are very modern looking - similar to our Infills at home. Most are attached to their neighbors and have around a 35 foot frontage with a large enclosed front yard which ...

Danang. It is just after 5:30 am as I sit to write this long overdue blog. Sorry to those of you who have written with worries from not having heard from me. I have settled in and become quite lazy. Outside of my lovely big windows, in the suburban Da Nang neighborhood I have been living in for nearly one month, is the daily music and inspirational message for the day, courtesy of the Communist Party of Vietnam. I have come to really enjoy the music – it...