I said bai - bai to Hong Kong for a bit and flew into Hanoi, where it seems that there are two motorbikes/scooters for every citizen. And no traffic rules as far as I can tell. Cars, buses, bikes, motor scooters and pedestrians all just GO, honking their horns the whole way (except the pedestrians). The chaos is astounding. As prep for this trip to Vietnam, I have almost 40 years of watching movies about the Vietnam War, and not much more. It was hard for me to shake some of the Hollywood and Ken Burns documentary images and remember that this is modern day, and we are all friends now. In fact, the people in Vietnam seem so much more friendly than in Hong Kong. They are all smiles and warmth!

If I had the planning to do over again, and if I had the time, I'd spend longer in Vietnam. I love it here, and the country is just too big to do it any justice in 10 days. As it is, I'm being whisked in and out of cities in the itinerary that a tour company put together for me, and I get it, but I don't have a chance really to just wander the streets as I love to do.

After flying into Hanoi, I had a quick bite, went to bed, and was gone again in the morning (returned two days later though). In the morning I was retrieved by a guide named Nguyen Van Soai (pronounced "Shoy"), but he had us call him Peter. :) Peter was so upbeat, smiley, friendly and knowledgeable, so it barely mattered that my untrained ear couldn't pick up all of what he was saying. The thing that I loved most about Peter was how he kept referring to our group of 15 as "my family" (family = three syllables). Such as, "OK, my family, now we will go back to the bus." He had me at family! He also ended most of his sentences with "how about that?" I just loved Peter. The rest of the group, however, not so much. There was a family from Singapore, a family from Vietnam, two guys from France, and a married couple from France. No one spoke much English, and of those who spoke a little, no one really tried to make conversation with me. For meals on the boat (oh we were on a boat!) I sat a table alone in the small dining cabin while they all sat with one another at their assigned tables, and none of them invited me to join them. It was awkward and strange, and ultimately I decided to just be at one with it (ha ha), and I mostly got over it. So the trip was strange, because I loved the surroundings and the experiences, but not necessarily the people I was with (other than Peter!) so it just felt a bit lonely. Traveling alone is something I've done before, but not for so long, and while, in general, I enjoy it, it has its uncomfortable moments. On the other hand, because I am by myself, especially here in Vietnam, I am finding a lot of locals who strike up conversations with me in restaurants and hotels, and I think that happens less when you are dining with someone else. Anyway, I amuse myself enough in case no one else approaches me, I just have no one to turn to and make my smart ass remarks to!

So, the boat! We took a four hour bus ride to Ha Long Bay, one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen! See the pic. We cruised between and among endless limestone islands that reached the sky. We kayaked. Well, five of us did ... then on the way back, the Mom from Singapore decided to get back on the big boat so I traded in my single kayak for a double and somehow got Qian Jun, her 12 year old hyperactive talkative boy who didn't know how to kayak but kept spastically trying, back to the boat without drowning. He was hilarious though and really the only one besides Peter who said hi to me, so I didn't murder him.

On the boat we had cabins where we spent the night (I slept with my cabin window open). we had the most incredible meals, we did tai chi, had a "cooking" lesson (vietnamese spring rolls), explored a cave, and fished for squid. This was all within about 24 hours! Tai chi is harder than it looks! Props to you, Mom!

Back on the bus for four hours before I was dropped off back at my hotel in Hanoi, and I was too pooped to do anything but venture out for a meal next door (which was crazy delicious!), shower, and sleep. I was picked up in the morning by a different guide, and was with a different group, who I LOVED. I met a couple Jane (British) and Jim (American) who live in Colorado half the year and travel all winter! They met on a carribean island I've never heard of when she was a chef on private boat charters (and he was vacationing). Jane and I hit it off quickly, and then we were joined by Julie, a lovely young woman from Bangladesh, who is a pastry chef and food blogger. So, there was a lot of food talk! On our tour of Hanoi, we visited Ho Chi Minh's home, garden and mausoleum. The Vietnamese refer to him as "our father" and he is revered, at least in Hanoi / northern Vietnam. I was not prepared for the fact that his body is on display in the mausoleum, perfectly preserved. It was guarded by four very stern looking soldiers, and the soldiers outside the building barked a few orders at us before we entered -- stop talking, take your hands out of your pockets, take your sunglasses off, etc. We were paraded around his body in a line on three sides. It was intense. I kept thinking about the water tower in Boston that was painted to inadvertently portray Ho Chi Minh's profile, and had to stop myself from bending down and turning sideways to see how close that water tower is to the actual thing. The guards would definitely have frowned upon that. Because they were already frowning. I would have been too.

Jane's husband Jim is very inquisitive and so he asked our guide, Tony, a lot of questions, including whether we would be visiting the "Hanoi Hilton." Tony's response was very interesting - he said that some government bureau tells the tour companies not to talk much at all about the war, because "tourists don't really want to hear about that," and that the guides should be presenting modern day Vietnam. I'm not sure if I correctly understood what he was saying, but that was my takeaway. However, tourists CAN visit sites that are well known because of the war, but they have to get there on their own or specifically arrange for a guide to bring them there.

We had a couple of other stops in Hanoi and then a delicious lunch, where I got to sit with and talk with other people! The food in Vietnam is simply the best food I've ever tasted, anywhere. Everytime I try something new I am astounded that anyone can prepare a dish that tastes that good! After lunch I was taken to the airport to fly to Hue so, as I said, very little time (really none) to truly explore Hanoi by just wandering. I wish I had, because the streets and alleys are so fascinating. The streets were originally named for what can be purchased there, so in one block, for example, all the shops were pots and pans. The shops are open store fronts (no wall or door) and in many of them, the family's home is behind the shop. The sidewalks are almost impassable, because they are filled with parked motor scooters, people selling things, and families and friends cooking and eating their meals! They have set ups low to the ground and low stools, so they are basically squatting, and they are constantly cooking and eating and drinking, late into the night, early in the morning, and all day in between. It's quite a scene and I was dying to take photos, but I wouldn't take a close up photo without asking, and asking felt very intrusive and wrong, so I mostly didn't - just from a distance, because I just couldn't help myself. The Also remarkable were the number of people carrying enormous loads (of fruit, flowers, wares, almost anything) on their bikes, scooters, or baskets at the end of long poles draped across their shoulders. I don't know how they balance!

Hue so far has been fine, I've been here for 3 hours, and had again one of the most incredible meals! The hotel clerks have been directing me to their recommendations and they are always fantastic!

So, tomorrow I see a bit of Hue with a new group of people, and then get transported to Hoi An. I'm not even halfway through this Vietnam trip, and there are many places I wish I could go that I won't see, including inland where there are elephants!

Goodnight! (or for you, good morning!).

Lori