Goodbye Vietnam

I suppose I should leave you with some final words about Vietnam.

A number of people have asked me why I went to Vietnam.  To be honest, I don't have a very eloquent answer.  Certainly, the stories I heard from other travelers  were tantalizing.  But more so, it was the graceful beauty of the country and it's people.  I travel to photograph; to examine how I see myself within the world; to attempt to show my friends and family the soul and grace that I see around me.

And while I knew of it's beauty, I was unprepared for the sheer richness of images I encountered.  For me to really capture my view of a place and people, I need to explore the scenes around me.  So, much of my time was spent participating in the experience.  Though there are a few images that I think are nice, I hope one day to return and really show you how I see Vietnam.  Were I a woman of independent means, I could easily spend a year or so just photographing the people.

My trip was made more special by the travelers with whom I was privileged to share the journey.  My trip will be forever colored with the great laughter that we shared.  More importantly, I am certain I have made some wonderful friends.

So, this isn't terribly articulate.  All I can say is that if you have the opportunity to visit Vietnam- GO.  You will be deeply moved by it's beauty and energy.

'til next year!

random thoughts

Some random musings about Vietnam and the trip:

Income inequality: It's fascinating to me that there appears to be very little economic segregation in the cities (I'm not sure about rural). Million dollar homes are right next to overcrowded apartments. It's as though Anacostia was mixed into Georgetown. There are signs that the more wealthy are beginning to segregate themselves. In Saigon, new posh apartment buildings are being built on the outskirts of town and have all the gatekeeping accoutrements one would expect of a wealthy part of town.

BBQ: One of the best food ideas that I'll take home with me is the BBQ dipping "sauce." Equal parts salt, pepper, and lime juice.  Should be a soupy paste.  Might need to add more lime juice.  Dip your grilled meat, fish, or veggies into it. Brilliant!

My accent: Apparently, I have a very nice accent, or so Nick kept telling me. And according to others, it's a strange mix of american and french canadian (which I can only assume comes from my mother's side of the family). I know that we never think of ourselves as having an accent, but since I ridded myself of the massachusetts accent, I really thought my voice to be rather bland---so that was a fun revelation!

British?: By the middle of the trip, it was clear that I had been hanging around the Brits way too much. Over lunch one day, I turned to Lisa and said, "when my friends would ring up..." with absolutely no affectation at all. It was a bit startling!

Dog: So, yes they eat dog in Vietnam.  From what Bon told us though, it's generally not a typical meal.  It's either eaten because the family is hungry and it's necessary or it is eaten when they are sad and need to be happy.  Sort of like a vietnamese prozac.  However, not all dogs are eaten.  Only a particular type, those that seem to be related to the dingo/australian ridgeback.  I will say it was always a little difficult when I saw them because I knew they were an "eating" dog.

One last Hanoi

On our last afternoon in Hanoi, Bon took us to an incredible local Bun Cha place.  Bun cha is essentially grilled pork that is placed in a garlickly, salty charred broth.   You dip rice noodles and various herbs and greens into the broth and eat it with the pork.  I had been waiting to have some really good Bun Cha on this trip, and this more than fit the bill.

Later, Lisa and I did a little final shopping and planted ourselves in a lakeside cafe to finish our group poem.  That evening, Bon had reserved the most lovely restaurant for us, the Green Mango.  The ceilings and walls were draped with silky sheer scarfs and the table was strewn with rose petals and candles.  Such a lovely treat for our last dinner!  Bon was also celebrating his birthday and bought some wine for the table as a celebration.  And for once we had some decent wine!  The dinner was lovely, we spent much of it reminiscing about our trip.  Just before dessert, Lisa and I did our poem.  We had each person draw a slip, which had one of the verses on it.  We then went round the table with each person reading a verse about another member.  I think they liked it!

We then went to the local jazz club, where I continued my tour de Bill Clinton.  He apparently also spent a session there playing sax, given the mounted pictures on the wall.  Seriously, I have never seem so many pictures of Clinton in various establishments as I did in these past two weeks!  In any case, the music was really good, far better than the average night of most jazz clubs I've been to in DC and NYC.  Though the drinks were overpriced for Vietnam standards.  Funny how quickly your sense of expense adjusts to the local cost of living.  A four dollar drink would cause me to celebrate in DC, but seems terribly overpriced in Vietnam!

Though we said goodbye to everyone that night, I'm sure for some of them, this will not be the last time I see them, thus it was bittersweet for our journey to come to an end, but not sad. 

The next morning I met Brittany (Kristi's friend currently on a round the world trip) for our cooking class.  It started with a market tour, which was interesting, but unfortunately the guide didn't really talk about the the market with us, just lead us through.  We were however followed by a camera crew who I guess wanted to show a bunch of westerners gawking at the market.  It was also doubly unfortunate, as it seems that this was where my mobile was stolen from my purse.  Largely my fault for not keeping it more protected, and thank god it was the last day (and my travel insurance covers it)!  I also sort of think of it as a badge of honor.  Most world travelers I know have had something stolen from them on at least one trip...so now I've joined the club.

Brittany was such a help!  After class, we went to an internet cafe to use her skype account so that I could cancel my phone service.  I had never used skype before......so unbelievably cool!  The rest of the afternoon was a lazy day with Brittany walking and shopping in Hanoi and enjoying the last few moments in a cafe overlooking the lake.  Thanks to Brittany for keeping me occupied on my last afternoon!

I left for the airport late sunday evening and made it safely home monday afternoon.   

Gettin' dirty

For some reason, this post never made it. We did the mud baths our last night in nha trang.

Late yesterday afternoon, a small group of us went to the mudbaths. You begin by showering off in some lovely mineral showers. You then walk down to the mudbaths which are empty tubs that the attendants fill with mud when you enter. Typically you share the tubs with other people, but since there were so many of us, we got our own tub. We turned into little kids, playing in the mud and tossing buckets of mud over each other.

Next, you go up to the rocks to let the mud dry. After it dries, then it's back under the showers to get it all off. Next it's a walk through a lovely hot path that has sprays of water coming out of the walls. Then onto a soak in a tub of hot mineral water.....much like a jacuzzi. Finally it's into a swimming pool that almost as warm as the jacuzzi.

The whole process took us about two hours, but it was pure indulgence!

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The last supper

Tonight is our last dinner together and upon my former mentor's suggestion (thanks Richard!), Lisa and I have composed a bit of whimsy for the group. Enjoy!

Doug is so cool, he's almost finished school.
When his dad speaks, he pretends not to hear
But always listens when offered a beer

Ken likes his beer and is the doc
Although he brings no medicine, we still think he rocks.
He's always happy to lead his son astray
But when his wife calls he says a sweet g'day

Kerri has a camera and it's from Singapore.
Please no more photos, we can't take anymore!
In spring she'll return to a land oh so cold.
Her travels round the world have made her quite bold!

Senora, senora our lady so sweet
Traveling with you has been such a treat.
So quiet and gentle, never much said
But we always could spot you with your hat on your head!

Oh captain my captain, do not lead us astray
Though you play in traffic, we'd like to live another day
Now you return home to fight another war
Oh! we forgot that you're Swiss, it's not really a chore!

Nilo or nemo, we're never sure which
Someday you'll advise us and make us all rich
Your age is a mystery but one thing's for sure
You take ages to shop though you're really not poor!

Our dearest boy Nick is out here to find himself
he has also managed to drink all the beer on the shelf!
He's a wheeler dealer and clearly it shows,
just don't let him teach you to touch your cards to your nose!

Pauline's always the first to get a beer from the fridge
but please don't ask her to cycle over a bridge!
Her travel plans are all that we hear
The vineyards in Australia are quaking with fear!

Ellen likes clay, ceramics and pottery
To bring them all home Fox must win the lottery
Fox pretends he's the boss, but we know Ellen rules.
Though she's living in sin, we think that's quite cool!

They call him Fox though the reason's unclear
But he wins the award for best swimming gear!
He's willing to help and go the extra mile
We're very sorry we called you C. Niles!

Bon is on honeymoon but he spends it with us
We wish him a big thank you but he'll say no fuss
We've asked so many questions, he must have gone mad.
But he's the best travel guide we've ever had!

We've traversed Vietnam from bottom to tip.
We're tired and happy and all look like shit!
Never a nicer group you'll find than what we have here
We hope to see you again and have a happy new year!

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