vietnam, part one

as promised, some vietnam photos (maybe too many!).  i and my boys loved vietnam.  we each could have kept on going and explore more of what beautiful vietnam had to offer.  vietnam was for me a reminder to walk more, to eat healthily daily, to live well and simply, and to take the time to notice more around me, as well as enjoy each day. 

what i especially enjoyed was experiencing vietnam with both my boys.  stefan was relaxed.  kai was curious and went with the flow.  kai has traveled alot in his seven and half years and this visit was just a reminder that he is an awesome traveler, even on a 13+ plane ride!

after the jump, are some of our experiences:

mopedsanything you read about saigon will warn you about the traffic, they were not kidding. mopeds rule saigon's streets. these are the rules of the road a) don't wait for a break in the traffic, there won't be one b) after looking left then right then left, with confidence, step into the street and begin the adventure c) walk at a steady pace, don't slow down or speed up and never, ever run, the mopeds will either brake or swerve around you.
mopeds have multi uses.  you can transport families of 5, livestock, or even huge bouquets of flowers. genius... maybe.

a barrel of gasoline with a simple pump serves as a gas station
where drivers might also stop for a refreshment.

cuisine
the cuisine always seems to include leafy greens, it is taken communal, and always fresh.  street vendors are a quick, delicious and inexpensive way to eat in vietnam.  the street markets are a perfect place to find women squatting and selling vegetables from wide shallow baskets or selling their cooked foods.

i ate vegetarian while in vietnam, it was easy to do so.  my boys ate everything.  some favourites included banh mi (french bread sandwiches with fillings like barbecued pork, pate, radish, cucumber, coriander, sweet onions, and a sweet vinegary sauce).  the kho was a lovely sweet-savory dish of fish simmered in a clay pot with fish sauce and bitter caramel sauce.  pho is a classic vietnamese food dish of noodles in a broth that often includes fish sauce, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, onions, and ginger - simple but very good.  the cao lau is made up of doughy flat noodles combined with bean sprouts and greens and pork slices.  then there is the white rose (shrimp encased in rice paper and steamed).  there are too many to post, needless to say we ate well. and, kai mastered the chopsticks by the end of our trip!

we spotted her from our hotel window. she set up her pots very early in the morning and was always busy, we tried some of her delicious pho for breakfast one morning. she was surprised by a caucasian wanting to buy her noodles, stefan needed a translator.

where president clinton ate and us too!

elephant ear fish

the way to dress up elephant ear before devouring it

jackfruit vendor

a little snack on the way to the beach

just a moment before it was filled with a group of school girls eating lunch

waiting for the lunch time crowds

fruit and vegetable stand

stefan loved this sandwich

papaya prawn salad

street eats

unidentified, but looks good if you eat meat / best bread ever, we would just munch away at it all on its own

market

waiting for customers, she will be full very shortly

condiments

this woman makes delicate crispy cookie from batter deep heated over charcoal

woman selling sweet potato on the beach

have you ever seen such red watermelons?

herbs, flour, seasoning vendors

green goodness





kai finds a donut

religious faith

buddhas were plentiful.  we visited pagodas where huge circles of incense are hung in the main sanctuary.  sticks of incense are found everywhere. kai and i would would play 'spy the incense' as we wondered through the streets. 

ancestor worship is important because it is the belief that the soul lives on after death and becomes the protector of its descendants. the vietnamese honour their spirits regularly. an important worship element is the family altar.

when i explained the significance of the family altar, kai told me that when we, stefan and i, pass away he would have an alter for us and he would put a bag of ketchup chips on my side and chocolate on stefan's side.  cute... i think.

       

 

 

 

it was an evening of offerings to the ancestors (kai was intrigued by the candy for sweetness), the streets wer full of incense which we couldn't get away from.

sending monies/letters to the ancestors to keep them happy as it is believed they have influence on the lives of their descendants

 

coffee

one of stefan's favourite. we read that the place to buy coffee was in dalat, although very good to drink everywhere in vietnam.  even for me, a non-coffee drinker, i indulged a little bit.

coffee plant

 

apparently, this was the cafe to drink coffee at and stefan

a very good coffee

the kai craze

one of the unexpected things that occurred was the amount of attention kai received from the vietnamese people.  it was literally crazy; they went gaga over kai.  i assumed that vietnam was a popular travel destination and seeing a blond-haired caucasian boy would not be an issue.  well, i was wrong...

more than one of the following would occur at any given time a) a group of giggling girls/women would stare and point at kai, smile at him, say hello, ask him questions, and giggle some more b) kai would be photographed alot c) kai would be touched, his hair tousled, and/or hugged. 

this was a daily occurrence which kai dealt with surprisingly well.  this woman wins the medal for the craziest kai admirer:

 to be continued...