What's over there?
HANOI, VIETNAM – Sidewalks in Hanoi serve many different purposes… merchandise display space for shop stalls, seating for sidewalk restaurants, parking lot for motorcycles and bicycles (and sometimes cars), work room, kitchen, grazing space for urban livestock, and occasionally as a place for pedestrians to walk.
Continue reading “Sidewalks are for walking, right? Not in Hanoi…”
HANOI, VIETNAM – Vietnam’s Halong Bay is world renowned for its picturesque limestone karsts jutting skyward from the clear blue sea. Thousands of these impossible islands dot the waters off Vietnam’s northern coast.
Adjoining Halong Bay is Lan Ha Bay, less traveled by tour boats and every bit as beautiful. But the bays are not just home to lovely scenery. Thousands of people make their homes and livelihoods on the waters there. Continue reading “The Life Aquatic – Vietnam Style (Watch the video)”
HANOI, VIETNAM – Back in the United States I often found coins on the ground… pennies mostly, sometimes a nickel, occasionally a dime or even a quarter. And one time I found a $20 bill. Whoo-Hoo!
Being the frugal person that I am, I’ve always picked up the coins (as long as I could do it safely, that is) – even the pennies that were so banged-up you could barely tell what they were (OK, I admit it; I’m a cheapskate).
Continue reading “Even in Hanoi I find money on the street…”
HANOI, VIETNAM – We recently spent a day at the Japanese Culture Exchange Festival, held March 23-26 near Hoan Kiem Lake in downtown Hanoi.
Continue reading “Japanese Culture in Hanoi (watch the video)”
HANOI, VIETNAM – OK, I’ll admit that title isn’t entirely accurate. Not everyone hates me, and I’m sure there must be a couple people who actually like me… at least a little. And I know my wife likes me (most of the time anyway).
But I did eat a grub the other day. Several of them, in fact.
Continue reading “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me. Guess I’ll just eat… grubs”