Vietnam Archives - Page 5 of 7

February 24, 2018July 24, 2018

Our traditional Tet lunch experience

An array of traditional Vietnamese food for Lunar New Year (Tet)

HANOI, VIETNAM – As slow travelers, John and I always try to connect with the local culture, so we were thrilled to be invited recently to join a family for their traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) family lunch in a rural village just outside of Hanoi.

We really did not know what to expect, besides lots of food, so we saved the entire day for the experience, and brought a box of chocolates for our host, Khai, the number two son in the family.
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February 16, 2018July 24, 2018

Christmas and New Year’s in Hanoi

Tet decorations can be really over the top in Hanoi — Tet holiday decorations can be really over the top in Hanoi

HANOI, VIETNAM – Our Christmas and New Year’s celebrations were certainly a bit different this year. We don’t usually do much, sometimes go to a movie, usually fix ourselves a nice dinner, but we’re not big gift-givers.

We both hate that in the U.S. the “Christmas season” seems to start even before summer ends. Continue reading “Christmas and New Year’s in Hanoi”

February 13, 2018July 24, 2018

Bangkok for the weekend? Yeah, that just happened…

Bangkok's Grand Palace is Awesome! — Bangkok’s Grand Palace is Awesome!

HANOI, VIETNAM – Brrr, it’s chilly here in Hanoi today. Especially after spending the last three days in Bangkok, where it was sunny and 80-plus degrees (27 degrees Celsius) and we could bring our shorts and sunscreen out of hiding for a change.

Now it’s back to wearing silk long underwear and a sweater, with the hope that it might get up to 60 by the afternoon.

Three days is not nearly enough time to explore anyplace the way Melanie and I like to, but we needed to leave Vietnam because our tourist visas were about to expire.
Continue reading “Bangkok for the weekend? Yeah, that just happened…”

January 28, 2018July 24, 2018

Chicken lips and noodle Heaven

Vietnamese cooks use the whole bird - 'lips' and all — Vietnamese cooks use the whole bird – ‘lips’ and all

HANOI, VIETNAM – Another tasty stir-fried chicken lunch today reminded me that Vietnamese cooks let nothing go to waste; they use every part of the bird… including the lips.

What? You didn’t know chickens have lips?
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January 22, 2018July 24, 2018

A new adventure every day…

Trấn Quốc Pagoda, the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi

HANOI, VIETNAM – It’s a new adventure every time we step out of the apartment. Seriously, it really is. Take today for instance. Soon you get to know your neighborhood, the stores, the market and what is around. Hanoi just has soooo much!

Today we stepped out of the apartment at about 1 p.m. – lunch time. There were motorbikes parked everywhere; I mean everywhere. “That’s different,” we thought. Continue reading “A new adventure every day…”