TravelStream™ news feed for member mytam on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/mytam en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 29 Jul 2006 10:53:34 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1154182800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1154182800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1154182800/tpod.html Sat, 29 Jul 2006 10:53:34 -0400 The Viet Tam Experience

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Hue, Vietnam

It's been awhile but in between finals and all of our excursions we really haven't had much time. I have some exciting news to share however, I have been accepted to go to Brazil in October through Washington Council of International Trade with Washington senators, Seattle city council members, and local business people. I've been waiting to hear from them this entire trip and it was a blessing to hear from them the last night of my academic program when I was working on my last undergraduate final. I'm very very thankful.


Group picture at the last dinner of the wonderful people that I've been spending the past six weeks with. I already missed them and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to be in their company. Some of the best people I've ever met.

We've parted ways with the group from the University of Washington, Stephanie and I were the only ones left and we took that opportunity to go to the Perfume Pagoda.


This town has changed because of tourism but it still charmed me.


Could there be any more hats?


The boat ride to Perfume Pagoda was about 60 minutes but it was so beautiful. We were surrounded by water, mountains, lotus gardens, graves, fishermen, shrimpers, gardeners, banana trees, forests. It was absolutely breathtaking.






Rowing is extremely hard work. After the ride back our rower was absolutely exhausted.


These little girls really remind me of when I was little. I really had this haircut when I was eight!






This is the lady that escorted us down the river to the Perfume Pagoda from the town. She makes about a dollar a day, with tip about three dollars a day. She supports three children. This was her first time rowing in a few months. When not rowing she makes about $1.30/day gathering wood from the mountains or working in the rice fields.

The academic portion of my trip has ended, Stephanie's mom came from Germany so I moved to a hotel down the streets and and met up with a few friends from the states.

Mimi, Me, My and Tennille to backpack down to the south!

I will post more later this week. For now we are going to a jazz club in Ha Noi!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1152079920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1152079920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1152079920/tpod.html Wed, 05 Jul 2006 01:47:47 -0400 The Viet Tam Experience

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Sapa, Vietnam


Our class in the hotel. Professor Warren fans you if you speak. It's quite the incentive in this hot weather!

SAPA!





































































































































































































































































































































































































































































]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1151382720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1151382720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1151382720/tpod.html Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:32:19 -0400 The Viet Tam Experience

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

It has been a long and fun-packed week. Major events: beginning of Vietnamese Lessons. visit to the Ethnology Museum. Watching the Water Puppet Show. Watching the Ha Noi Philharmonic Orchestra at the Big Opera House. Trip to Ha Long Bay over this past weekend.

We are slowly adjusting. I've had moments of culture shock. The city can be overwhelming at times, the air is thick. Combined with humidity and the busy traffic, going to Ha Long Bay was a needed break.

My room mate Cara is recovering from the flu. I'm doing well, I had stomach upsets at the beginning of the week but it is expected with travel. We are making good use of our Pepto Bismol and Immodium =)

Floating in Ha Long Bay was one of the best feelings I've ever had. It was liberating to let the sodium rich water keep me bouyant without much effort. We kayaked. We swam. We saw the sun set, the stars come out, the lightnight strike, and the sun rise. It was wonderful.

We are leaving to Sapa tomorrow morning, I would write more but I have to get packing! If I don't update regularly during the rest of the trip, or respond to your emails I apologize as we will be traveling thru the country and have quite a packed schedule. I'm not sure about the availability of internet as well but will try my best to keep in touch! Enjoy =)




Cara getting a shirt made


So adorable. Matching ao dai!

Street Scenes

Broomsellers

Bread for sale on the side walk

This girl broke our hearts. She was selling gum on a sidewalk near Hoan Kiem Lake. She says she is 9 but she looks much younger. We bought here a beefsteak sandwich that night, but it doesn't suffice. We saw her again last night and she was asking me when I was leaving. =(


Good Times at the Park!

How the garbage is picked up

Life in the streets. There is alot happening in front of homes and shops. On the sidewalks you can basically find anything you need.

Like a good game of cards, or a barber.

Or even a good game of street ball!


There are these red signs throughout the streets of Vietnam. Most of them are Communist teachings.


Traffic!

This is the face we have when crossing traffic





We are getting settled into our hotel. Air Conditioning, a decent shower, fairly clean facilities excluding the lizards. This is some of our group playing games at the front desk =)



"Best" Ice Cream in Ha Noi


This is what happens when you eat slower than your ice cream melts.


The art on the walk home from class near the big opera house is amazing.

Water Pupppet Theatre! The Water Puppet show was wonderful. I was in awe of the things they could do with puppetry. I was very touched by the live traditional Vietnamese music at the beginning of the show. Yes, I cried. I couldn't help it, it made me feel at home and reconnected with my culture.






Water Puppets Wedding Procession


Water Puppetry of the Mythology of Hoan Kiem Lake


Dragons on fire




These are the people behind the scenes. Absolutely amazing.





We Started Our Vietnamese Language Classes this Week at the beautiful Historical Museum of Vietnam Compound


View of the museum


Our teacher teaching us the Lunar Zodiac


Tree near the building where our class is.

Plumeria flowers in front of the museum. Beautiful, they smell amazing.

Cara and Pagoda, so pretty.

Statue detail of the pagoda

I need a haircut.

My absolute favorite pic of Cara.

"Don't Speak English" Written on the inside of my desk. No, I didn't write it.

Vietnamese Class is tough, Saskia needed a break!

Cara in jail ;)

Go Beginners!

Stacy and Thuy walking down hall where our classes are held

Vehicle we saw on the way to class

The streetfood here was amazing. This dish had too much MSG for my taste but it was really good.


Starbucks!...the Vietnamese way

Taking a break from the busy hustle and bustle of the city, Stephanie, Cara and I went to Highland Coffee to read for our class. This coffee shop really reminded us of Seattle's Best Coffee and Starbucks. They were playing Morcheeba in the background. We were a bit homesick so the corporate coffeehouse atmosphere was welcomed =)




View of the city from our hotel rooftop


Towels drying on the top of our roof. The hotel laundry is washed by hand then dried by the sun.









Ladies' night at the Big Opera House We decided to treat ourselves and go listen to some classical music. A famous Austrian conducter and one of the top Austrian opera singers were in town. It was so much fun to get all dolled up for a night out on the town. It was also beautiful to see the Ha Noi Philharmonic Orchestra and a Vietnamese Soprano.

Kelsey, Anyie, Cara, Moa in front of our hotel before the Cyclo whisked us off for Ladies Night Out!

Approaching the opera house.


The girls at the roundabout in front of the Big Opera House.

I'm amazed at this room in the opera house.


Cara and Tam at the Opera!

Cara's lovin it.


Beautiful opera house.

Cara found a perfect picture op. This hole in the wall is missing some statues, so we improvised =)

Cara and Tams

Kelsey is stuck in a box.

Anyie

Cara as a Teapot



I love this picture of the girls watching the traffic go by.


We dance. We crack jokes. We should just start a circus.

Nights in front of the opera house.

Metropol Sofitel Hotel After the opera we decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal so we went to one of the best hotels in town! I thought of you Dao when I saw the beautiful food =)

Ha Noi fried spring rolls, and fresh summer rolls.

They had beautiful floral arrangements.

This one is my favorite.

Lychee mojito. It was so good.

Creme brulee, with pumpkin ice cream (Vanny you woulda liked that), and waffle.

That, my friend, is an Australian burger.

Night Market Every weekend there is a night market near our hotel. It is so big we've only seen half of it. They sell everything from clothing and jewelry to candy and fake purses.

Sugar cane juice stand. A wonderful refreshment for hot summer nights.

Lost your marbles?

Dolls.


Bubble tea in the streets! Have yet to try it.

Hot Pot at the Night Market. So good!!!







Cara is in love.
We don't have a kitchen so all of our meals have been at food stands or restaurants. It adds up, we've been very thankful of the favorable exchange rates.

Lunch w/ Xue at Highway 65

Lunch with really nice Australians at New Day. They told us stories of getting things stolen during their time in Asia, definitely made Cara and I more cautious,

What happens when we get a craving for a taste of home...here we are pursuing Cara's craving of Italian food...





Trip to the Ethnology Museum!


Lecture on our busride

Class in front of the museum with Professor Warren.

Umbrella girls in front of the Ethnology Museum

Xue. Tams. Thuy.

Depiction of the late 1970s to mid 1980s when the Vietnamese had to get rations for food. They brought stamps to these stands in order to get their portions.



Professor Warren and students at the museum cafe.

Professor Warren taking notes during the movie.

This is my favorite statue. I call it the Vietnamese "Thinker"

I love this picture. An elderly gentleman peering into an exhibit.

The museum is gorgeous architecturally.

Fertility statues.

I felt lifted when standing at the base of these columns.

Xue and Thuy. Adorable as always.



How a non la is made.

We got a little lost ;)

Beautiful flower. We use to have a bush of this flower in our backyard when I lived in Viet Nam.

Fish Catchers.

How it's carried.

Exhibit of a typical home during the ration era.

Lizard or gecko? You decide.

This painting is on cardboard. Amazing.


Xue, Thuy, Moa.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ha Long Bay


Small group, big adventure. That's us!

Leaving Ha Noi.
The Drive There

Water Buffalo

The things women do to have white skin.

Want bread?


Jackfruit accident on the highway.


Beautiful rice paddies.




No Molbak's Here =)


Graveyards.

Foot rest.

Dog and cat meat.



On the way to Ha Long Bay we stopped by a Humanity Center. Disabled children affected by Agent Orange are taught skills to create arts and crafts that are sold at this store. As we were leaving, a butterfly hovered around and stopped right at the entrance. So beautiful.




Some of the women embroiders. It takes them one to two months to complete a piece.


One of the embroidered pieces. It looks like a painting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ha Long Bay! Our trip was two days and one night. Wonderful.

I climbed to the top where that temple looking structure is!!!

Rocky! At the Top!




This Australian man took pictures of us at the top of the island. This is his rendition of a kangaroo.

Ha Long Bay boat merchant.

Our boat stopped at this amazing caves with stalactites and stalagmites. It looks like we were on another planet!








Flag at the top of our boat.

One of the luxuries in Vietnam are the damp towels at many of the restaurants. On our boat we were handed them as we got on to freshen up.

Fellow tourist boats.

Here are some of the girls getting adjusted before tanning on the roof of the boat.

Jinn hanging out on deck.

There goes Amity!

One of our first glimpses of Ha Long Bay.






Dinner!



Me at sunset.

This is the life.

Amity and Cara enjoying the sunset.

Storm brewing.


Bridge at the city of Ha Long Bay.


Buying pearls on the boat.


Cara, Queen of the World!

Four girls to a bed. We had a sleepover because most of the beds were infected with bugs! Good times. But then we found a bunch of bugs on Cara and mine's bed anyway so we ended up sleeping on the roof.

It was such a good night. All nine of us girls stayed up on the roof of the boat watching the stars (I saw my first comet!) scared ourselves with ghost stories, and were chased back downstairs to sleep with the bugs in the early morning once it started raining.


Waking up to a beautiful morning!


Me in the morning. sleepy.

It was raining and sunny all at once during sunrise. Absolutely breath taking.





Cara driving with the captain and our tourguide.

We like our fish smiling!



My dream place to live in Ha Long Bay.

That is me driving the boat. Why am I not looking?

I drove the boat a good portion of the ride home. It was so much fun!

Our wonderful tour guide, Hop!

Back to Ha Noi.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1161138120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1161138120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1161138120/tpod.html Sun, 25 Jun 2006 11:50:55 -0400 The Viet Tam Experience

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Ha Noi, Vietnam

It's been an eventful week for Miss Mytam. I graduated only one week ago and now I am sitting in a hotel lobby in Ha Noi Viet Nam. My experience here has given me so much perspective about my life, what it could have been like, and where it is going. I am in the process of applying to go to Brazil in October (cross your fingers for me), as well as studying for the GREs, LSATs, and as well as studying for our courses during this trip.

It has been a wonderful and very eye-opening first week in Viet Nam. I feel at home, but we are living in the city, where many things are catered to tourists and I can't wait to go into the countryside.

The humidity has taken some getting use to but it has cooled down today. We are thankful for the rain here.

As I am writing there are ice cream men playing whimsical songs along with the sounds of bustling motorcycles, cars, and business people yelling out their advertisements for the night. Grass roots marketing. Grass roots living.

Everyone here is on the hustle. Working hard to provide for themselves and their family.

I feel very blessed with my life, but at the same time I've been frustrated with the perception that life in the U.S. is luxury. I've repeatedly explained to many people that we all have our struggles, it is just different.

I'm very touched by the elderly and children here. The businesswomen impress me as well.

Today I placed an order for three custom-tailored shirts and one pair of pants for roughly $44.

Cara, Anyie and I had pedicures today for 50,000 dong less than four dllars.

Last night we ate at a place where beer (3,000 dong or roughly 15 cents) was cheaper than water (5,000 dong or roughly 25 cents).

An eggroll vendor told me here that you make alot of money in America, but you also spend alot of money. In Viet Nam, money is hard to make and hard to find.

There is so much I want to say, but one of the best way I can express myself is through photos. I will do a weekly recap much like this one at the end of the week to sum up my experiences. There may be daily ones as well. Come back for updates! Enjoy the ones I have below:

Leaving Seattle:

Lovers' goodbye. My roomie Cara and her boyfriend Carver.


Group picture at SeaTac Airport international terminal.

The flight:

This is exactly how the 11 hour flight went.

Arriving at Seoul International Airport:

This airport is ridiculous. It is like a shopping mall!


Yes, that is Chanel in the airport.


The sun from Korea


The udon that made us almost miss the flight from Seoul to Ha Noi


Exactly what it says.


It's not turkey-flavored ice cream.


It's ice cream FROM Turkey. Or something of the like. It's very creamy and sticks together. This little boy thought he was getting all that ice cream. The ice cream man is one of the most hilarious people I'd ever met. He would do all sorts of tricks like this while he is serving you. The most entertaining icecream I've ever had.


Our Asiana flight attendants. Wonderful service.

Arrival in Viet Nam!

Group picture with Giang, our resident coordinator.

The first week in Viet Nam has been amazing. Below are some pictures recapping our first few days.

This boy was playing with a bunch of children by Hoan Kiem lake when we were walking by there last night on the way to get some gelato.


Gelato...and hilarious gentleman.

This crossing was dangerous!

Group picture near Hoan Kiem Lake.

This is our group of 13 attracting much attention on our way to dinner.

Where beer is cheaper than water and a whole entire meal costs $1

The owner of the restaurant liked Kels.

Such a happy duck.

But not for long. It's dinner.

Cara and I bought fans from two different ladies so that they won't be upset with us. One lady followed us for three blocks, but we didn't buy from her.

Washington apples next to Vietnamese lychee!

Woman temple keeper at a 996 year old temple.

This man lives at the temple has much wisdom about the place.

Woman in ao dai watching the city zoom by

This shrine shows the age of the temple. So breathtaking.

Exterior of the temple.

Woman in ao dai worshiping at temple.

The keeper of the temple taking a break from his work and the heat in a recliner with traditional Vietnamese music playing.

Gate in the city.

On our way around the city, Cara and I stumbled onto a market near Hoan Kiem Lake. They sell everything here, including snails.

There is no form of social security here. I am really sad when I see elderly women beg or work so hard when they should be enjoying old age and retirement.

Nap time at the market.

Yuum.

Intricate and very beautiful funeral wreaths. I love the lotus flowers.



Gotta wash your veggies once you bring them home.

This eggroll stand really left an impact on me. This woman supports two children by this business alone. Her thirteen year old niece is in town helping her for the summer. This could be my mother and I if we didn't immigrate to the U.S.

Tourist cyclo procession through the city.

The fruit vending hustle is to put these loads on us then befriend us so we can buy their product. Cara is looking like a local!

So do I!

Who needs Victoria's Secret?

These children are playing games at an internet cafe. So adorable.

Lauren, Stacy and I walked around a couple of days ago and we saw this small market. It was sweltering hot in there. We were covered in sweat after being in there only for a few minutes. These women are there all day. Once I took pictures of one of them. They all wanted a picture. I developed these and am bringing copies of the pictures to them today.




Shoes! Shoes! More Shoes!

These boys run a food stand all by themselves.

Can you tell which one has a crush on Cara?



Yup, this one has a crush on Cara. He pushed another boy out of the way when he tried to get into this shot. Hahaha.

One man. Six plates.

Late night eaters.

The chairs in our hotel lobby gives us realy good posture. Here's empress Lauren.

Cara at the temple.

Our first lunch as a group together.


It's quite the endeavor to get all of us somewhere. Here is us in front of our hotel before we take our first group cyclo ride to lunch.


Me and Saskia's firs cyclo driver!


Beautiful ride.


Lovely commie uniforms ;)


Tamarind shrimp


Here is the waitress scraping the burnt rice for me. Good stuff!


Salted fish. Our resident coordinator's favorite dish.


This is what our rice came in. So charming.


We love our beer and food!

Top left: my favorite dish. It's young sticky rice from the tip of rice stalks wrapped in spring roll wrapper and fried served with seasoned grilled pork. So good.

Flower soup with field crab.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1151249520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1151249520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1151249520/tpod.html Sun, 25 Jun 2006 11:37:42 -0400 The Viet Tam Experience

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Halong Bay, Vietnam

This weekend was amazing! Eight of the girls and I spent one night and two nights on a boat in Ha Long Bay.

We floated on the calcium rich waters. Climbed to the tops of the cliffs. Kayaked through the crevices of the islands. Witnessed thunderstorms. Escaped bed-bugs. Slept under the stars. Saw the sunrise. It was paradise.

Swimming in the bay, my body buoyant because there is so much salt in the water, my arms stretching out feeling the water slipping through my fingers...I had never felt so relaxed.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1161109920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1161109920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1161109920/tpod.html Wed, 21 Jun 2006 19:45:33 -0400 The Viet Tam Experience

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Ha Noi, Vietnam

Today we walked through the many districts in Ha Noi. Each street has a specialty. There were long rows of vendors selling locks, clothes, tupperware. There's even a row of pho vendors.

What stood out for me today are two experiences:
1) Fruit vendors
2) Food stand ran by boys

The first experience was a result of my craving for tropical fruit. Lauren, Stacy and I stumbled on to a small indoor market. It was sweltering hot. We could feel beads of sweat dripping down our faces and bodies within minutes of entering the market.

They all wanted me to buy their fruit. Although all the vendors' merchandise look the same, they were convinced that theirs was the best. I ended up buying one from the oldest woman there. Afterward I asked if I could take a picture of her, what happened next was definitive for me.

She looked at her picture on my camera the other ladies looked into it as if it were their first time seeing a digital camera. They all then wanted pictures. It was amazing for them to react to something that is so normal and typical in the U.S. It was beautiful for me to be able to share my love of photography with them.

The lady that I bought the fruit from then asked me where I came from. I told her the U.S. and she said, "Life in America must be great".

From the sweltering fruit market, with sweat dripping down my face, looking at the women that would have to sit there the entire day to make a living and provide for their family, I reflected on my life in America.

Another lady walked up to Stacy and I and admired our meaty arms. Pulling it, pinching it to see how tight our skin was.

My second experience today was around 11 p.m. Cara and I had waken up from napping all afternoon trying to recover from jet lag and we went out to buy some bottled water.

Outside, the streets were still damp from a heavy rain earlier in the day. The rain had cooled down the temperature, the streets were filled with late-night diners. We wandered down the street our hotel is on and I stopped in front of one of the street foodstands.

It was run by young boys. I asked them how old they were and they said 16-22. Some of them looked as young as eight to ten year olds.

They were cooking, waiting on tables, and organized the entire business by themselves. One of them had a crush on Cara and pushed another boy away when he was trying to get in the shot of Cara and him.

Their shop is open from 5 p.m. until 4 a.m. One of them was balancing just under ten plates on his two arms. Another cooking plain white fried rice opposite from one who was cooking a wok of vegetable and beef stir fry.

Another thing I noticed today is most of the shop operators and owners are all women. It is an empowering thing to see.

It is 2:30 a.m. and Cara and I should get some sleep to somewhat adjust to the time difference here.

Good morning-night.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1150932360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1150932360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1150932360/tpod.html Wed, 21 Jun 2006 19:44:39 -0400 The Viet Tam Experience

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Ha Noi, Vietnam

This morning I woke up at 5 a.m. and half ran half walked to Hoan Kiem Lake.

Many people convene here early in the morning to exercise. I joined in on a tai-chi class. I was the youngest person in the class but the elders were so nice and took the time to teach me.

Walking around the lake I saw the sunrise. The water was calm, and all you could see are slits of pink and orange reflecting on the lake's surface. Looking around at all the elderly stretching at the edge of the lake, one gentleman was sitting on a marble block meditating, it was one of the most peaceful things I'd ever seen.

I can't help but smile all the time here. Everything has a bit of humor in it. I grinned all the way home from the lake. The men walking around with beer bellies and no shirt on. The motorcycles constantly honking. It makes me happy to be here even thought here have been moments when I see really young children selling wares on the streets or the elderly and blind begging that really upset me.

It's all so different, but very familiar.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1150568820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1150568820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mytam/uwvietnamsumr06/1150568820/tpod.html Sat, 17 Jun 2006 14:31:44 -0400 The Viet Tam Experience

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Ha Noi, Vietnam

We woke up this morning at 6:30 to the symphony of car horns, motors, and heat .

Our room faces a set of internal stairwells, our bathroom window overlooks a side street.

It is a bright day outside. SUVs mingle with weary walkers carrying heavy burdens.

The topic of conversation between the eight of us here is how hot it is and how to combat the heat. Our hair is up. Our make-up is limited. Our water bottles in tow.

Cold beers don't stay cold for long. They fizzle down to a luke warm temperature ten minutes into our meal.

Our glowing faces are a mixture of sweat and excitement.

Our flight yesterday was long. We learned the "courtesy bell" inside bathroom stalls at the Seoul International Airport makes flushing noises to cover up less appropriate sounds while in the toilet.

We nearly missed our flight from Seoul to Ha Noi while having a bowl of soup in the Food Court. I have never seen an airport like the one in Seoul. It is like a shopping mall.

Our hotel is fantastic. We are very thankful for the air conditioning in our rooms as a relief from the hot hot heat outside. Breakfast this morning fresh fruit like lychee, fried sweet breads, different types of eggs, egg rolls, and fresh bread.

Other than the heat, it hasn't fully hit me that I am in Viet Nam. It has been 14 years since I'd left but I feel strangely at home. My rusty Vietnamese is kicking in, my limited vocabulary will prove to be a challenge.

It is wonderful to be surrounded by people that speak my language and are near my height!

Today will be our first day out on the city and in the words of Lauren,
"We're ready to go".

The group's initial impressions of Ha Noi:
Hot
Sticky
"I know what sticky rice feels like now-Cara"
The people are constantly trying to sell us something
Everything we think to be normal...confused of what is normal...completely different way of life...doesn't make any sense to some of us but it is absolutely normal for them
Everyone is nice and courteous, but does not allow themselves to be stepped on.
Streets are organized chaos
Love that there are only motorcycles
Great to walk slowly
The pace here is fast and slow. The motorbicycles give life here a sense of urgency. Others are relaxing in front of the t.v. watching the World Cup.
]]>