Hello, friend

So I lost my cable for my camera...so can't upload more pictures until I find a replacement. Which is a shame, because I spent the last week in Cambodia, in Siem Reap, visiting Angkor Wat and some of the other temples. I also stumbled upon an opportunity to visit a hospital, a mental health clinic and a healer village, with a really great team of doctors and counselors. We had a wonderful day, and I learned so much about their model of service delivery--and how committed they are to the work. A large part of their constituency is Khmer refugees who live in rural villages.) There's more to say on that, of course. But not tonight.

I've just landed in Bangkok and am with Rhonda's family. And since Rhonda is family, in a way, it feels like home.

Oh, and in lieu of new pictures, here's an adorable one from last Sunday.

Last Meal Out in Hanoi

Today, we ate a lot. (Really, I could stop there.) And tonight, we are--or, uh, Jason is--preparing special fish tacos. Tomorrow, I'm off for a quick stopover in Saigon, before heading to Angkor Wat for a few days. More pics to come.

So Kind

Next stop after Jungle Beach was Hue City. On the way, a tourguide from Saigon invited me to join his group for the morning. I did, at least just for the morning, and we ended up having such fun. In the afternoon, I rode a bicycle just outside of the city and visited Tu Hieu pagoda, which is Thicht Nhat Hanh's root temple. Very special. Then, I visited Duc Son, a nearby orphanage run by Buddhist nuns. I got very lucky and happened to be there at the same time a Vietnamese family who'd relocated to California were back for a visit and to make a donation--so they translated during a tour. I was so impressed! The nuns take care of 200+ children on a little more than $5,000 per month. Their philosophy is to create a nurturing, family environment and the orphanage has a huge success rate. It was founded in 1964. The nun in this picture has been there for more than twenty years. I really expected Hue to be a hard transition after more than a week at the beach, but these two visits (plus the friendly women from the tour) made it a day to remember.

Bonfire!

Some pics from the bonfire and preparation from the bonfire. This is in Jungle Beach, VietNam, on the South China Sea. (As are the other pictures, from the sunset, plus the one with Gai, who took such good care of us!) Ah, what a week. The setting is idyllic, and we had such fun. Sadly--but perhaps fortunately--my camera died the night the bonfire became really raucous, with lots of singing and even dancing under the nearly full moon.

A la Plage

Sunshine

Today, I got lost for the first time in the nearly two weeks I have been here. This is a picture of where I ended up. Worse things could happen, I suppose. Meandering can be so lovely. I met a fellow traveler and after a long, rambling conversation, I remembered that old adage, "Water seeks its own level." Was a really nice day.

Tonight, I went to the Opera House for a performance by the Vietnamese Symphony Orchestra. The spirit of the program was mostly playful and included a conducting "competition" with five or six children and two eager adults all trying their respective hands at conducting the orchestra. For me, the best part came later, when the solo violinist played a memorable, even soulful piece by Monti. For a moment, I completely forgot about her beautiful floor-length gown, made of a bright coral-colored silk. (And if you could see this dress, you would understand just how much of a feat this is.) I couldn't help it. I thought of Nietzsche.

And perhaps I'll be thinking of aesthetics some more. Tomorrow, I am leaving for the beach--let's hear it for hammocks overlooking the South China Sea!--and then on to a couple other stops. I'll be away from my computer for a bit and am really looking forward to relaxing, at least til Sunday.

Namaste.

Food and stuff

So, the big news of my week is that I ate bun cha (pork soup) three times from the same "street" food" place (which is really just an outdoor restaurant) in Hanoi. Apparently, the woman who cooks the food has been on this same corner for sixty years. The roasted pork is so tender, and the broth is a sweet fish sauce and includes carrots and green papaya. It's served lukewarm with chilis, rice noodles, and other greens, including basil and banana flowers. Yum.

The shot of the stairs is the alley where Maya and Jason live. Their apartment is beautiful--an entire house. I am lucky to have the very spacious guest room with high ceilings. On top of the house is a terrace, which we have used a couple times so far, including on Maya's birthday, for the dessert portion of our evening. (Chocolate!)

The other picture is an afternoon shot of Hoan Kiem Lake, which is just near the Old Quarter. This morning, I went there around six-thirty, which is actually on the late-side. There were lots of people there, groups of women walking, couples playing badmitton, and children on bikes. The only tough thing about the lake--as far as I can see--is crossing the busy roads to get there. I'm a hair more used to the motorbikes by now. But I admit: more fun to be on the back of one than to worry about one running me over. At the lake the other day, a young man (17 years old--I asked) sat down next to me and asked me (among other things--he wanted to practice his English) what I don't like about Hanoi. I demurred, but he pressed and so finally I said, "When I cross the street, I feel like I am going to die." He thought that was funny, and we laughed. Only I was serious.

The other picture is from one of the courtyard's at Van Mieu (Temple of Literature), which is the oldest university in VN, established in 1076. This shot is of the stone steles (purpose of which is to commemorate those who successfully passed their exams) which are placed on top of stone turtles. The vibe here is incredibly peaceful. After looking around, I settled into a green space, just outside of the courtyards, and read for a while.

Yesterday, the highlight was eating a spicy beef and noodle dish at a street food place, and being joined by a young woman who was on her lunch break. Her English was great and we chatted for a while, about her line of work (import/export business), her boyfriend (who is away now, so she spends her time at night online, emailing him), and what I am doing in Viet Nam (good question!).Lunch was so nice and I was, of course, so happy to communicate. And then she "invited" me to lunch, which means she treated me. It was so kind and really made my day--Yen, wherever you are, I owe you one!

Tonight, we are meeting up with a German journalist who literally works across the street from where Maya and Jason live. We're meeting at the "bia hoi," which means "fresh beer." The bia hoi-thing is popular here, and even though I won't partake, I am looking forward to a new experience.

A few more pics from Hanoi

Here are a few more pictures from my time in Hanoi. The food is from Maya's birthday feast--pictured here is dried squid (yum!) and bamboo, which I didn't try--yet. The next picture is the view from a cafe, where Jason, Landon (M + J's friend) and I had delicious Vietnamese iced coffee. Tu and Hung (also M + J's friends) are singing karaoke on Maya's birthday--I don't remember the song, but I love this pic.

Maya's Birthday Surprise!

Oh! Last night was such fun. Jason planned a surprise birthday dinner for Maya's 30th at an outdoor seafood restaurant. We all wore t-shirts with different pictures of Maya as a little girl. And then sang lots and lots of karaoke.