Last Hanoi

Such a great week. For those of you who got through all those photos, I commend you. It took me a long time to edit, so appreciate you looking. I really debated getting on the airplane to come back to Seoul. I must say, the 50-60F weather sure beats the hell out of -6F which we got today. I've never even dreamed of being so cold. My pipes froze the week I was gone. I washed my iPod as it was in my dirty laundry pile. I miss the coffee. Thanks DMS for having me, it was awesome.

A few last shots from Hanoi.


late night pho



I think this is how you spell "salmonella."


ladies who lunch

Puku

Another nice coffee shop...if it wasn't for that damn song on repeat for 45minutes. I had to ask them to change it. "This song - no. New song - yes."

The Cave of Ancient Man

This cave is in Cuc Phuong National Park - the oldest national park in Vietnam, home to some of Asia's rarest species of birds and reptiles and trees. We didn't get a chance to hike around much but we did find this sweet cave where prehistoric tools were found dating back 7500 years. Wicked.

La Rue Viet

Some photographs from the road in between Tam Coc and Coc Phuong National Park.

Photographing on the back of a motorcycle: I assure you, not an easy feat.

Tam Cốc-Bích Động (by day)

good morning.






this makes me dizzy if I look at it for too long.
 



reflections eternal

Tam Cốc-Bích Động (by night)

Dave and I took a three-day motorcycle trip throughout Northern Vietnam. The four-hour journey started on Sunday took us south from Hanoi to Tam Cốc (or "three caves"). We had a rather hilarious night drinking "special water" with some tour bus drivers, a "very important" cop from Ninh Binh and a Dutch bar owner followed by a rather scenic and peaceful day along the Ngo Dong River.

The two-hour rickety boat ride down the Ngo Dong took us through the most incredible landscape dominated by rice fields, massive karst outcrops and through caves (with overhangs only about 2m above the water). Our boat rower, a woman in her early 50s, tried to swindle us into buying some of her embroidery but we had been warned.

I'll let the photos do the talking.


plotting

view from the road



I made a friend while DMS napped.


A "average-sized" Dutchman, a well-known cop who wouldn't stop hitting on me/making me drink, and the people's champion, David Marshall Stout.

Hanoi, Part 1

Hanoi is a bustling, vibrant city with a lot of people and even more motorbikes. Sorry to sound like a Lonely Planet guide ;). Truth be told, this old, dirty city is nothing like Seoul, South Korea. And that's probably the reason I loved it so much. Southeast Asia and Central Asia are like night and day. The former being much more raw (seems to be the buzzword in those parts), unorganized, cheap, loud, and teeming with foreigners. I understand why.

Vietnam has got to be one of the coolest places I have ever been. The food was incredible, the coffee out of this world, the people exceptionally friendly (and actually attempt to speak English!), and it's full of recent and very relevant history. History of which, I am ashamed to say, I didn't know much about. Thankfully with David as my personal tour guide I was able to learn a lot about the country and the Vietnam War.

Here are some photos from Saturday in Hanoi.


DMS and Bun Cha (yum)

motorbike taxi nap

best $1 meal I've ever had. Bun Cha is one of the most popular street foods in Hanoi. Charcoal-grilled pork meat balls, rice noodles, thinly sliced cucumbers, carrots, onions in a delicious broth.

Ming

street punks throwing cards


Duc and his girlfriend's son Ming. Might as well been his kid, he loved him so much. Duc is a Vietnamese-American journalist who moved back to Vietnam a few years ago. He opened a great coffee shop/gallery Tadiota where I spent many hours last week. He was gracious enough to allow us to stay at his INCREDIBLE house in the mountains for New Years Eve...pics to follow

44 Son Tay