It’s “Hey Rene J” Today!

The dryer is working its magic after the first load, fond memories are unpacked and scattered about, and exhaustion from a forever of travel time is washed away. You know it was a worthy adventure when you return to find you have used up the life of your hot pink snorkel of 36 years, purchased in Hawaii and now snapped in two! Ah…it served a very dignified purpose helping me on my seahorse expedition and will enjoy its backyard burial come spring. (I know it looks orange, but it was hot pink at one time. So were my old fins and booties, but the ancient things keep working.)

Our chauffeur, “Pen,” asked about our favorite day. It was more like there were favorite moments to each day, excursion and country. Of course we’ll be happy to bore you with our photos, astounding videos (some are quite fun!) and tales of the travelers. (Sorry, Irving.) And Parsha can practice her cooking skills on us when we convene! But more importantly, I know we are looking forward to seeing friends and family after three long weeks.

As we return and I see that nothing is changed here in our abode – the vacuum cleaner carpet tracks are still there – I am hoping that something has changed in us. Perhaps we can glory in our astonishment at the immense diversity in humanity, the common bond of work, family, pride of country, the continual attempts to communicate, even if just through smiles, and the kindness that came from so many and that we hope we reciprocated. We are so much more alike than different, we just do those alike things different ways. I want to keep the memory of those street vendors, drivers, cleaners, families on bikes, market people – all of the service human beings and fellow sojourners in my soul.

Travel broadens our emotional intelligence, if we let it. Gets us out of ourselves to see a different way – not our way. Brings us back home. And we all know, there’s more than one way home! (Thanks, Keb Mo)

How happy to am to return to my family. My son looked taller and more handsome as he retrieved us from the airport. We haven’t ventured into grandland, arriving past bedtimes. And now, we do the woozy dance of time adjustment.

We spent the day enjoying a slower pace as we gear down. A leisurely breakfast, a fun taxi ride to the market, and a joyful journey with music! “Hooked on a Feeling” got everyone jammming.

My spouse pulled up his tunes and our driver happily connected his WiFi and endured our singing. Of course, we also helped him out by visiting “his shop” – aka the local tourist bus stop. It gave us a discount on the ride and gave him five liters of gas. We were happy to oblige.

Yes, we are calling it an evening and packing our bags. We hope to make our tight connection on the flight home and welcome your prayers for the same outcome as we begin to think in dollars and time on our terms.

We went to the highest peak and experienced the rain and clouds one conjures when describing jungles. We had umbrellas, as did the thousands of others who were with us at this Disney-like attraction yesterday. Since every room is properly equipped with a hair dryer, I was able to get my shoes back to ”dry” status for the beginning of the trek home. And thus we begin.

While we have traversed bits and pieces of Asia, we have also followed the weather back home due to the constant alerts still making their presence known. Apparently it’s cold. And snowy. Adieu to the waves lapping on the beach this morning as we leave the beautiful country of Vietnam. I didn’t pack a parka or boots for the return, but I’m hoping to make an entrance as a tourist from a warmer clime.

Now to zip that ever-expanding bag and check the outlets and drawers. “Onward ever, ceasing never.” (The motto for my mother’s senior class still guides me!)

The juice was refreshing, a bit tart, but refreshing. Poised with my “take away” cup of Vietnamese coffee (super sweet) I am prepared to see another temple! We liken this to visiting churches in Italy. After a few, they start to blend and morph into each other. Here, however, each one has a different god, so that’s a tricky point if you’re trying to keep track in the “Who’s Who” directory.

We had a blast in the city of lanterns – so beautiful, especially at night. Our western roots are beginning to draw me home though, as I tire of the traditional cuisines. I ordered French fries for lunch yesterday – and a milkshake! I have yet to cave in with a burger, as nothing can compare to the grain-fed beef I enjoy. Guess what’s on the menu when we return home?

TTFN. Temple time. Hopefully not a hike – my shoes are wearing thin for that!

It’s been a few days, mostly of lost or unsecured connections, but I’ll give this post a whirl! Today – we enjoy the culture and particularly the interesting choice of cuisine which continues to present itself.

On board our boat somewhere in Halong Bay, I enjoyed a lunch of squid cake, snail in bamboo shoot, mussels, and braved the lichee wine tasting. The snail was horrendously rubbery and I couldn’t properly masticate it. The squid cake – good and better with chilis. The mussels were excellent, and the sip of wine tolerable. I am mostly trying it all – save the dishes with large shrimp.

Breakfast – as always, savoring the passion fruit daily. I don’t know the fruit Panita and I tried, but it was grape-like in texture, semi-sweet, and a lovely prickly rind which was fun to peel. We’ll try to translate that later. The Vietnamese coffee – deliciously sweet. Enough to send us on our journey of discovery today!

I shan’t go into detail on our weather as even the cold front sweeping the nation makes the BBC news. Suffice it to say I’m taking a scarf in the event of a gentle breeze.

Well, I can honestly say that I do not recall another 13-hour day of immersion in a culture, learning history and experiencing what we did. These video clips, which I successfully transferred and published without the aid of my tech supervisor son, give a glimpse into one tiny aspect of the day.

This was the Cyclo ride. I am on a plush seat on the front of a bicycle being pedaled by my 75-year old chauffeur. I would insert another clip showing the intersections we navigated with buses, vans, hundreds of motorcycles/mopeds/vespas/bicycle-laden peddlers as we slowly were weaving in and out of traffic, however I clearly missed those opportunities as I sat in front saying my prayers.

The evening afforded us another mode of transport – a Vespa! This tour was rather disconcerting at first. That ride placed each of our threesome on the back of a bike putting our lives into the hands of experienced drivers who once again, do a dance in the streets with every other motorized vehicle. I have no clips for that as I was afraid I would drop my phone!

But the scariest thing we did was the train. Yes – we had something of a “Risky Market” here. We had front row seats to this event, however the train rumbling through the markets and coffee shops was not slowly making its way through the narrow track, rather whooshing by swiftly and causing me to fear I would be swept into it and severely maimed. Once again, too afraid to video that event. I was concentrating on leaning back as far as I could!

I rest easily now, grateful that my guardian angel was on duty.

It’s a tad different today in that the fog/smog blankets the view this morning, and the dinginess of a city is highlighted by the dull of the day. Our previous metropolitan views were entirely different, and this one gives a more “traditional” picture of what was in my head, and one which emulates any large, inhabited-for-centuries municipality.

Keeping up with the fast-paced interesting pronunciations of our guide will be the challenge for today. He is a joyful man, eager to share knowledge and question ours, and I’m about two sentences behind in translation! That could also be a product of travel exhaustion, which at some point, catches up with me. “Where did I put my toothbrush? Am I wearing something different today or a recycled classic? Where did I put that keycard?”

Today I am rejoicing in the fact that I threw in a pair of pants at the last minute – thank you, Sister. It will be cooler while we experience Vietnamese culture and thankfully, more humid. Thus, we begin the day with the obligatory visit to the first president’s mausoleum. Yes, if there is a tomb, mausoleum, stupa, sacred burial ground, it is always on the menu – as it should be. To understand the culture you need to understand what is revered.

This world is so utterly multifarious. How wonderful to know who you are in the face of this great diversity. I’m looking forward to new insights, even if the sites are blanketed a bit with the grey of the day.

Every morning we are treated to the lotus flower folding process. These gems are bountiful and decorate each bathroom – or as we learned – “The Hole of Harmony.” Much more pleasant term, don’t you think?

Along with the plentiful floral displays – oops – see the next centerpiece photo, also. This was for a private event, not our dinner, and each of the 40 tables had these gorgeous settings.

And then, Mother Nature rules, in spite of regimes, kingdoms, human intervention. We are so privileged to be welcomed here, as well as educated. While we learned history and cultural shifts from our experienced guide, “So,” I also learned how to take great panoramic shots from him. It was hard not to want to capture every inch of these beautifully intricate weavings of human and natural creation.

We continue on our journey to the next educational opportunity – Vietnam!

The little fellows look so harmless, too. We ignored the few we saw and reveled in the great ruins and history of the empires here. The ruins are readable, an attractive feature when doing novice archaeological exploration.

This next warning is always a concern, and probably a sign I could use at home! We continue on our journey of exploration in this heat, another indication that we’re not home anymore.

It was a tad difficult to recall the events yesterday once we were properly ensconced in our penthouse apartment with the private pool. Additionally, my iPad pooped out. Now I struggle to recall it all, but am absolutely happy with where our day is ending.

The past two days we went from adorable bamboo huts (see photo of my feet) to the as-close-as-I’ll-ever-get-to-living-in-one penthouse, (pool photo) to this gorgeous hotel welcoming us with its beautiful fresh flower display. (Flower photo!) We have yet to explore our new surroundings, but I am quite certain we shall enjoy all the amenities for the next few days. And right now, I am luxuriating in a lovely bed watching Nat Geo and the seahorses swim. (Of all shows!) Yes, 143 channels, 45 of which are English, while the others service 18 different languages.

A little taste of home.