Vibrant Vietnam Pt. 1

It was a fabulous National Day 2011 vacation for us. We were able to spend time with two other inspiring couples that we taught with our first full year abroad. Even though Pazi was 31 weeks along, she was still able to join in on most of the fun!

First, we need to say that getting all three couples together for this vacation was no easy task, however the stars did align for us on this holiday. Warren and Terese Grant, our good friends from Iowa, decided this past summer to take a half-way around the world trip this year during "retirement." The idea was for them to start in China and then continue on to other parts of southeast Asia. Our other dear friends, Prentis and Sue Porter, recently moved from Italy back to Asia. They transferred to a QSI school in Hanoi, Vietnam. Once we started talking via Skype and e-mail, it looked like our school vacation would be at a perfect time to join Warren and Terese in visiting Prentis and Sue. How could we pass up the opportunity to reunite?

Our Arrival
Prentis and Sue recommended that we arrive late on Friday night after work because they planned a weekend getaway outside of Hanoi for all of us. Since their school doesn't follow the same calendar as us, they were scheduled to work the following Monday. Arriving Friday night would allow us to get up early Saturday morning. We spent the whole weekend together sightseeing.

We found out that traveling in China with a pregnant woman thirty plus weeks along has its perks. China Southern gave us the VIP treatment. We were able to skip the long lines to check in, use their private lounge with food and beverages, and even fly first class. All this on just a regular economy ticket! The flight was less than two hours so it didn't last too long.

There wasn't many flight options so we needed to travel closer to ten o'clock at night. Unfortunately, because of tropical storm Nalgae (it was a typhoon days before), we had our flight delayed. This storm would eventually hover around us the entire trip. When we finally arrived in Hanoi, it was midnight. We hired a driver to take us to the QSI school, which happens to also be where our friends live. After about 45 minutes we arrived in Tay Ho district, the expat community where the school is located. It was dark and drizzly outside. It was obvious that our driver was lost and losing patience. He barely knew any English, and likewise us with Vietnamese. In the end, he dropped us off near a sign that had the QSI logo.

In the rain, now at 1:15am, we wandered for the next ten minutes down the dark alley-like roads to find the school.In search of a restaurant or gas station, every direction was without lights. Finally, when all hope seemed lost, Pazi said, "Look that building has a light on. Let's ask for help." It was practically pitch black, except for this one establishment. We walked up and to our delight it was the school! The night guard let us in and gave us hand signals to wait in the lobby. Within two minutes, Prentis came down in his pajamas to get us. He took us up to the sixth floor (the school operates out of floors 1-5). We told him about our little adventure getting there. He was amazed we made it given the circumstances. Then we went off to bed.

Ninh Binh
On short sleep, we woke up, showered, and had breakfast. By 8:00am we headed downstairs to meet our tour guide and private van. The Porters booked us a two-day tour with an agency they've had success with. Our first destination was Kenh Ga, a small water village deep in the countryside amongst beautiful limestone karsts.

On our way, we noticed several cathedrals. Many of them appeared to be quite old. We learned from the guide that Ninh Binh province is home to several Christians. In fact, well over 10% of the population is Christian. They predominantly practice the Catholic faith. Portuguese first brought the church to Vietnam in the early 16th century. However, it wasn't until Jesuit missionaries from France came in the 17th and 18th centuries that Catholicism really took hold. They constructed many churches and our route showed great evidence of this powerful influence. We decided to stop and shoot some pictures at a random cathedral along the way. It was a great decision as we happened to arrive during womens' group luncheon. Warren and Adan hammed it up with them taking lots of photos while the rest of the group waited at the van. Even with a language barrier, the ladies showed amazing hospitality by offering us a meal. Of course we politely declined.

Another thirty minutes in the van and then we reached Kenh Ga. The location was very serene and picturesque. We were scheduled to take a two-hour boat ride in and around the water village. It was sprinkling out so our guide made sure to get us a boat with a top. The experience was actually worthwhile. All of us got some nice shots of the village and limestone scenery. The people in this village were very friendly and didn't mind us snapping photos as they fished with nets or washed clothes by the shore. The best part might have been the cute children that waved to us and smiled.

As we returned to the small dock we entered at, the tour called for us having lunch with a local family. The experience was interesting. The meal was primarily items--a weed-like vegetable and local fish. There was a small amount of chicken and a soup, but nothing special. We particularly liked that north Vietnamese use lemon and chile (very hot ones upon request) on almost everything they eat.

At this point in the trip, we made our way to the famous Phat Diem Cathedral. This is one of Vietnam's most famous churches. It was built some time between 1875-1899. When we arrived seeing the structure was an awesome sight. The influence of both Vietnamese and European architecture make this cathedral very unique. The main hall is 74 meters long, 21m wide, and 11m high. There are six massive ironwood pillars and several decorative carvings that are quite impressive. We spent about one hour here seeing the complex buildings and observing the local mass being held.

From here, we headed towards the next site, Tam Coc, where we would spend the night and spend half of our Sunday exploring. Along the way, we happened to stop and get some nice shots at a local market of the beautiful people and the foods they sell.

Tam Coc and Hoa Lu
The next morning we had a nice local breakfast before taking off on a two hour boat ride along the Tam Coc's scenic river. Each couple had their own private boat and rower. The views were amazing. The atmosphere was tranquil and relaxing. It reminded us a bit of Guilin, Guangxi province in China. The limestone karsts that surround the area really add to the beauty of the scenery. Additionally, there were three small grottoes along the scenic route that helped add to the experience.

Once we made it back to land, we took a short break and then went on a bicycle ride to explore the surrounding areas. Pazi was not feeling up to it, so she stayed at the hotel while the rest of the group went bicycling. The ride took us on a quite road with lots of farmland towards a small temple. Along the way we stopped to admire the homes the locals built, the wildlife--birds, water buffalo, etc. Ultimately, we made it to the temple that consisted of two main halls tucked away and protected by two small limestone peaks.

Finally, we had a nice lunch at a local restaurant. They had really good cha gio, Vietnamese fried spring rolls. We also had spicy goat meat, local greens, soup, and rice. Overall, the food was pretty good.

The last location to visit on our weekend trip was Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of various royal dynasties beginning in the late tenth century under King Ding Tien Hoang. At this location we visited the two remaining historical sites of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh Temples. Each one had many artifacts on display and areas for worship. Built around mountains and waterways, this capital was a good strategic location from the 960's to the early 1200's.

This location also gave us a very fun moment when Sue posed for pictures with a Vietnamese man and his water buffalo before we went back to Hanoi. The locals enjoyed the scene just as much as us considering that a decent sized crowd gathered to watch the photo shoot unfold.

Hanoi's Old Quarter
Monday came and that meant Prentis and Sue needed to get back to classes. Although the weather outside was still off and on wet, we braved the weather and headed to Hanoi's Old Quarter--one of Vietnam's best kept areas of colonial and pre-colonial architecture. We began by visiting the Museum of Vietnamese Revolution as the rain picked up a bit when we arrived downtown. This museum takes visitors through modern Vietnamese history beginning with 1858 during the struggles for independence and going up through 1975 when the Vietnam War officially ended.

Seeing the 29 halls and some 3,000 exhibit pieces was very interesting to us. Since we were not alive during this time frame, it was nice to have Warren and Terese share with us their insight during this tumultuous time in American history. On a side note, the price of 10,000 dong (50 cents) definitely made this visit worth it.

The next building we wanted to visit was just across the intersection, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, however it was closed. There are a number of businesses that use Monday versus Sunday to take time off or have a resting day. Therefore, we took few photos of this beautiful structure that is a fusion of Asian and European design.

Next, Terese really wanted us to see Hanoi's opera house so we made our way there. Unfortunately, once again, it was Monday and it was closed. Nevertheless we got some more good photos and continued on. We spent the next five or six hours just wandering the streets of Hanoi's Old Quarter. Part of the time we shopped. In fact, Warren and Terese took us to a shop called, Vietnam Quilts, where we purchased a gorgeous handmade quilt of zoo animals for the baby. The prices for the items at the store are a bit high, but it's all done for a good cause and the quality is superior. The business employs over 300 women from poor rural regions of Vietnam to make the merchandise. The company trains and pays the women for their labor. Their story is very inspiring.

Later after work, Prentis and Sue met up with us. We visited a few more shops and Prentis, Sue, and Terese got foot massages. Pazi was tired so she rested at a local cafe and had a drink while Adan and Warren snapped photo after photo of the Vietnamese locals passing by. Eventually, we all met up again and had dinner at a very nice restaurant, Little Hanoi, specializing in Vietnamese main dishes and Western desserts. The Porters said it was a new restaurant they stumbled upon, but enjoyed their own time visiting. We had fabulous spring rolls, seasoned beef (Luc Lac), and fried rice. After all of this, we could choose a dessert of chocalate cake, apple pie and ice cream, or a lemon bar. Amazing!