Busy day

Hey y'all. We had a busy day filled with Hanoi goodness yesterday. Noodles for breakfast, then an electric cart tour around the small yet busy Old Quarter. We had lunch (you saw the video). We took in a water puppet show, and covered as much ground as we could in one sweaty day.

A big thank you to Paul, Christine, Lindsey and Kim for this crazy and entertaining day!

Lunch spot in Hanoi

We had a great lunch today at this place. BBQ fish, squid, tomato stuffed with meat, fried tofu, cabbage stuffed with meat, morning glory, beef and peas, and rice of course!

We made it to Hanoi!

Our northern most city on the trip. Life starts very early every day here. We walked from the train station to our hotel at 5:55 a.m. and everyone was awake. Exercising in the street, working, eating noodles, etc. Our hotel has a young cat! She likes Christian.

Here are some pics of the Hue train station.

Today we go see lots of stuff around town.....stay tuned!

Motorbikes

Cruising through Hue.

Oh yeah...

Here is a dumb little video of the Bahn Mi place.

Perhaps the best sandwich in the world

Roadside food shops are everywhere throughout Asia. But with a little help from our pal Anthony Bourdain, we found the best one of all on the streets of Hoi An. A Bahn Mi is a fusion of French and Vietnamese flavors. So what you see in the of the following: a crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside baguette filled with pâté, pork, tomato, cucumber, onion, cilantro, green onion, chili sauce, mayonnaise AND a fried egg! Goodness! It is a symphony in a sandwich! All that for a dollar each. I wish we could transport all of you here to try one.

I miss milk

Just eating some Oreos and thinking that cold skim milk sounds soooooo good!

Hue

Pronounced "hway." That's where we are now. So nice to move to a fun new location! We just visited the Imperial City. An interesting mix of beautifully restored royal palaces and bombed (non-restored) buildings.

Here are a few photos :)

Old Town

Hoi An is a world heritage site and was a major international port during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Know what that means? Lots of old buildings and old pottery that came from traders all over the globe.

We stopped in several protected buildings during the day. Many of which double as museums or community centers. Many thanks to Rick and Randi, and Lee Ann for an educational and fun day!

Bike ride around Hoi An

Yesterday afternoon we had a wonderful ride around the rice patties that surround the town of Hoi An. It was hot at humid (as it always is) but it was relaxing and peaceful to be away from traffic and people. Bikes and motorbikes are the main modes of transport and it feels nice to be out in the world instead of in a car. And look! A water buffalo! Our thanks to Kristi and Jennifer for the experience.