don't forget to call your mother: Vietnam: Part 1

And we’re back! I know it’s been a while and I haven’t been the most diligent blogger (slash totally absent). My last post was from Kilimanjaro, which now seems like a world away. Since then Lesley and I have made our way through several countries in South East Asia, maybe having a little too much fun to make time to blog. Over the next week I’ll post several entries and lots of pictures catching everyone up on the adventures and highlights we've seen over the past couple months.

Leaving Africa was an adventure all its own. What was supposed to be a long travel day turned into an outright collapse of the transportation system. Leaving from Moshi, Tanzania, we hopped on the 6 AM bus to catch our flight in Nairobi, Kenya later that afternoon. After being cramped in the back for 7 hours, we reached the airport and started what was supposed to be three flights from Nairobi, to Addis Ababa, to Bangkok, to Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon). However the pilot of our first flight had a different idea. An hour into the flight, we looked up at the monitors and noticed that our plane on the map was in fact heading south, back into Tanzania and away from Ethiopia. I immediately thought we boarded the wrong flight before I realized other people had the same realization. A passenger in front of me had a moment of panic, grabbed a flight attendant and exclaimed, “We’re going the wrong way!” He was in fact correct. Turns out Kenya’s President of Commerce was on the plane and mid-flight decided he’d rather go to Tanzania, not Ethiopia. The pilots and flight attendants thought this minor change in our itinerary wasn't worth notifying us about. We landed back in Tanzania (where we had just spent the last 8 hours trying to get out of), dropped off our distinguished guest, and then made our way to our original destination, turning the quick two hour flight into a 6 hour ordeal. After our small diversion, it only took us another two flights to make it into Ho Chi Minh. Arriving there about 48 hours after we left Moshi, we were exhausted, dirty, and ready for some new clothes. But of course, the bags didn't make it (and wouldn't for another five days). Defeated, we settled into our hostel in Ho Chi Minh.

While getting to Ho Chi Minh was no treat, we both quickly fell in love with the city. The amazing food, friendly people, and live atmosphere have made this one of our favorites. The city is made up of a maze of alleyways snaking between the main streets, each one with its own personality and unique street foods to offer. We spent many hours exploring the hidden gems this city had to offer and could have spent many more if time permitted. One of our favorite spots was along Bui Ven where we would sit along the streets in little plastic chairs, drinking 50 cent beers and sampling street food as vendors pushed their carts by us. Our favorite was fried crab in garlic and butter served with a chili vinegar sauce.

Eating like the locals

Outside of Ho Chi Minh are the Cu Chi tunnels, an extensive network of underground passages used by the Vietcong to attack and hide from American troops. Clearly Lesley is taking this historically significant sight seriously.

Floating markets in the Mekong Delta

At the floating market, merchants would hang a sample of what they were selling on a pole above the boat.

Bees!

And snakes!

Dragon fruit

Lotus flower

After Ho Chi Minh, we spent three days exploring the Mekong Delta before heading north to Nha Trang for some sun and beach. After we were both sufficiently sunburned, we left for Hoi An. Another one of our favorites, Hoi An offered great eats and a small town atmosphere. To try and learn how to make all the delicious foods we’d been eating, we enrolled in a cooking class. Our class started early in the morning where our instructor guided us through the many stalls of the local market. She explained how to find the freshest produce, what spices to look for, and which fish would provide the best flavor. After finding our ingredients, we returned to the restaurant where we whipped up a traditional Vietnamese lunch.

On stage for my duet of CCR's, Have You Ever Seen the Rain

Before all the jelly fish got to her...

Snorkeling in Nha Trang

Along the streets of Hoi An, posing like the locals do

Local fruits at the market

Women selling fresh veggies along the street. Can you spot the duck in the shopping bag?

Fruit stall/play pen

At the market buying food for our cooking class

Prepping the dumplings for our soup

And the result

Mango salad, fresh from the market, so good.

Spring rolls served with a vinegar and chili sauce.

Banh Xeo, a traditional Vietnamese dish. We wrapped shrimp, fatty pork, diced green onion, and bean sprouts in a fried pancake made of rice flour, water, and turmeric powder.

From Hoi An, we departed for Hue, but instead of our normal transportation through Vietnam (bus), we hopped on the back of motor bikes with the Easy Riders. But I’ll save that one for the next post.