The sun rises in the east: January 2011

Hortensia Feliz cumple anos

Arrived in Saigon yesterday suddenly it was summer-our first day of sunshine, also ~85degrees and humid but who's complaining. Checked into the Majestic Hotel-location of Graham Greene's "Quiet American"

We visited the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the large downtown market.

Sorry about the lack of photos but pagodas and markets starting to look alike. We ate lunch at Pho 2000- famous because Bill Clinton was a patron in 2000

Went to the War Remnants museum-or the kill America museum-we don't come out looking too good in their eyes. There was an interesting non-biased exhibit on war photographers-mostly those who lost their lives during the war.

Captured US war vehicles

This is the post office designed by the french and beautiful inside. This man (below) is a retired postal employee who for the last 20 years writes letters for people who can't writed in vietnamese, french or english. He's a celebrity!

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city)- is known to the natives as Saigon and in the north as "The City" It has 8million inhabitants who have 4million motor bikes (cycles and scooters). It has the feel of New York-very western from its stores to its traffic and pace. Here's how it looked last night-the lights are for New Year's "Chun mung nam moi" (Happy New Year)

Ate at a restaurant our guide Truc recommended. Excellent authentic Vietnamese food no fusion.

Having some difficulty downloading my photo's will continue today's adventures after dinner.

Just some fruits that appear at our breakfasts each morning.

Dragon fruit

Passion fruit

Rose Apple

Rambutan

Today we went to see the Cham towers at My Son this area was uncovered in the jungle by french archeologists at the turn of the 20th century. Excavations are still continuing and there was some destruction during the american war-vietcong hid out in this area after the tet offensive. The earliest Cham towers date from the 5th century. At this time they were built of brick which somehow were constructed without mortar and exist to this day. Carvings in the brick were probably made preconstruction. There are towers from the 9th century and later where they incorporate sandstone for decoration. My Son was believed to be a religious area for royalty and priests.

God of Sarcasm

Sanskrit on tablet

Goddess of Conversation

Went back to Hoi An also known as town where you can have clothing made. I went to Yaly a couterier listed in the guide book and suggested by our guide. Here I was fitted for a blazer by lovely tailors. It took 24 hours and cost me $70.

I had seen a video by Amanda Hesser food writer for the NY Times who said she found the "best restaurant in Vietnam" outside of Hoi An. She called it a shack but showed the feature dish -"Crabs in lemongrass sauce" Went there last night and had a feast , actually too much to finish. Check out the grub.

So no more food for the rest of this episode. Today Michele and I went on a bike ride with Phuong our guide through the village outside of Hoi An. Bella and Solange went by car and we met and took a boat ride together.

Rice paddies as fas as the eye can see


Toto I don't think we're in Kansas anymore

House by fish farm for tending the property

Wierd haybale for water buffalo

Monkey bridge

Each farmer gets a small plot of land -the typical rice farmer can make ~$40/mondth- which requires most families to have other sorts of income-pottery, brick making, mat making, rice paper and rice noodles, chopsticks and other tourist items-This is truly the home of the cottage industry