The Food of Viet Nam

The food of Viet Nam is best seen in the colorful and odorous markets. Everything from fruits and vegetables to wiggling fish, bubbling shellfish and squirming snakes can be found in the markets.






Meat on the hook and on the hoof is also available if you dare. There were some innards for sale in the market in HCMC that I had only heard about, never seen.

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is one of the most beautiful spots in Viet Nam. Dave and I booked an overnight boat trip in Halong Bay through our hotel in Hanoi, the Rising Dragon 2. (Great place to stay, by the way, if you ever need lodging in Hanoi.) It is a 4 hour bus ride from Hanoi to Halong Bay so even though we left early in the morning it was after noon before we arrived at our boat. We boarded with about 20 other people, had lunch on board as we cruised out into the bay, then dropped anchor and were offered the opportunity to visit a fishing village by kayak. We were tired after almost two weeks of non-stop traveling, so we opted to stay on board and lounge on the top deck, reading our Kindles and taking in the views. It turned out to be a lovely laid back afternoon and evening and we were glad that we had taken the time to experience Halong Bay by boat.

Churches, Temples and Pagodas

It is impossible to visit Viet Nam and not visit pagodas, churches and other religious edifices. Some are open and airy with a calm, zenn feel. Others are dark and smokey with incense. All are brightly colored, intricately designed and crowded with people. Most of Viet Nam is Buddhist, with some Taoism, Confucianism, and ancestor worship thrown in. Less than 10% are Christian, mostly Catholic. We even were able to attend a service at a catholic church in Hoi An on Christmas day. It was a beautiful service with a great sounding choir and lots of participation from the congregation.

A Catholic church in Ho Chi Min City

Pagoda in Ho Chi Min City


The gardens outside a pagoda in Dalat



Ceramic pagoda outside of Dalat


A big happy Buddha at Elephant Falls, outside of Dalat

Cao Dai temple outside of Dalat


Church in Hoi An on Christmas Day

No matter the language, worship is always up-lifting. It felt very familiar to be in the midst of Christian symbols.

Along the Back Streets and By Ways

While the large cities of Ho Chi Min and Hanoi are crowded and noisy, the countryside is lush and green. Much of the jungle was denuded during the American war, but they have reforested with pine trees which soar tall and straight over the hillsides. The land is covered with lakes and rivers.





Pale green rice fields fill the lowlands; vegetable patches and greenhouses filled with flowers blanket the hills.





Coffee plantations are found in the highlands where the dark green shrubs covered with red berries line the roadways and front yards harbor rich brown beans left on the ground to dry in the sun.

The Beautiful People of Viet Nam

We spent our two week Christmas break in Viet Nam, traveling the country from south to north. We landed on Dec 17 in Ho Chi Min City or, as the locals prefer to call it, Saigon, to spend a few days with Sheila and Errol. Then we flew to Dalat in the central highlands, then on to Da Nang and Hoi An where we met Sheila and Errol for the Christmas weekend. After that we headed north to Hanoi with stops along the way. Sheila says that we hit the 5 H's in Viet Nam: Ho Chi Min City, Hoi An, Hue, Halong Bay and Hanoi. I'll talk about them in later posts but for now, I want to introduce you to some of the beautiful people we met along the way.

Viet Namese people are so friendly and kind that they make you feel like you have known them for a long time. We met some characters that we won't soon forget.


These two guys, Nam and Joseph, toured us through the country side around Dalat on their Honda motor bikes. They showed us the coffee plantations, the silk factory, natural wonders like waterfalls and lakes, pagodas, monasteries, churches, and even arranged for us to do a mountain trek. They have been at this business since 1992 and are very knowledgeable about their country and the Dalat region.



This is Mrs. Dung (pronounced young) and her lovely grand-daughter. She runs the Dreams Hotel in Dalat, not to mention a butchering business, a farm and a market stall. She already has two hotels in Dalat and is making plans to open her third. She also serves the best breakfast in VN!



More motorcycle guides in Hue this time. The countryside around Hue is beautiful.



This little lady was the curator of an agricultural museum in a small village outside of Hue. She spoke no English but with acting, singing and smiles she told us the story of village life in Viet Nam. What a gem!



The Viet Namese know how to make a buck! This fisherman knew that we were interested in what he was doing with his fishing net, so he climbed aboard our boat and offered us the chance to throw his net. For a fee, of course.



This fun group of people shared our over night boat cruise of Halong Bay. The old folks are in the back row.



Every cruise needs someone to look after the food. I enjoyed watching this young fellow work. He always seemed to be concentrating so intently.



We had had very delicious peanuts in HCMC so wanted to buy some to take home with us. These two were selling roasted peanuts on one of the back streets of Hanoi.



And last but not least, in a park in Hanoi, we met this young woman who wanted to improve her English and asked me to help her with her lessons. We exchanged e-mail addresses and I hope that we will keep in touch. What a sweetie!

The people of Viet Nam have been through so much. Their history is one of occupation and war. They have grown hardy and self sufficient, so proud of their country and their independence. I am privileged to have had a chance to meet them.