Life in Technicolor

Vietnam

From Nha Trang I took an overnight train north to Hue. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site situated on the Perfume River-
Hue is the former capital under the Nguyen emporers. The Emporers palace and other buildings (including this temple) are located within a walled enclave called the Citadel. Many of the buildings have been damaged or destroyed in various wars, but a number are still standing and give an idea of the beauty of the art and architecture 150 years ago.

From Hue I flew up to Hanoi- I passed on the 13 hour overnight train option when I realized I could fly for only $20 more and save a dozen hours! Hanoi manages to retain traditional Vietnamese culture & colonial charm amidst expansion and modernization-I spent time walking around the "old town" section of the city- seeing some historic and cultural sites but mostly just taking in the energy of the city and the people-

Early in one of my walks I came upon a cross-walk signal- the first one I've seen in the course of my travels! I was so happy to see it that I had to be a ridiculously geeky tourist and take pictures of it- but you can hardly blame me for my excitement to be able to safely cross the street without putting my life on the line by walking out into teeming traffic for the first time in months!

Temple of Literature-From Hanoi I took a boat excursion to Halong Bay, another World Heritage Site. Thousands of rocky islands rise up from the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Tonkin to create some of the most spectacular scenery I've seen. We learned that the area is always foggy in the winter- which provides incentive to try and see it in the summer when it's clear- but the foggy weather did add a magical, mystical atmosphere to the boat trip.

We also got to kayak around for a little bit- not quite enough for my taste- but a great way to get up close to the islands and floating villages in the bay.