The Vietnam War was fought when I was in high school and college. I could have been drafted, but I managed to escape that and did not serve. However, I couldn’t escape the war as seemingly every day the news focused on it. I became familiar with some of the cities in Vietnam. Saigon and Hanoi were often in the news. Da Nang was another name I heard frequently. Da Nang was actually the entry point for most American soldiers…
Asia
Hoi An: An Ancient City with Unique Architecture and Lanterns
Our first full day in Da Nang wasn’t actually spent in Da Nang. We spent most of the day in the nearby town of Hoi An. We knew we wanted to go to Hoi An. At one point we planned to get a hotel there. However, we decided we should stay in Da Nang and just make a day trip out of going to Hoi An, so that’s what we did. We went to Hoi An on our first day…
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Shopping in Hanoi, Vietnam at Indoor and Night Markets
We are not shoppers when we travel. We do buy souvenirs, but we don’t usually seek them out. However, we like to explore the different types of shopping available in various countries. The markets and stores tell us something about the culture. Hanoi was no exception. After our trip to Halong Bay, it seemed everyone was tired on Friday. It had been a busy week so Friday we didn’t push ourselves to do much. Silvette and I needed to go…
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One day in Vietnam’s Mysterious Appearing Halong Bay
If you have followed my blog, you may remember that my daughter Andrea’s birthday is December 26. It’s not a good day for a birthday. In 2023 we were in Budaphest, Hungary on her birthday and went for an evening dinner cruise on the Danube River to celebrate. This year we went for another boat experience. It was much longer and on a nicer boat. The trip was in Halong Bay, Vietnam. Halong Bay is a few hours east of…
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We Celebrate Christmas in Vietnam
Around eight percent of the population of Vietnam is Christian with most of those being Catholic. With such a small percent of the population adhering to Christian beliefs, one would think that Christmas would have a small part of Vietnamese life. However, that is to ignore the secular aspect of Christmas which has in many ways permeated much of the world. A time of giving gifts to others and decorating places with colorful baubles sounds like fun. Throw in a…
Ninh Binh, The Old Capital Region of Vietnam
Having spent a few days in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, with its busy and loud traffic, it was time to go a little farther afield into the country. Ninh Binh is an area south of Hanoi which was an early capital city. It is in a rural area which offers some worthwhile and interesting activities. We booked a tour as doing this on our own would have been a bit challenging. Our tour bus picked us up bright and…
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Discovering Life in Hanoi, Vietnam
Our first full day in Hanoi, Vietnam was a Sunday. Our daughter Andrea and her friend Jacob would not arrive until the next day so for this day it was mostly our son Aaron and us as we began to explore the area. There are various districts in Hanoi. Our hotel was on the border of the Old Town and also near the French Quarter. These are the areas we would explore in these early days. Our hotel sits near…
First Impressions of Hanoi, Vietnam
My daughter-in-Law is Vietnamese. She immigrated to the United States when she was five years old. However, her family has property in South Vietnam so they often return there to visit and check on their property. Even before she married my son, she talked about taking us to visit Vietnam. When the time came to go, we decided that Christmas would be the best time. This was so our daughter could also go with us during her two week Christmas…
The Second Tallest Building in the World
If you can’t see the photo you will need to click “Read on blog” at the top.
Happy New Year, 2025
Vietnam is one of the early areas to experience the New Year. Happy New Year from Danang If you can’t see the photo you will need to click “Read on blog” at the top.