Hello Vietnam

No, it was Good Morning Vietnam - Vale beloved Robin Williams!!

Sitting on a bench under the shade of trees on the edge of Hoan Kiem Lake. It's so pleasant!  Not too hot, not too cold and the beeping traffic 15 metres away instead of a hairs bredth between a motorbike and your butt.

Lees flight was delayed a day due to misunderstandings about what Visa on Arrival actually means. So he's in Singapore an extra night. And I just have this extra day to play with. So I'm taking a slow walk along the lake to the Women's Museum.

Yesterday was a buzz, when Trang Bui, hubby Duc and now 21month old Ling came over to the Spring Flower Hotel on their motorcycle.

We went a block away to have coffee alla robusta Vietnamese style. Ling befriended a cute white fluffy dog and both her parents showed her how to pat the dog gently.

They invited me to lunch at their place so we took taxi/uber equivalent into the burbs which were equally as narrow streets but cleaner and quieter.

I met Grandpa Ong and Grandma Baa, who were preparing a hotpot with pippis. Squid, prawns, pork, mushrooms and greens to cook in the stock, a bit at a time. All fresh food purchased every day. Ling is gently cared for by Trang, Duc, Baa and Ong in turn.

Duc said he found it difficult to adjust back to Vietnam after living in Australia for 2years. It felt cramped and suffocating. They wanted Ling to go to a preschool with outdoor space, which was rare. But they found an International School where there was a garden, a play-based approach and English sessions. They're keen for her to be bilingual.

After this special meal and while Ling was having her nap we headed out to explore a few places.  Streets in some areas are named for what the sell, like Hang Bo is Bowl Street.

Well we visited Book Street and icecream Street (well the street where icecream was first created in Vietnam). 

In the bookshop I was approached by a young Vietnamese man whose English teacher had given him the brave task of starting a conversation with an English speaking person. Hanging around the English book section gave him this opportunity. So he introduced himself and his task. He told me about the books he really likes and he showed a book by a Japanese author who wrote a book about the relationship between an old war veteran and a 'lost' child. He said he loved books about children. Our conversation turned to Studio Ghiblie animations. I thought he was a brave and interesting person for getting so involved in the task, and I feel privileged it was me.

Then Duc, Trang and I went to look at the Opera House, checked out performances and then went to the Historical Museum. Trang had never been before.

Interesting to see the history from prehistoric times to the present day. The Cham from the South and their  Buddhism with Sri Lanka influences, the extension of the Chinese Empire into the north, the resistances against Mongols, Chinese, French, Japanese and finally Americans. Vietnamese understand Vietnam in ways nobody else can.

We see the turtle featured strongly along with the phoenix, the dragon and the unicorn. The turtle is a symbol for strength and longevity. It carries great things on its shoulders and at Hoan Kiem Lake it is attributed for giving a sword at a critical time that was then returned to the lake.

So nice to be with Trang and Duc and having so much explained to me. And having interesting meandering conversations about all sorts of things.

They returned me to my hotel by taxi and it was goodbye time.

After a little I explored the night market. And that is another story.