July 25, 2003

Danang
Vietnam

Dear Family and Friends,

The flight from Nha Trang to Danang was uneventful. At the Danang airport the drivers persuade me to hire a taxi for the trip to Hoi An.

My very first stop is a music shop where I buy six CDs for sixty-five cents each. I hope they play.

We visit the local Caodai Temple, attractive, yet a distant second in size and beauty to the one I saw in Tay Ninh outside of Ho Chi Minh City. Dressed in long white robes, the priests welcome me, ask that I attend their prayer service, and encourage me to take pictures.

The next stop is the Champa Museum. The guidebook says, "The best sight in Danang. Founded in 1915, the open-air collection of Cham sculptures is the finest in the world. Many of the sandstone sculptures are breathtaking."

July 26, 2003

Hoi An
Vietnam

At last Hoi An, a picturesque riverside town famous for its dozens of custom tailor shops. The driver brought me to a new hotel, with very comfortable guest rooms that surround an inviting swimming pool. The receptionist was apologetic when she quoted the rate of $15.00, including buffet breakfast.

Hue, Vietnam
July 29, 2003
Sunny, hot, breezy

I am sitting at the Mai Huong Patisserie, a small sidewalk cafe near an intersection of the main street. I am watching an unending stream of incessantly beeping motorbikes; police officers with whistles stop speeders! I am enjoying my favorite - iced Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk. Deeelicious.

July 28, 2003
Hanoi
Vietnam 

My most frequent question for other travelers is "What are the highlights?" I will answer that question regarding my brief visit to Hanoi, the end point of my journey from south to north in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

July 29, 2003
Ha Long Bay
Vietnam

Ha Long Bay is the culmination of my three weeks in Vietnam, the "cross of the t and the dot on the i, the icing on the cake."

Listen.

Sushma and Paawan, newlyweds from Mumbai (Bombay), were with me on the Hanoi city tour. They had reserved a car and driver for the three-hour drive to Ha Long City. They were booked on a luxury yacht for a two-day, one night cruise of Ha Long Bay. They invited me to join them. Cabins were available.

I knew it would be a splurge. I said "yes!"