more from Vietnam

Let me start by thanking you all for the wonderful emails and comments.  It’s great to hear from you!  I love that you are reading the blog and enjoying it.  On that note, let’s jump back into some Vietnam action. 

We finished our stay in Hoi An with a bike ride to a local fishing and pottery village.  Making the pots is a two man/woman job with one person spinning the wheel with his/her foot and the other shaping the pot. 

The lady featured below was a total pro.  She could turn out beautiful pots in a matter of minutes.  The amount of detail she could achieve with her fingernail was pretty impressive. 

Once we finished our pottery it was time to go fishing.  The area where we went fishing was so beautiful and serene. 

Unfortunately, the typhoon that blew through town a few days earlier made the water too muddy to catch any fish, but we still had fun.  Hoi An was fantastic and I cannot wait to visit again. 

Next, we headed to Hue where we toured the countryside by motorbike.  Hue is not very congested so we were able to relax and enjoy the stunning views.  Several of the shots below were taken from the back of the bike while we were on the go.  Woo Hoo!!!  Yes, I’ve definitely gotten a bit bolder since my first motorbike ride, but don’t worry, we weren’t going very fast and I always wore my helmet.  Safety first! 

The shot below is of the gorgeous Perfume River. 

Along the way we passed many tombs and graveyards.  The countryside was covered with them.   

Incense is made in this region as well.  As we’d pull into the villages we’d see this stunning pop of color, enticing us to stop and shop. 

We even got to see how the incense is made.  It has a bit of a clay-like consistency and is rolled into the thin sticks.

After our shopping we zoomed through the streets to take in the sunset.  Yep, these shots were taken on the go.  So fun!

The next morning we popped by the Citadel and Imperial Palace before saying goodbye to Hue and boarding the night train for Halong Bay. 

The following shots are of beautiful Halong Bay.  This first shot was taken outside my hotel window.  My tour was scheduled for one night in Halong Bay, but a few of us decided to stay an extra night and spend the night on one of the junk boats and meet up with the group again in Hanoi.  Let’s just say that the next 24 hours provided a very authentic cultural experience.  Despite the ups and downs, three out of the four of us would do it again.  The boat was great, the sunset was gorgeous, and we had ridiculous stories to share with our group at our final dinner. 

We even got to explore some caves along the way. 

We made it back to Hanoi with time to bathe before meeting up with the group for our final dinner.  What a wonderful experience this tour has been from start to finish!  A huge thanks to our fearless leader, the one and only Bo!  You go, lady killer! 

And to my new friends from the tour, thanks for making this such a fun, hysterical, interesting and memorable trip!  I loved every minute of it and would love it if our paths cross again.  Please stay in touch!