Vietnam, spring 2007

Now we are three... My friend Sandra Russell arrived from Scotland, so we are an international trio! We enjoyed dinner at Koto, a restaurant that trains and employs street children. The kids are delightful, the restaurant is lovely, and the food was yummy and beautifully presented.

Yesterday (3/31), we met our tour guide for the day, Hiep. My friend Julie Wagner in Connecticut met Hiep when she was in Vietnam late last year and she in turn introduced me to him. Hiep is a 20-year-old architecture student. He spent the entire day with the three of us, escorting us through this beguiling city. Stops included several pagodas (I'll provide more details, perhaps in another entry as I am a bit rushed this a.m.), the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and museum, and the Temple of Literature.

We all found it hard to put into words the experience of the mausoleum. It was moving, for sure, seeing Vietnamese break down in tears during the few moments it's possible to see the embalmed leader as the queue moves slowly around the room. Happily, we arrived early in the day so didn't wait long. The queue was several hundred people long when we left.

The HCM museum, near the mausoleum, was truly incredible. No expense was spared in the building or the exhibits. Hiep enjoyed pointing out to us that HCM wasn't always the best speller. We pored over several of his letters on display as Hiep looked for misspellings.

An absolutely exquisite lunch at a vegetarian restaurant (thank you, Hiep) was followed by a taxi ride (air conditioning! hurray!) to the Temple of Literature. While there is indeed a temple there, the TOL is actually the first university in Vietnam, founded, I think, in 1076. Amazing! Take that, Wesleyan. The grounds are spectacular. The tile-roofed buildings are something out of a dream of Vietnam.

We finally all gave into a bit of travel exhaustion and headed back for a quick nap before dinner and a trip to see Hanoi's famous water puppets. We all agreed that the water puppet show was a highlight of the day. It's a traditional art form in this area, originally done perhaps in rice paddies using three-dimensional puppets on long bamboo poles. The puppeteers masterfully manipulate the puppets from behind a screen, making them splash and swim and cavort through the water.

I arrived at the Hong Ngoc Hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi about 1 a.m. this morning, having come almost exactly halfway around the world in about 28 hours. Happily, they were 28 mostly uneventful hours. Part of travel is practicing gratitude, and last night, I was grateful for a firm bed. What joy to stretch out from head to toe after being folded into a seat on a plane for so long!

Morning came quickly. The alarm clock was beeping horns, interspersed with birdsong. Since I didn't have two hungry dogs waiting impatiently for breakfast, I had the luxury of lingering in bed and enjoying the sounds of the morning in Hanoi. Our hotel, recommended to me by my friend Julie Wagner, is delightful and friendly. Breakfast was warming congee (even in a hot climate, hot food is nourishing and comforting), fresh fruit, and delicious coffee.

My friend Renate Wehner, from Germany, whom I met via the listserv for the Thich Nhat Hanh trip, came to my hotel later in the morning. How wonderful to meet her at last! We wandered around the city, dodging the infamous Hanoi traffic, for several hours and then had a restful lunch. The weather is overcast and humid, but very pleasant. Everyone we met was friendly and eager to speak English. There are many tourists here, so we don't stand out too much in the crowd.

My friend Sandra Russell should arrive momentarily from Scotland. The three of us--Sandra, Renate, and I--will go out for dinner later.

I don't know how often I'll be able to update this blog, but I will when I can, so if some entries are long, bear with me. It's a great pleasure to be able to share little moments from this beautiful city with friends and family far away! (For more photos, visit http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=jumpalagi&AID=4398711&Pres=Y)

It's only the third day of spring in Connecticut. There's still a little snow on the ground, but I saw the first crocus blooming in our garden today. In Vietnam, where I'll be in 5 days, it's hot and humid. I know that the weather will be only one of many contrasts I'll notice between my New England home and the land that is Thich Nhat Hanh's original home and the country from which he has been in exile since the 1960s.