On my way to the airport, I had the opportunity to drive past the the first sights I saw when arriving in Hanoi. I was struck by the initial feelings of nervousness and anxiety I had felt and now I leave this beautiful country confidently knowing I engaged with a culture, community, and city in …
Continue reading "Vietnam in Review"Temple of Literature Located in the heart of the Old Quarter, this historical site dates back several thousand years and is the location of the first college. Within the brick walls surrounding the facility are large tranquil pools filled with koi fish and lotus flowers, well-manicured indigenous plants and trees, buildings containing statues of past …
Continue reading "Places to Visit in Hanoi (Temple of Literature, Museum of Ethnology, Hoa Lo Prison, Ngoc Son Temple)"Hanoi boasts a wide selection of cutting edge tattoo artists. The tattoo scene is definitely progressing and showing signs of becoming mainstream. During my free time, I scoured the internet for reviews, spoke to long term volunteers about their tattoo experiences, and engaged with various locals about where they had their tattoo work done. After …
Continue reading "1984 Tattoo Studio- Hanoi, Vietnam"Ken Trang Tiem-Ice Cream Shop Ken Trang Tiem Ice Cream shop is the quintessential hot spot in the Old Quarter to stop and take a break from the heat with family, friends or by yourself for ice cream. Most people would go so far to say Ken Trang Tiem serves the “best” ice cream in …
Continue reading "Hanoi, Vietnam Food Highlights"Lily’s Travel Agency was my choice again to book my long-awaited Ha Long Bay excursion. All of the volunteers in the house stated it was a must-see vacation spot, and I knew from prior knowledge that Ha Long Bay was where the recent King Kong movie had been filmed. Lily’s Travel Agency facilitated a 5-star …
Continue reading "Ha Long Bay, Vietnam (A Dream made Reality)"At the conclusion of a large breakfast, we walked straight downhill on marked and unmarked paths through cornfields, bamboo, rice fields, past houses, across small rivers, and over fences to the wide river cutting through the valley floor. We passed the waterfall village from Day Two and much like billy goats, made our way straight …
Continue reading "Sa Pa, Vietnam_Day 3: Peering through the looking glass"