We were fortunate to be in Southern Vietnam just prior to Tet, the Vietnamese lunar New Year (February 18, 2007). The Year of the Pig was being ushered in with an unassailable enthusiasm, as markets burst with flowers, sewing machines in tailor shops buzzed with the new year’s wardrobe and shops overflowed with green rolls of Bahn Tet (sticky rice, pork fat and soybean paste rolled in a banana leaf). Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
No Comments | 17 February 2007
Given our nationality and the fact that the Vietnam War ended just over 30 years ago, we were surprised that Vietnamese people showed us no animosity or resentment. In fact, when we told people that we were from America, they very often smiled – and genuinely so. We’d score even more points when we mentioned that we used to live in California, home to a large Vietnamese community. Cynics would argue that the Vietnamese are shrewd businesspeople, but we’re certain that our treatment wasn’t all about business. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Perspectives, Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
No Comments | 15 February 2007
We were aware of the difference in population between Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, a.k.a. Saigon) and Hanoi, but were surprised to find such a difference in wealth and sophistication between the two cities.
HCMC, is a bright, bustling cosmopolitan city. Even with its glitz and splash, it maintains a distinctly Vietnamese feel as street food stalls press up against 5-star hotels. You can still see the French colonial thumbprint in HCMC with buildings like the People’s Committee building (formerly the Hotel De Ville) or the cathedral just a few blocks away. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Travel, Videos, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
No Comments | 15 February 2007
Sit down Hanoi, watch, and learn from your southern sister, Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a. Saigon or HCMC). Though we unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to dive into Saigon as deeply as we did Hanoi, we can safely say we prefer its street food scene, hands down. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Food, Southeast Asia, Travel, Videos, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll
13 Comments | 15 February 2007
Not exactly what we had in mind when we bought tickets to the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera, but a fun night was had by all watching the Rice Drum Dance.
Video – Rice Drum Dance at the HCMC/Saigon Symphony
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Travel, Videos, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
No Comments | 15 February 2007
