Deep in the Heart--of Saigon

While we were walking around Saigon, we got caught in a rainstorm and ran into a place called "Texas Beef and Steaks." We wound up staying there for a few hours and drinking beers with Wayne and Gil (the owner and his buddy), two Vietnam veterans who had moved back to after the war.

Wayne opened his restaurant because he decided he couldn't stand eating Vietnamese food for the rest of his life--we couldn't agree with him more! He made some excellent chili. Flying to Bali tomorrow...

Look Who Just Fell in Love...

...with fashion. Ahem. Yes, Seth has become fashion's newest fan. Despite the fact that I was really excited to come to Hoi An (a city known for custom made clothes) I only bought a few small items.

We had to buy a new suitcase to house Seth's new purchases, which include a suit, a TUXEDO, multiple pairs of pants and shirts too! He looks great in his new duds...Joel, you'd be proud.

I took a picture yesterday at Seth's second fitting. We have one more fitting tonight with his seamstress and "homegirl," Houng.

We're flying to Ho Chi Minh tomorrow.

Halong Bay

We just got back from Halong Bay. It was a beautiful bay full of huge limestone formations that had caves underneath them. We stayed on a really nice boat and did a little kayaking into the caves. These were great, other than the bats that lived in them flying what seemed like inches above our heads. We are now headed to Hoi An, which is supposed to be the clothing mecca of Southeast Asia...Julie can hardly sleep.

Vietnamese Tapas

Although Seth was able to steer clear of the catfish stomach, horse-kebobs, pig-ear salad and fried sparrows, he could not resist the urge to try the crickets (fried in pork fat, of course). The flavor was decent, but ultimately the texture proved to be a little too much.

Off to Halong Bay tomorrow (off the coast of Northern Vietnam) for an overnight boat trip...putting on the dramamine patches now.

Watch Your Step

We're now in Vietnam...after a day in the city, we headed out the countryside to "go local." This included a full day of hiking through the mountains and rice paddies as well as an overnight stay with a Hmong family in their village. Things we learned:

1. (Julie) Giant piles of buffalo poop can look surprisingly similar to a large rock. Once you step on it though, you soon realize the difference.
2. The simple life is good--for about 12 hours.
3. Never underestimate the strength of a 4'6" Hmong woman--they were very helpful on a few steep, muddy inclines.

Seriously though, it was a great couple of days and it definitely has been a high point of our trip so far. Headed back to Hanoi tomorrow and then to the coast where we're going to spend a night on Halong Bay.

Things You Won't Find at Kroger's

To get away from the tourist markets (that are generally full of souvenirs and junk) I went to the "locals market" at 6 AM in Laos...some things I found there--

1. A teepee of live toads impaled through the leg (see picture)
2. A giant lizard with its arms and legs bound
3. Fried/sundried RATS
4. Barrels of snails
5. The "deli section" (ie rows of unrefrigerated raw meat in varying stages of decay, complete with a swarm of flies)

It definitely has given me pause about eating at the local places...

Waterfall

We decided to entertain our rugged side in Luang Prubang (Loas) and climbed a (very slippery) mountain to the top of a waterfall. Once on top we crossed the water feet away from the edge. Attached is a photo of of my reaction to the idea.

It ended up being one of our favorite days. Once at the bottom we swam--the water was really clean and cooled us off big time.

Elephants, Ox Carts, Orchids...Oh My!

Yesterday we got to ride an elephant, were pulled in an ox cart, floated down the river on a bamboo raft, visited a beautiful orchid farm and to top it off we ate Mexican food in Thailand--that was actually really good!

It was an awesome day. Chiang Mai has been definitely exceeded our expectations. The town is really into healthiness. There are organic, fresh restaurants everywhere with loads of vegetarian and vegan options. Seth and I had coconut soy ice cream for dessert yesterday-it was de-lish.

Earlier this week we went to a section of town where there are government backed stores that make specific products (i.e. paper, Asian umbrellas, teak furniture, silk, etc.) We bought a teak/rosewood chest. Our first real furniture purchase together! Dad, expect a call during the next month. It's supposed to arrive at a port in Detroit within a month or two. We gave the store your cell phone number.

We are flying to Luang Prabang (Laos) today. More soon.

"No Big Deal"

So the little kink in our plans (ie not having Vietnam Visas on the way to the airport to fly to Vietnam) has worked out very well. Seth of course was having trouble dealing with the fact that his precious itinerary had been flipped upside-down. Julie (as usual) maintained calm and was able to see the many “bright sides.” Pictured is Seth finally realizing all was going to be “OK” with a Buddha temple in the background, which was very fitting.

Some camera trouble has been plaguing the Nikon, which has provided some of the local people with a thorough lesson in American profanity, but it seems to be working okay again (No big deal!)

We are still in Chiang Mai (in the North of Thailand) and are headed in the opposite direction as planned. We took a Thai cooking class (awesome!) and got a Thai massage—no, not that kind of massage Ben.

Change of Plans

Today we decided to go to Chiang Mai instead of Hanoi due to our delay in getting a Vietnam visa. Ooops... Lara, you should have been here to witness Seth's reaction to the news. hahaha. All's well that ends well I suppose. :-)

We love it here so far! It's much more laid back and definitely cooler in temperature. We are staying in a hostel tonight so here's hoping our crazy German neighbors don't get too rowdy. Tomorrow we plan to stay in a B&B that we stumbled upon this morning.

Hope to hear from you all soon.

Observations Thus Far:

1.) There are 7/11's on every corner. Who knew?

2.) Cross streets at your own risk. Crosswalks are a mere suggestion.
3.) Yes, it's hot. Please note the attached photo of Seth.

4.) Ronald McDonald is a devout Buddhist here in Bangkok.

5.) Don't trust well dressed strangers who speak English. THEY ARE LYING.

Yesterday we checked out the Grand Palace and temples in Bangkok--they were amazing, but there were moments we felt like we were walking on the face of the sun.

We're headed to Honoi tomorrow. Staying at a $20/night hotel. Nice.

We've Arrived!

After more than 24 hours of travel, we've finally arrived in Bangkok. The plane rides went well despite rowdy kids kicking our seats and ipods that are so loud they sound like boomboxes. No major meltdowns yet--even the heat has been better than we expected. Our "quick dry" clothes have already come in handy, even though we feel we were the only ones to get the "quick dry" memo.

Today is Seth’s 31^st birthday and to celebrate we took a longboat ride on the Chao Phraya River, road in a tuk tuk, browsed the Chinatown markets for cow stomachs and chicken heads, and are currently loving our hotel.

Megan, we've definitely thought of you multiple times...our balcony looks at the Peninsula!

That's all for now. We're headed to Hanoi on Monday so more updates soon!

Our Last Meal

After a couple rough days of Julie having a fever and Seth having throat issues, all became well on our departure day...thank goodness.

In realizing that we'd be eating Asian food for the next few months we made a quick stop at Miller's in Dearborn for a good burger before we hit the airport.

Luckily neither of us lost a finger in the process.