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Angkor’s Away
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Angkor’s Away

When Nikki got her internship in Vietnam, we shamelessly asked to tag along for a quick visit to Vietnam and Cambodia. Southeast Asia is one of my favorite places and I can’t wait for some egg coffee in Hanoi. Read more
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    🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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    Kim and Mark wishing everyone peace

    Barter bonanza

    August 16 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    It was our last full day in Vietnam and our one chance to see our friend, Mark. We met he and his wife, Phuong, at a tea house. While Nikki and Phuong got their nails done, we caught up with Mark. It was great to see him in person again. Since we live on opposite sides of the world, we typically connect via Zoom.

    We all rendezvoused for lunch at a Thai restaurant, then Phuong braved the crowds to assist us on our shopping excursion. My goal was to secure a North Face jacket for $25, while Nikki had souvenirs in mind. Once Kim saw me trying on the jackets, she couldn’t pass up the bargain. Last time, my $25 down jacket held out for six years before the zipper broke. Not a bad rate of depreciation. Kim found something quickly, but I was about to give up. Then I saw it. A CSU green, 900 fill North Face. The large was too large, but the medium was perfect. Starting the bartering at 750,000 dong (d), I shook my head, and he immediately dropped it to 650,000 d. I suggested I could get it downstairs for 500,000 d, which only brought him to 600,000 d. As I walked away, I suggested 550,000 d and was immediately sold the coat. In case you’re wondering, that’s about $22 US. Sherri “negotiator extraordinaire” Hufford would have been proud.

    As I toted my bag downstairs, Kim let me know she, too, walked away with a down coat for 550,000 d. I offered to buy a jacket for Nikki, but she politely turned me down. “I’ve got a good winter coat at home,” she said. “I do, too,” I smiled.

    We grabbed a can to a ginormous indoor market to shop for Nikki’s souvenirs. She walked up and down the rows, looking over all the possibilities. There was certainly a wide selection. There were stalls with typical souvenirs, but there were also shops with kitchen wares, bolts of fabric, tee shirts, toys, and artwork to name a few. It was a hodge podge of random things, but Nikki finally settled on a purchase. At this point, I was sweating like Richard Simmons in steam room wearing a onesie. We finally found our way out of the maze of stalls and said our goodbyes. Thankfully, the taxi was blasting AC.

    We returned to our hotel, grabbed some food, and prepped for a 4:15am taxi ride to the airport tomorrow. Sad to be leaving but always happy to go home.    Read more

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    Sooooo cute
    Sooooo cuteNikki wants a new petMore infoThis is crazySiem Reap airport

    Oh, rats!

    August 15 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    We slept in a bit before grabbing a Tuk Tuk to the APOPO Visitor’s Center. (https://apopo.org) APOPO is an amazing organization that trains giant African poached rats to assist in clearing land mines. Sadly, Cambodia (and many other nations) are littered with land mines and undetonated explosives. Part of it is due to the US, but most are left from the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror. They planted land mines all along the borders, so Cambodians could not escape.

    APOPO is a Belgian NGO that did its initial work in Africa. The rats initially came to Cambodia in 2015 or 16. Since then, they’ve been working to help clear the devices. The rats are trained in Tanzania and then sent to Cambodia. These incredible creatures can smell explosives up to a meter deep. Because they are light weight, they do not set off the explosives but, instead, indicate the location for the handlers. The rats can clear an area much quicker than humans, as metal detectors may also respond to nails, shrapnel, and other things found in the soil. Specifically, a rat can sweep a swath of land in 30 minutes that would take an entire day for a human because they are trained to only hit on explosives.

    We did an hour tour of their facilities and got to hold Vanna, one of the working rats. It takes about a year for the rats to train, which culminates in them obtaining tiny little passports and work visas to enter Cambodia. Once here, they work for 5-6 years and then retire for the last couple years of their lives. Because they are nocturnal animals, the organization only uses them for three hours in the mornings. They have their own air conditioned accommodations, as well as a good size gym where they can exercise on the giant gerbil wheel, climb ropes, or take a yoga class (maybe they didn’t say yoga).

    We lingered at the visitors center after our tour, where I also learned that giant African pouched rats are also trained to detect TB. I was surprised to learn that TB kills more humans than any other infectious disease. Like right now. A trained rat can check 100 samples in 20 minutes; a lab can test 25 samples in a day. The rats are making a huge difference in lowering the transmission rates where they have been deployed.

    We ate lunch at Taprohm again, so Nikki and Kim could order the amok. We stayed at the restaurant long after we finished, as a ferocious rain storm passed through the area. An eventual break was our cue to make a break for the hotel. We had a short wait and we grabbed our transfer to the airport. We won’t get into HCMC until 8:30pm. Tomorrow we’ll spend most of the day with our friend, Mark, and Monday we’ll be rat back home.    Read more

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    Angkor sunrise
    Angkor sunriseAngkor WatAngkor Wat towerTa Prohm temple"Tomb Raider" templeChillin'Fire drill!Banyon TempleFinal gateRolled iced cream

    Angkor Complex

    August 14 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Nikki wanted to photograph Angkor Wat at sunrise, so we booked a 4:30 pick up with a guide for the morning. We arrived in the dark and walked wherever the guide’s flashlight shown. We got settled in on the right side of the entrance and waited for the sun. The light warming up the temple towers is beautiful to watch, as it crept in over the forty minutes that we waited. There’s a special feeling I get when I’m in the presence of iconic landmarks. I’m so grateful to witness the grandeur in person, after seeing it in books over my lifetime. If you’ve ever seen a photo of Cambodia, you’ve seen Angkor Wat.

    Once the sun was up, we started our complex crawl. Angkor Wat is just one of four temples we’ll see today. It may not be the oldest but it is the most recognizable. Angkor, itself, was the capital city of the Khmer Empire between the 9th and 15th centuries. Originally built as a Hindu temple, it gradually transitioned to a Buddhist temple and still houses monks on the property. The whole area includes the largest religious complex in the world and is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Our next stop was Ta Prohm. This temple is unique in the way the jungle has tried to reclaim it. The enormous trees support a crumbling structure, creating an Indiana Jones feel. Or, more specifically, a Tomb Raider feel; the temple was used as a backdrop in the movie, with Angelina Jolie. I suspect the jungle will win eventually but for now the temple and trees are in a symbiotic dance, supporting each other.

    Ta Keo followed. It was struck by lightning before it was finished, which was bad luck. As a result I don’t think it was ever completed (hard to tell from our guide’s thick Cambodian accent). Compared to the previous two temples, this one has fewer carvings and reliefs.

    We took a quick break to look at monkeys before the next temple. We didn’t dare get too close, but one scared the creep out of my by gently tugging in the bottom of my pants. Sadly, they have learned to beg and eat all kinds of junk from the tourists. They were cute, though.

    My favorite temple, and the one I took the most pictures of last time I was here, is Bayon temple. There are (or were) over 200 smiling faces carved into the towers. Historians are not in agreement about whose face adorns the temple, but arguments have been made for the king, the Buddha of compassion, or a Hindu god. It’s all the same to me. No matter who it is, it is the happiest building you’ll ever experience. Everywhere you look, kind eyes and a gentle smile are somewhere in your view.

    We left the greater complex out the South Gate, where four smiling faces adorn each side of the tower. We crossed the old mote to return to our van.

    Or late lunch involved amok. It’s a traditional Cambodian meal that is similar to Thai yellow curry but less spicy. Kim and Nikki had fried rice but after tasting mine, they decided to order the amok for lunch tomorrow.

    We finished our day at the Night Market. Our goal was to sample stir fry ice cream (aka ice cream rolls). They have a bunch of stalls that sell it, so we picked one for no particular reason. I was a little hesitant but Nikki assured me that she had some in Japan and it was tasty. We ordered the chocolate coconut and watched as the woman poured the following ingredients into a measuring cup (I don’t think it was actually being used for measuring): a bit of sweetened condensed milk, a handful of fresh shredded coconut, some cream, and a few healthy squeezes of Hershey’ syrup. She fired up her generator, and a large metal pan started to frost. She poured the ingredients and began working it. She chopped and mixed repeatedly, as the material began to freeze. Eventually, she determined she had the proper consistency and spread the frozen concoction thinly over the frozen pan. She gave it a minute before getting out a fresh scraper. Just like paint that curls when you take a scraper to it, the iced cream did the same thing. We ended up with several rolls that she happily topped with peanuts and more chocolate syrup. It took us no time to eat it all. We returned to the hotel with happy bellies.    Read more

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    Wat Damnak
    Wat DamnakReclining BuddhaFM 106Wat BoMaking cheesy corn!Like mac 'n cheese, but swap corn for mac

    Wat now?

    August 13 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    We were on a wat tour today. We are staying in the Wat Damnak neighborhood and happen to be around the corner from the temple. We started there and walked the grounds. I learned that the temple grounds have a rich history. The land first housed the royal residence in the early 1900’s. When the king’s palace was relocated, it became a Buddhist monastery. It was active until the Khmer Rouge used it as a military base in the mid-70’s. Wat Damnak has been a teaching monastery since the 2000’s, not just for monks, but we also saw a primary school on the grounds.

    The temple complex has some beautiful buildings and artwork. There is a tall, golden Buddha statue in the courtyard that glimmers in the sunshine. A short walk from there is a good size pond with the largest catfish I’ve ever seen. The biggest looked like a small reef shark coming to the surface. The monstrous catfish mingle peacefully with oversized koi among the water lilies.

    From there, we crossed the river and walked a few blocks to Wat Preah Prom Rath. The inner facing wall of the temple’s perimeter has multiple panels with reliefs that tell the story of the Buddha’s birth, life as a prince, search for meaning, enlightenment, teachings, and death. Because it’s a “newer” temple, the work is in great shape. Nikki noted how sparkly the paint was, which was true.

    Inside the main temple is a large reclining Buddha. We took a look around before making our way back across the bridge to Wat Bo.

    Wat Bo was the least interesting of the three. There wasn’t much happening, but we saw a sign with an arrow pointing to the right. We used Google Translate to determine parking was that way. We popped into a building, but the interior looked like a place that the hold teachings. There was no altar and only a small Buddha. We continued to walk the grounds and found the broadcasting building for FM 106, Radio Station of Buddhism in Cambodia. Playing all your favorite Buddhist chants, I’m sure.

    Wat Bo was more like Wat Bust, so we decided to walk back to the hotel, with a lunch stop. I had a delicious cashew chicken, with a savory chili paste. Kim was less enthused with her ginger chicken, probably because all the chicken bits were still attached to the bones. It didn’t look super appetizing.

    We spent quite a while in the hotel pool before cleaning up for the night market. Our first purchase was cheesy corn. Oh so good. It was sweet corn with a whole lotta cheese. We polished it off quickly and settled on pizza for dinner. We sat by the river and enjoyed some cool (relatively) evening air and shared a veggie pie. We didn’t do a lot of shopping. We’ll leave that for tomorrow night.    Read more

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    Notes
    NotesEgg coffeeThe templeThat's a lotta rosesPreserved turtle

    On the move

    August 12 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    We slept in a bit today. Unfortunately, I’ve contracted a cold and am a bit under the weather. The heat is a bit much on top of a slight temperature, but we made the most of our morning.

    We walked about half a mile to Hoan Kiem Lake but ducked into Notes coffee shop for an egg coffee first. The coffee shop has a huge Instagram following. It is plastered with sticky notes on every single thing, and some were several layers deep. We grabbed a pen and sticky note, as is the custom. It was difficult to find a place to adhere the stickies, so I eventually just covered up someone else’s post-it. As for the coffee, we all had iced egg coffee. During the war, milk was difficult to obtain, so the egg coffee was born. Topped with a rich foam, it is only slightly less thick than the salt coffee. Where the salt coffee has cocoa sprinkled, this one has a dash of cinnamon. It took some effort to get it stirred up, so I could drink it without leaving a thick mustache.

    We didn’t stay long. The coffee shop didn’t have AC, and it was obnoxiously hot. We descended the stairs and walked across the street to the lake. On our side of the lake, Kinh Tu Dinh Temple sits on a small island, connected to the park via a red bridge, specifically the Huc Bridge. We paid our $2 to walk the bridge and visit the temple. I assume there is a celebration happening or coming, as there was an enormous sign made out of thousands of yellow and red roses. The fragrance could be experienced before you could even see it. We weren’t properly dressed, so we didn’t go in the temple. Instead, we went into a small building to the left. Inside were two, preserved specimens of Raefestus sinhoei turtles. They are huge, flat turtles that legend says lived in this lake. They are better known as Sword Lake turtles. Lucky for me, two 12 year old kids wanted to practice their English. After the obvious questions (where are you from, what’s your favorite Vietnamese food, etc), the young man asked if I wanted to hear the story of Sword Lake. Since I was standing directly under the air conditioner, I said yes. Here’s my rendition of his rendition. There was a king that was given a magic sword from the turtle God. It was used to defeat an invading army, but the king had to return it. He sailed out to the lake and gave it to the Golden turtle. The young man wasn’t sure if the Golden turtle still swam in the lake, but I suspected not. I later looked up the story, and the king lived in the 15th century.

    I glance over at Kim and Nikki, who were both patiently engaging with a few kids each; however, they weren’t near the AC and looked as if they were melting. Luckily, the teacher wrapped it up, and the kids gifted us with stickers. Super sweet!

    We walked back to the hotel to cool down for a few minutes before checking out. I asked ChatGPT for a close restaurant with AC and was pointed to a Japanese restaurant at the end of the block. I had the most delicious, fried shrimp ever. Light and flaky, they were tasty with just a dollop of Japanese mayo. It also came with a refreshing, shredded cabbage salad. Nikki had a salmon bowl. and Kim went for the yuzu fried chicken. If you’re in Hanoi and need AC, check out Yoshiya.

    Following our lunch, we hopped on our flight to Siem Reap. I almost cried when I saw the air temperature in the taxi dashboard, 81 degrees. It hasn’t been South of “feels like” triple digits in a week. I’m hoping it stays cool for our time here.    Read more

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    Dark and Bright Cave
    Dark and Bright CaveCat Ba Langur (courtesy of the Endangered Primate Rescue Center)

    Back to Hanoi

    August 11 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 95 °F

    We had one last excursion before leaving Halong Bay. We were rowed through the “Dark and Bright Cave” by a local woman. The geologic feature is not uncommon, where the ocean has worn away at the limestone karsts. Like the caves that we floated through in Ninh Binh, this one had cut through a karst, so you basically row through the bottom of the formation. Google describes it best: “it features a low passageway that opens into a serene, hidden volcanic lagoon enclosed by vertical limestone cliffs.” The lagoon on the other side was quiet, only interrupted by bird calls and insects. We kept an eye out for Cat Ba langurs. Apparently, the ship’s staff saw some recently. These critically endangered primates are super rare, with less than 100 still existing. Sadly, we didn’t get to see the animals but hope they make a comeback. They are very cute; born with orange fur that later turns very dark, with light colored Mohawks on the top of their head.

    We finished out the day with a trek back to Hanoi. We checked into our hotel and headed off for dinner. We’ll have some time here in the morning before our flight to Cambodia.    Read more

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    Snake wine (zoom into that!)
    Snake wine (zoom into that!)2Hungry fish2Looking for courage1Nikki cannon balling from the top deck

    Snakes, flesh eating fish, and a damn jelly

    August 10 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    We had a very busy day. We went to Cat Ba Island to visit a small village, Viet Hai. There’s only about 75 families in this area, where they raise rice and are supported by tourism. We sat at a local restaurant and learned about the area. Another UNESCO site, the Cat Ba archipelago includes close to 400 islands, similar to the karsts we saw in Ninh Binh, but these are in the water. The karsts formed from layers and layers at the bottom of the ocean around 300 million years ago and then were uplifted. You can see the different layers stretching vertically from sea to sky. We also learned about the rice wine that they mix with different ingredients for a variety of medicinal purposes. In this case, Nikki tried the snake wine, dispensed from a jar with a few snakes coiled inside. As a chaser, she also sampled the banana wine, which was a lot less visually disturbing. She is brave!

    After learning some history, we walked down the street for a face massage. We got to the “spa” and were escorted to a pond with tiny wooden stools encircling the concrete pool. It took a minute before I realized these are the fish that eat the dead skin off your feet. It wasn’t a face massage, he must have said fish massage (or it could have been foot massage). I don’t think I ever laugh as much as when I have my feet nibbled on by fish. It takes some getting used to, but Kim struggled to get anything but the end of her heels in the water. Although she’d just knocked back a shot of snake wine without flinching, it took Nikki several attempts to keep her feet in the water.

    We returned to the boat and headed out to Lan Ha Bay for some kayaking. Kim decided to stay on the boat, so Nikki and I paddled around what we thought was a small karst. When we got to the back side, we realized that the islet was much bigger than we thought, so we turned back. I hopped out of the kayak, and Nikki took off on her own. I joined Kim on the upper deck and enjoyed the incredible view.

    I think our favorite part of the day was rolling up on a secluded bay and jumping in the water for a swim. It has been insanely hot here, so the water was a welcome relief. I jumped in from the top deck, and Nikki followed. Kim decided to start closer to the water but eventually leapt from the top deck. Nikki and I swam over to a carve out in the limestone. It wouldn’t count as a “cave,” but the water had eroded a huge hole. Inside we could see the beginning of stalactites that had eventually stopped dripping. On our way back, Nikki was mentioning that jellyfish are common in Halong Bay from May to July. This was happy news, since we’re well into August. The cruise staff said they don’t allow swimming that time of year because the jellies are everywhere. Unfortunately, I found one that must have been left behind by its friends. I had kicked my leg right into its tentacle, lashing my calf almost all the way around. At first, Nikki thought I was joking, but swam away quickly when she realized I was serious. I got out of the water to find the day boat we were on didn’t have any provisions for jelly stings, and I wasn’t going to let someone pee on my leg. My leg stung for another 4-5 hours but luckily resolved itself by the time I went to bed. Although the sting is gone, you can still see small welts around my leg. We’ll see how it looks tomorrow.    Read more

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    Ha Long Bay karst
    Ha Long Bay karstKayaking number 1Relaxing before dinner

    But wait, it can get hotter

    August 9 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    We left Hanoi around 7am and headed toward Halong Bay. We booked a two night/three day cruise, with lots of kayaking, swimming, and general sightseeing.

    By the time we finished the 3.5 hour drive, the sun was out. I’m not sure why it was so angry, but it scorched us each time we dared to walk out from the shade. Today’s “feels like” temperature is two degrees hotter than yesterday, sitting at 115 degrees. Fortunately, the waiting area and boat were air conditioned.

    After lunch, we explored our boat, the Erina. Our triple cabin is well styled with dark wood and sparkling white linens. We have a deck that will be nice as the sun sets. We started to the upper viewing deck, but the sun soaked wood started burning my feet. I hopped quickly back to a shaded area, flailing as if being swarmed by bees, “ahh, my feet, my feet!!!” Nikki and Kim continued up the stairs, having worn sandals.

    I swapped some good karma for a brilliant rain storm. Before we were scheduled to go kayaking, the sky gods had mercy on us and opened the skies. The hard rain dropped the temperature and finished up right on schedule. We boarded our kayaks and paddled to the nearest karst. We floated near the shore, taking in the geologic features and lush green plant life. We had spotted some goats on one of the karsts and discovered the harsh terrain builds muscle, which makes better meat. Apparently, they put them there on purpose.

    We wrapped up our night with karaoke. We sang a couple of times (mostly Nikki) and spent most of our time watching a group of Russians sing old Madonna and Spice Girls tunes. Rich!    Read more

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    Kuan Yin Hall
    Kuan Yin HallBig ass bellSlow row through the cave2

    Third Realm of Hell

    August 8 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    I’m pretty sure the temperature today was about the same as they were reporting in Hell Central. At one point, the “feels like” temperature was 113 degrees. But, it did not deter us. Armed with packets of electrolytes and gallons of water, we spent 13 hours driving to and touring the Ninh Binh area.

    Ninh Binh is a 2-2.5 hour drive from Hanoi. Our tour guide, Henry, had us sign in, noting the police were ambushing tours more often. Alarmed, I quickly realized that he used the wrong word. He really just meant the police were stopping tours more frequently to check paperwork. After recovering from my moment of fear, I learned that Ninh Binh was once the capital of Vietnam, but that was about 1000 years ago. As we drove into the region, limestone karsts jutted upward out of the lush landscape, reaching up to the overcast sky. Our tour itinerary included three sites, two of which are recognized by UNESCO.

    Our first stop was the Bai Dinh Pagoda. It is one of the largest temple complexes in Southeast Asia. This UNESCO site holds several impressive features, including:
    the largest gilded bronze Buddha in Asia, the largest bronze Maitreya Buddha statue in Southeast Asia, the largest bronze bell in Vietnam, the tallest pagoda in Asia, and the largest number of Bodhi trees in Vietnam. (Fun fact: did you know the leaves of the Bodhi tree are heart shaped?)

    The complex is huge, so we weren’t able to visit everything. What we did see was impressive. One building held thousands of little buddhas in their own mini enclaves. The statues wrapped around every side of the building, sitting behind large concrete arhats; about 500 of those took up residence in the same corridors. From most locations we visited, we could see the pagoda that towers over the complex. We didn’t get close to it, but we could still appreciate its construction and carved detail.

    Before departing, we climbed the two story, wooden bell tower. Sure enough, this was big bronze bell. Tied down was the hanging, smooth log just asking to be pulled back and rammed into the metal side. Henry said they ring the bell just three days per year but on those days, they hit it 108 times. Apparently you can hear it up to six kilometers away. Not bad. You’re curious what days? Lunar new year, Buddha’s birthday, and the day of the dead (not the same date as Dias de Muertos).

    Our next stop was Trang An. Another UNESCO location, where we hopped on a bamboo boat. With five million other tourists, we floated around and through the limestone karsts. The view was incredible from water level. You’d probably recognize the scenery from the movie Kong: Skull Island. Or maybe not. As we floated along, we saw different colored water lilies and admired the variety of plants, trees, and moss growing near the river. Several times, we rowed through caves running under the karsts. They varied in size from lengthy to short, wide and narrow, as well as tall and short. Each provided welcome shade, as the day began to heat up quickly. We squeezed under umbrellas to avoid the direct sunlight, but even the shade’s temperature was three digits.

    The air conditioned bus felt like a temporary oasis. Our last stop of the day was Mua Cave. A 500 step hike up the side of the mountain. It was the hottest part of the day, but Henry reassured us that the climb was on the shaded side of the mountain, with only the very top in direct sunlight. The more we ascended, the more water poured out of our bodies. By the time I reached the top, I was soaked in sweat and red as a beet. The effort was rewarded with incredible views of the rice paddies below and the jungle-laden karsts rising all around us. And the dragon statue at the peak. We had time to take a quick picture before we all suffered heat stroke. At the bottom, the bus provided respite and much needed water. I cracked open another packet of electrolytes and dozed off on the way back to the hotel.    Read more

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    Travel day

    August 7 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 88 °F

    Nothing exciting today. We took our time packing up this morning and slowly made our way to the airport. Our plane was late flying out of Da Nang, and then we circled the Hanoi airport for a while, waiting for a storm to clear. By the time we made it to our hotel, it was almost 7pm. Mistakenly, I booked a room with a shared bathroom, so I was a bit disappointed when we finally arrived. It’s inconvenient, but it’ll be a short stay. Tomorrow we visit Ninh Binh, with a 7am pick up for a twelve hour day. The day after, we also have an early pick up for the cruise, so two nights here will be fine.Read more

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    2Red shanked douc langur
    2Red shanked douc langur2Salt coffeeMmmmmNaughty macaque

    Son Tra to Hoi An

    August 6 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 91 °F

    With an early start, we arrived back at the VEN offices a little after 7am this morning. Anna took us across the street to the coffee shop to preview our trip to the Son Tra Peninsula this morning. Our main goal was to see the red shanked douc langurs, but there is also the wildlife, bugs, and flora worth enjoying.

    When ready, Kim and I were each handed a helmet for our ride on the back of a scooter. I thought of my friend (motorcycle safety Carla), as I put on a helmet about three sizes too big. Basically everything I know about motorcycle safety was out the window: poorly fitting helmet-check; no leg covering-check; inappropriate footwear-check; improper eye protection-check; riding in wet weather conditions-check; no place to hold on-check. I threw caution to the wind and assumed I’d be safe, since I was on the bike with a Vietnamese. Kim hopped on the bike with Anna, from Germany.

    The rain stopped before we headed to the peninsula. At a peak elevation of over 2000 feet, the cool wind was welcomed. As we ascended, we hit a bump and the helmet came down over my eyes. I had tied my hair back to prevent the helmet from dropped down the back of my head (felt like my frontal lobe was the priority), but I hadn’t anticipated it coming forward. Anyway, I pushed it back up and continued to look for the langurs. It wasn’t long, and we were pulling over. We got our first peek at several red shanked douc langurs in the trees on the side of the road. They were adorable. Baby langurs hung from the front of the adult primates, while others sat undisturbed while eating leaves. We took a few pictures, before they moved on. We continued to climb, reaching the highest point at a pullout. From the top of the peninsula, we could see all of Da Nang. It sits in the cradle of the mountains, with a powdery sand beach curving like a giant letter “C” along the shoreline of the South China Sea. And way to the south, just out of our sight, sits Hoi An, where we’ll visit later this evening.

    We ran into another troop of langurs and some wild Canadians on the way down. Our neighbors to the north pointed out a cooperative monkey, being patient with our camera shots. As we pulled out from our stop, I realized that we had climbed high above the city, which would require a steep descent. A few parts of the road gave me pause, as the decline seemed a little steeper than a vehicle (especially a scooter) should be allowed. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. When we leveled out, I noticed that the jungle was making successful efforts to reclaim the road. In sections the vegetation grew into and over the road, squeezing it down to one lane with limited clearance. We came back around to the south side and motored just below Lady Buddha. Certainly, she would keep me safe on our return to VEN.

    Indeed, our return was uneventful. Before we left, Anna wanted to do a short interview with Nikki. When she wrapped up her questions, she requested that Kim and I sit for additional questions. We were told last night that we were the first family member to visit someone in the VEN program, so they were excited to have us. We proudly answered some questions about how wonderful Nikki is and how much we appreciated her documentary. It was easy to compliment the project, given the quality and the effort to create it.

    As promised, we took Nikki to our new, favorite coffee shop. This morning, Anna explained to me that you should drink coconut coffee in the South, egg coffee in the North, and salt coffee in Central Vietnam. Taking her advice, we ordered three salt coffees and sat by the koi pond. Now, you may be thinking, “Salty coffee?” It’s not like it sounds. It is salty coffee but it’s so good. The cream was so thick on the top that it looked like melted marshmallow. Whatever cream is called before it becomes butter is what this is. Sorry, I just don’t have a word for it, other than”YUM.” It was so good. As we finished up our drinks, a naughty macaque monkey came lurking on the roof. Apparently, they don’t usually come to town. They have, unfortunately, become desensitized to humans and can be quite aggressive when they want what you have. Initially, he was cute, but I got up as he came near. He grabbed Nikki’s bag of popcorn, and no amount of shooing was going to scare him away. There wasn’t much left so we happily stayed out of his way, as he walked off with his prize. We also decided this was a good to walk back to the hotel.

    We recharged and grabbed a ride to Hoi An. The old town of Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage site. In my brain, I pictured a quiet historical town, with ornate wooden architecture set alongside a lazy waterway. Although what we found was a beautiful old town, it was infiltrated by hoards of tourists, I was surprised by the activity, given its protected status, but still enjoyed strolling the streets and pedestrian walkways.    Read more

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    Totto-chan coffee shop
    Totto-chan coffee shopNikki responding to audience questionsThe screeningCertificate presentation

    World premiere

    August 5 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    Our first adventure started with breakfast. They had “coffee jello,” to which I gave a hard no. After polishing off my eggs and toast, my curiosity got the best of me, and I changed my mind. I’m not exactly sure what it was supposed to be, but I don’t think a food can be in the jello family, if you have to use a utensil to cut it. The best description: hard brown gelatin cube. I’m guessing it should have had more of a coffee flavor.

    Since my coffee itch wasn’t scratched with the jello, we found a lovely coffee joint a few blocks from our hotel. The drinks were good, but the atmosphere was delicious. Large trees created a canopy to block the searing sun, and plants dotted the courtyard, with a koi pond in the center; we pulled up two small chairs by the bubbling, rippling waterfall. We sat way longer than our two dollar drinks lasted. (That’s two dollars total-no Starbucks pricing here.) We’ll be back here tomorrow with Nikki.

    Since it was our R&R day, we floated in the ocean for a while, after a lunch of seafood spring rolls. The main attraction for today is the world premiere of Nikki’s documentary, so we made sure to clean up before going to VEN. (Check out www.vietendangerednarratives.org)

    We arrived at the VEN offices around 4:30, and Nikki gave us a tour of the place. She’s been sharing a room on the third floor during her stay. There is a good sized classroom elevated over the entrance, which is accessed via the courtyard. About a dozen or so people sat around tables distributed in a u-shape, with the TV at the end. After an introduction, Nikki’s documentary played for the crowd. I’ll link it later this week, when VEN posts it on their YouTube channel. Preview: it was terrific! From sea to summit, she covered the biodiversity of the Son Tra Peninsula, and the detrimental human impact to the animals and marine life. Following the viewing, Anna did a nice job asking inquisitive questions that Nikki thoughtfully answered. Everyone was attentive and curious.

    Nikki treated us to dinner after the show. We walked to a vegetarian restaurant, where we ordered two bowls of pho, one rice dish, and a mysterious, yet delicious, appetizer. With three bottles of water, the total rang in just under $6. A terrific way to end the day.    Read more

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    Tea cup fishing boat
    Tea cup fishing boatHauling in the netLady Buddha at Son Tra PeninsulaNikki and douc langur welcoming party

    Danang! What a place

    August 4 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    We flew out of Ho Chi Minh City early this morning but not before I had my first bowl of pho for breakfast. One of many, I’m sure.

    We arrived in Da Nang on time, but our taxi was running late. It ended up quite fortuitously, as I saw Nikki headed toward us. Apparently, her accommodations are near the airport, so she had come by to welcome us. It was a great surprise! Before the driver arrived, we had just enough time to say hello, take a photo, and make plans to connect this evening for dinner. We whizzed off and were delivered to our hotel across from the beach. Our hotel room looks,all the way down the coastline. We didn’t wait long to get across the street and dip our toes in the South China Sea. The water was very warm, as was the air temperature. We walked about a mile and a half down the beach. We stopped to watch a guy row out in his round fishing boat. These fiberglass boats were scattered all over the beach. They literally look like tea cups. I couldn’t figure out how the rowing motion actually works but it was mesmerizing. We also spent some time watching people hauling in their fishing nets. It’s an operation that requires four or more people. They take up a large portion of the beach, cooperatively pulling the line in, as they stand in a row. As they make progress, the person at the end of the line rotates to the front of the line, usually a few feet into the water. And so it goes. It seems to take quite a while to eventually pull in the huge net. We had walked all the way up the beach and back, when the group in front of our hotel finally got their net into the beach. A large crowd gathered to assess the results. We took a quick peek then headed to get some water. It’s ridiculously hot in the sun, and I’m pretty sure I had just shed a gallon of water through every pore in my body.

    Nikki came over for dinner (pho) and described her adventures so far. She has been working on the Son Tra Peninsula, where above and below the water there are a variety of amazing animals, birds, insects, and marine life. Our hotel is very near the peninsula, and we have a nice view of Lady Buddha, who dominates one of the hills and stands close to a neighboring pagoda. I’m sure all of those animals are very blessed in the presence of these holy objects. Kim and I will take a tour of the peninsula with the same organization that Nikki is working with. I feel like that my life will not be complete without seeing the red shanked douc langurs. These endangered primates look like monkeys wearing red pants. I’m sure they’re just like the guy that welcomed us at the airport! Nikki said she’s seen them every time she’s been in the park, so I’m hopeful.    Read more

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    Lots of line standing

    August 3 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 93 °F

    We arrived safely in Vietnam, landing in Ho Chi Minh City 25 minutes later than expected. Our last few hours of travel were spent waiting in lines. We had a layover in Hong Kong for 1.5 hours. I thought it might be an opportune time to catch a nap, but I didn’t know it was a little more formal. When we exited the plane, we made a U-turn into a line to get our passports checked. Once we cleared that line, we stood in another line to have our carry-on bags scanned, while we went through security screening. By the time we were done, we were back in line to get on the same plane we just disembarked.

    Our flight to Saigon was two hours; not much longer than our line for immigration. We managed to pick the line that was manned by the sloth from Zootopia, except he didn’t smile. He was able to process about one individual at the rate the two lines on either side of us were processing four travelers. I think most people on our plane were in their hotels sleeping by the time we found our lonely bags sitting next to the baggage carousel.

    It was past midnight by the time we got to our hotel. We woke up the manager, who got us settled in without having to stand in line.    Read more

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    30 hour travel day

    August 2 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 100 °F

    We’re prepped and ready to hit the sky. Our Lyft driver was cranking Christian songs in Swahili all the way to the airport. (How do I know it was Swahili, you ask? I know at least five words in Swahili and looked at Kim with surprise when I heard one of them.) After jamming out, we started our travels with a great attitude.

    Things kept getting better. I’d been stressing a bit about a short layover at LAX, but discovered we were only seven gates away, which meant we had enough time to enjoy the “fancy” lounge that came with our first class seats.

    Next stop: Ho Chi Minh City.    Read more

    Trip start
    August 2, 2026