BLISS!

BLISS!

I'm having a nap in the middle room with Soly, the Abby named after Chanda's little brother. He loves to snuggle and stick his nose in my ear. Oh yes. And I nap with Penster too... And Misha... And P2... The four of them all run downstairs to greet me when I come...

VIETNAM WAR REMAINS: CHINA BEACH AND THE HILLS

China Beach is where US soldiers did their R&R during the war. Across from the beach the old abandoned US airforce hangars disintegrate slowly. Soon they'll be demolished. The old bases are being turned into waterfront condos. Oh, and tourist hotels. In the hills...

GOING BUGGY or SILK WORMS: YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR

Normally I've posted scenic shots from my travels. These aren't them. They come from a silk factory in Hoi An, Vietnam, where I got to see how silk is made. First, of course, come the silk worms. A closer look: The caterpillars spin cocoons and prepare for...

Vietnam: Hoi An Waterway

Another lazy post... like the lazy waterway through Hoi An, boats slipping through water like silk. These shots are from the second floor of Cargo, a fantastic restaurant with Vietnamese fusion cuisine.

BUDDHIST INCENSE SPIRAL

Yeah I know, this looks like apiece of pop art from the sixties. What it really is is the inside of an incense spiral hanging from the ceiling. They sell these at Buddhist shrines like votive candles are sold in Catholic churches. Buy it, light it, and pray for the...

VIETNAM: LANTERN CELEBRATIONS

Hanoi is celebrating its millennium as a capital city this year. There are festivities all over the country. This week was Hoi An's turn which accounts for the floats among the lanterns. Enjoy the night lights, and the lanterns both festive and commercial. Next post,...

VIETNAM: THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS

Like our own Niagara Falls, Vietnam has allowed a lot of crappy souvenir shops to glom onto some astonishing geological formations. The Marble Mountains are a case in point. They're known as the source for Vietnam's marble carvings, as they are literally made of...