Vietnam Trip - Day 2

This morning's stroll through the marketplace has changed the mood of the trip and lifted my spirits.

Amidst the strange produce and slabs of meat, a familiar smell permeated the air - banh cam. The sweet fragrance brought back fond childhood memories of summers spent at my maternal grandmother's house. She ground up the fragrant mung beans and mixed in the coarse yellow meal with an assortment of unknown ingredients. She then rolled the dough into balls, coated them with rice flour and rolled them in sesame seeds. The balls were dropped into boiling oil and the sweet warm smell wafted throughout the entire house. All the grandchildren would rush back from our frolicking to wait eagerly for the treat. Once they finished cooking, they rose to the top of the pot and were fished out. Too excited to wait until they cooled, we burned fingers and tongues by snatching them too soon and popping them into our mouths.

I never did find the source of the sweet smell but the happy memories evoked were enough to shift the mood of the trip and create a connection of sorts with this place - Vietnam.

My loneliness receded further with the arrival of my sister and her husband. The next twelve days seem more bearable now that my sister is here. My smiles are no longer forced and my laughter genuine. L's presence has brought me deep comfort.

A trip to the Ho Chi Minh Museum was not to be overlooked. We missed the Mausoleum by about 20 minutes and I'm not sure if we'll do that later. It was an interesting and informative outing. I can see why HCM had such a strong following. His goal was a liberated Vietnam, free from outside rule. He believed that the country should be run by nationals and that everyone should be educated and take pride in their homeland. There should be opportunity for all, from the peasant to the "upper-class." At the time, he believed that the only vehicle available to accomplish that dream and unite the country was communism.

Early in the evening we went to the Than Long Water Puppet Theater. No trip to Hanoi is complete without taking in a show. I cast aside my western expectations of pyrotechnics and million dollar special effects and appreciated the beauty of the traditional instruments and thousands of years of Vietnamese history and folk stories represented in the seventeen musical performances.

Each selection revealed different aspects of rural life.

The young boy playing his flute while riding on the back of a water buffalo were reminiscent of my maternal grandfather's childhood. For many years, he was responsible for tending the water buffalo on his uncle's farm. Many hours were passed playing his flute.

King Le Loi's triumph over the Ming invaders was followed by his journey to "Restored Sword" Lake to pay homage to the Giant Turtle. Once there, he return the magic sword to the mystical created and offer thanks for his victory.

That same lake sits across from the theater and has been a daily destination for us. Afternoon coffee has been taken along it's shore every day of our stay here in Hanoi.

The highlight of the day was an hour long foot, leg, arm, back, and neck massage that T treated everyone to. Only $7 each for a whole hour!

Another interesting event today was a trip to the Museum of Art. Some beautiful pieces from the "Bronze Era" and some wonderful ink and acid etchings from a local artist. So much beautiful art from a country deep in culture and rich in history.