From Ninh Binh, Claudia and I boarded the train back to Hanoi.  The seats assigned to us on our tickets were already taken, and it seemed like the standard operating procedure was people sat wherever they wanted.  That is, unless you’re German.  In that case, as some of our fellow passengers demonstrated, the thought of someone not being in … More Hanoi, Vietnam

One night in Hanoi before leaving for Ninh Binh the following morning.  We came all the way to Vietnam to eat pho and listen to…Mexican ranchera music? Claudia models the flashpacker look: big backpack on the back and smaller daypack on the front.  We bought our train tickets online ahead of time, but when we … More Tam Coc, Vietnam

Not to be confused with Hanoi, Hoi An is about three hours south of Hue by bus.  (No amount of reminding could get Natalia to remember that Hanoi was not on our itinerary.  If you ask her right now, I bet she’ll tell you that Hanoi was great.)  This time, we were on the nice … More Hoi An, Vietnam

Next, we travelled to the city of Hue in Central Vietnam, just south of what was the DMZ during the war.  It’s a beautiful area.  But let’s back up to the airport in Saigon.  Just getting on the plane was an ordeal.  Since coming to Asia, I’ve gotten somewhat used to cultural differences regarding personal space, but in … More Hue, Vietnam

After sailing through the visa process without a hitch, we took a taxi to our guesthouse.  We were hungry and dashed out to the closest noodle shop.  It was a typical street food operation with communal tables and plastic stools lining the alley.  I must say the pho we were served tasted just like what you can … More Saigon, Vietnam