Updates have been sparse over the past few months, so here’s a big one, complete with pictures!
Ai in Hong Kong
On the 25th Ai came to visit for her spring break. Her dinner with Warren Buffet was rescheduled so she came to Hong Kong early instead. I guess that officially makes me more exciting than Warren Buffet ;) Anyways, she got here on the 25th and we spent a week and a half in Hong Kong. We did all kinds of exciting things including riding a tandom bike around Tai Po, taking a very long hike around Clear Water Bay, and going to the horse races. A full pictorial account of our adventures is available in the usual section of the blog (left column, click “photos”).
To Vietnam…
On March 8th we left for Vietnam and were met by distant relatives at the Saigon airport. This was the first introduction to the “Nguyen clan,” a network that spans the whole of Vietnam and is guaranteed to meet you as soon as you arrive in any city, and spend countess hours taking you on tours and finding/cooking delicious food :) After chatting for a few hours (I didn’t catch much, it was all in Vietnamese), we caught our flight to Danang (if you need a geography review, here’s a map, and btw, Saigon = HCM City). We made a quick visit to Ai’s grandmother’s house, then went to her aunt’s house where we slept.
Phong Nha
The following morning we woke up around 6am for a trip to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Her uncle drove Ai, her dad, and me in “the clan’s” Toyota. 
It was about a five hour drive to the north (located about half-way between Hue and Vinh on the above map). Along the way were beautiful views of rural Vietnam, and we stopped at small roadside restaurants to eat during the trip. Ai wasn’t particularly pleased with the bathroom situation, as previously she had successfully avoided squat-style toilets (apparently due to over-pampering from family members on previous trips ;)
Phong Nha was an amazing place (photos). The mountains were beautiful and the cave river was amazing. There weren’t many people there, so it was also very peaceful. Naturally, after 2005’s legendary Mammoth Cave expedition (sorry, no photographic evidence remains, though all who were present can vouch for how amazing it was), we were ready to do some cave exploring. Our boat guide said that professional cave explorers often visit to travel deeper.
UNESCO says, “Phong Nha displays an impressive amount of evidence of earth’s history. It is a site of very great importance for increasing our understanding of the geologic, geomorphic and geo-chronological history of the region.” Yes, I have to agree, and I’m sure you will too after you review the photos ;)
We returned to Danang that evening and spent time with the extensive relative network. Her aunt’s house is just a few minute walk from the beach so we took a stroll that night.
Hoi An
The next day we got up early again for another trip. This time to yet another of Vietnam’s five World Heritage sites, Hoi An. It was just a 45 minute moterbike ride away (more thoughts on motorbikes later). On the way we rode past a number of beach resorts and stopped at an a section of town that is entirely devoted to stone carving where we picked up some very nice pieces (ever wanted one of the giant marble lions you find outside Chinese restaurants?). Hoi An was very much like some of the ancient Chinese cities I’ve visited; the architecture and craftwork was very similar in many ways. After spending a few hours exploring by a fleet of bicycle rickshaws, we headed back to Danang on the motorbikes for the “big surprise.”
the big surprise
The big surprise it turned out was my birthday party! Because we had to leave early the next day to return to Saigon, Ai’s dad had planned a birthday-eve party for me in Danang. All the relatives (I counted about 25!) came and it was an amazing time. It was on a floating boat on the Han river. Throughout the night people took turns singing on a little stage (kind of like karaoke, but no screen), including one of the younger cousins (who I was assured, despite his initial facial expression, loved to sing). Everyone had a great time and I definitely had the most amazing 3-tier cake ever, complete with a little rat on top made of icing (I’m year of the rat, duh!).
Sick in Saigon
The next morning we woke up early for our flight back to Saigon. I wasn’t feeling too well, I thought because of too much sun while riding the motorbikes (should have been wearing that straw hat). At the airport though I really started to feel it, and things turned ugly on the plane (which is a first). After getting to Saigon we checked in at the hotel and I spent the next 9 hours in bed feeling pretty bad. Later that evening though I was feeling better, so Ai’s two uncles gave us a tour of the city on motorbikes. I ate some pho (the Vietnamese soup) and stared to feel a little better.
Phuc Arrives
Purdue’s spring break just started, so Phuc got to Saigon around 11 where we met him at the airport. Phuc loved the terracotta warrior chess set that I found for him in Xi’an. It was late so we went back to the hotel and called it a night shortly after. My flight back to Hong Kong was at 10:10 the next morning, and Ai, Phuc, and their uncle’s flight back to Danang was at 7. I woke up and said goodbye to them and then went back to bed for a while and took a shower. Ai’s uncle paid the hotel to have a taxi waiting for me at 8:30, but when I came downstairs they were trying to flag one in the street, and it was clear that wasn’t going to work anytime soon. He suggested that he take me on his motor back, to which I agree. I slung my giant duffle back over my shoulder and hopped on back. I cut it really close getting to the gate, but I made it, and the flight went much better than the one the previous day.
Thoughts on transportation
There weren’t many private cars anywhere in Vietnam. By far the popular form of transport were small motorbikes. Riding one for the first time was quite scary especially given the enormous amount of riders on the road. It was not uncommon to see entire family’s of four all riding on one bike. I’m in the process of uploading a few short movies to give you a taste for what it’s like, but they really can’t capture the true feeling.
Ai flew back to Hong Kong Friday afternoon and we made hot pot last night. Sadly, I saw her off at the airport this morning at 8. Thus ends a great 2 weeks.
