Hello Hanoi

We arrived late into Hanoi for a short trip to Vietnam. I found the city to be very interesting and it was a lot of fun. The first day we went out to Halong Bay, known for the many rocks that jut out of the sea and the caves that exist on some of the islands. The next two days we spent walking around the city and getting a feel for living in Hanoi. Hanoi is a rapidly growing city and trying to modernize the country at the same time. There are a number of positives for the country, but it still has a long way to go. The city is full of motor bikes that fill the streets and are constantly honking as they weave through cars, vendors, and people. There are many areas where people eat some unique foods, but all my meals were very good and cheap. Here are my pictures!

Hanoi Pics

Halong Bay

Saint Joseph Church

Cambodia

The road to Cambodia is a rough one. A dirt road from Thailand to Siem Reap is the only way to get there and riding on a dirt road in a bus for multiple hours is, to me, considered a trip and not a vacation. Even though the trip was rough and the days were very long, it was one I won't forget. We visited supposedly the biggest lake in Asia, Tonle Sap, and then we visited the old city and temples of Anchor Wat. The Khmer dynasty was a huge empire that spanned most of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Burma in the 5th to 12th century. It is said that the city population was 100,000 when Rome was still about 50,000 people. We spent a whole day visiting some of the hundreds of temples in the old city. It was amazing the size and beauty of the temples made so many years ago. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Cambodia Randoms

Tonle Sap Lake

Ankor Wat Temples