I’ve enjoyed receiving your comments & the wonderful letters / emails from the Vietnamese community & how inspired you were to travel back to Vietnam upon seeing my photos. I tried to capture the essence of the country & for me thats what travel is all about. I wish you all a wonderful Holiday season as we end 2009 & venture onto 2010.

Enter the Kecak performers, male singers  in Black & white checkered regalia to perform the Hindu Religious tale of Ramayana with their voices…Enter the 2 dancers to tell the story / dance the story of Ramayana – Sita & Ram…

In unison, Kecak, kecak,  the words repeated over & over, fast & slow, high & low, alto & baritone, kecak , kecak is all you hear in rhythmic unison…their clothing Black & White check to represent good & evil. This cloth is seen draped over religious statues throughout  Bali.

Surrounded by dancers, flames, movement…the viewer is enveloped in the ecstasy, the colors being a feast for the eye & the lack of instruments is not even missed…human voice is the only instrument…kecak ,kecak, kecak…

Surrounded by Natural wonders & the simple things in life, day to day dance events to celebrate life…what more could a traveller ask for as a blessing for a journey thats inexpensive & uplifting both spritually & emotionally. An enjoyable upcoming Holiday Season to all.

The lantern maker starts off with a bamboo frame like this

Patterned silk is then cut & sewn to fit onto the bamboo frames in a Handmade shop

A tassel added on the bottom as a decorative touch & voila…purchase as is or custom create your lantern

 in a Shop cum Home where everything is HandMade. In todays  mass market world, I wonder if anyone studies what they purchase or wonder how things are made.  So, the next time you purchase a shade…study it carefully…& maybe just maybe you’ll transport yourself to the Country of Origin where it was made by reminiscing about this post on Lanternmaking Handmade style. With that a festive Autumnal Season to you.

On the right hand side there is a ” Charity Water” cause  that I have signed up for, where readers…thats you…just have to click on the image & points are generated to go towards digging wells for cleaner water in Countries where people have to drink from polluted sources. So, lets see, my blogs stats quote is 1548 people read this Blog…well, maybe they just looked at the pictures when they had nothing to do…I don’t know…BUT, if 1548 people clicked on the Charity Water, then$1548 would have been donated towards this cause. SO…please when looking at my photos or if you happen to be reading, please click on the Charity Water icon…its as simple as that & presto…you did a good deed for the day.

Merci Beaucoup…

Reed bags…one can never have too many for those summer occasions. And of course

Large Straw  market bags for all those impromptu visits to the farmers markets…keeping 1 outside  for the grocery store

And lastly, my eternal Summer wardrobe of sarongs & wraps…used as clothing purposes in addition to impromptu picnic blankets

Seasonal changes are such the thing to look forward to & ofcourse Autmn brings its own colorful treats but more on that later. Until then…au revoir

Hoping you too had a wonderful & memorable Summer.

Halong Bay

In the movie, Catherine Daneuve’s adopted daughter & boyfriend are on a boat in Halong Bay…lost & rumor had it that anyone who dared to venture into Halong Bay would go mad…never to return…

A maze of mountains / rock formations  rising out of the South China Sea for miles on end. Mysterious & Magestic, they stand silently like ghosts ready to envelope stray sailors without a compass. These days  this destination is a 4 hr car / bus  ride outside Hanoi, where you arrive to Halong City.

From there, Vietnamese junks with compasses, ready to have you meander around the Bay as the wind whips around you, flecks of salty water land on your face, meals cooked & served aboard

your junk as you contemplate…the rock formations

and the caves that lie within

…Dau Go cave, Cat Ba cave…Stalagtite & Stalgmite hanging in all shapes & forms…and lo & behold

Sitting Lion, (with its mouth wide open)  at the entrace of a recently discovered cave.  Water, Ships,  caves & what else but Pirates go hand in hand!  Who knows what secret messages were left behind…pirates booty waiting to be discovered…

Well, some things were left to remain silent I suppose. There again the keeper of this hut might know a thing or two.

We can ponder all that as we sail away leaving Halong Bay to vanish into the horizon like a mirage.

 So, until the next set of postcards…au revoir darlings…

The Ho Chi Minh mausoleum.  Having made eye contact with a moped driver

& a suitable “foreigner” fee agreed upon, the driver motioned with his hand that “Uncle Ho” was sleeping. I nodded in agreement “Yes”, I wanted to visit the sleeping ” Uncle”, the mausoleum not the museum. A plume of black smoke emerged from the moped & as I was about to hop on behind him noticed the 5 letter word emblazoned across the moped “MINSK”…I stared in disbelief as it was the real thing from the Soviet era , still going strong ! So, where’s that postcard… well, I was too caught up…

I chuckled at the thought of visiting Uncle Ho aboard a Minsk. Mind you, no helmets in sight here…however, women had walked by wearing cone hats selling produce.

A long line of visitors stood as cameras, bags, mobile phones were retained.  The mausoleum was located in the New section of Hanoi.

Uncle Ho lay in the inner depths of this impressive mausoleum – elegant & dignified in military regalia. Hard to believe he was gone since 1969 – his embalmed body kept for a Nation proud of the Man who had freed them from Colonial stronghold. His body lay in a  glass enclosed roped off area.  The other embalmbed body in this World would be that of Lenin in Moscow. Silently, visitors walked by…mostly Vietnamese & a few tourists.

Next stop was to see Ho Chi Minh’s house & office…yes…this is all so real, not textbook info…This was his house on stilts …there is a living room downstairs & upstairs is a bedroom & another office.

Surrounded by a koi pond & rosebush garden that he tended…how all this escaped attacks is a wonder but there is a secret tunnel underneath the house that visitors are not allowed into…

Closeby Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts is this impressive building…

The Presidential Palace of the former residence of the governor of French IndoChina (IndoChine)…so regal & ostentatious…

Next stop was the famed “Hanoi Hilton” as dubbed by US Prisoners. Senator John McCain was here for 5 yrs & hence the Hotel terminology. This is what the Hotel looks like…

Built by the French to control Vietnamese uprisings & later retained US POW’s, the original French name “Maison Centrale” remains as a testament to a foreign language imposed upon another Nation. Much of it has been torn down as located in a commerical area to accomodate new highrise construction, however a section of it  remains along with prison cells, torture chambers, interrogation rooms, guillotines with spot lights – art gallery style, all now part of a viewing gallery. Newspaper clippings from the 60′s & photographs of President Nixon & JFK, brought to reality a bygone era.

No shortage of War memorabilia in Hanoi with the War Museum outfitted with fighter jets, raiders, hawks, anything & everything but going into the jet to have a photograph taken with camo gear…

A line of cannons at the ready , waiting word from the Tower Guard …

anno

Even in Times of War, Peace prevails with

the presence of 1 Pillar Pagoda…which was destroyed but re-built in the same location on a pond…so fung shui…

As for us, having seen all this cultural memorabilia, time to check into one of those Cafe’s for some edible culture & have a Cafe Noir & maybe a bon bon…while we plan our next excursion…

and then the 3 children sporting Sapa style capris

The clementine seller waiting for business or is she counting change from selling those  clementines ?

Really can’t get over the elaborate red head gear

And the equally stunning co-ordinated shoulder bags…never did Black with accents of  Red & White look so elegant

Hmong woman waiting in front of …ah French Colonial shutters & mini white columns…yes this really was a French summer colony. Love the layered sweater & jacket look  with a plaid scarf tied at the waist…plus the large hoop earrings

Wonder what the Colonialists wore when vacationing here but ah yes…looking like the locals would have been a definite NO & lets not forget those large hoop earrings! I will say that staying here a bit longer has satisfied my wardrobe fix now that I’ve purchased the same outfits myself for those days when that extra bohemian touch is needed, plus large hoop earrings ofcourse…time to move on & sport that look…on the next set of postcards…til’ then…

 A world away from the city & these days, most if not all travellers arrive there by overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai which takes 8 hrs. You have 3 choices – the 1st class Victoria express complete with your own Cabin, white down comforter, white curtains & exclusive meals. The downsize being that the end of the journey will have you contemplate turning into a train setter as opposed to jet setter. Then there’s 2nd class cabins with 2 bunk beds per compartment with wood panelling & lastly for the budget traveller – the 4 bunk  cabin with minimalist chic metal panelling . As for the ride itself…this can be compared to a NYC subway ride with all the jerking, sudden stops & starts…well being a night train the driver might have had his share of opium!

The arrival into Lao Cai is greeted with pre dawn views of billowing clouds giving way to this panorama

Terraced mountains, cooler temparatures, summer picnics & hiking is how I picture French Madames et famille.

Oh my & take a look at the locals in their native attire !

 The Vietnamese refer to them as “Minorities” & why on earth one would refer to their own citizens as Minorities is beyond me but Tribal people do tend to take a 2nd class place in society.  On weekends / market day, this is the scene

A sea of heads as the  tribal groups flock to Sapa to stock up on supplies & sell their wares / handicrafts. There are 2 distinct tribes

Black Hmong with their hand dyed linen Indigo outfits & who are also referred to as the “Blue People” with their blue hands from constant dyeing…no rubber gloves here

And then theres the Dzao (pronounced Dao) with their elaborate Red woolen headgear, shaved eyebrows & also shaved heads

Their handmade creations sold at the weekend market, where …yes…I’ll hassle you until you purchase type scenario exists & indeed amazing handicrafts to purchase…a crafters shopping mecca of sort

Bedspreads, hats, aluminium jewelry, a Cottage industry well worth the visit – made in Vietnam & not in China! Infact the volume of handwork might be considered labor intensive for any duplication.

Easy to become a gawker here but once you are over the Tribal attire, there’s Vietnamese meals to be sampled in the local market

…here’s a chef ready to whip up a spicy concotion, made to order… FDA rules & regs’ appears to be MIA in these parts!

Shopping not your thing…the panoramic vistas of the terrain are all a natural wonder. Roads being repaired from years of war…can you imagine having a war in this verdant landscape ?

Somehow, don’t see any Colonial buildings & wonder where the French would have stayed…don’t get the feeling they stayed in a cabiny lodge like these that are dotted around.

Manmade developments  are a miss in these parts…authentic & rural

…an escape from modernities as contemplating the vastness of natural beauty envelopes the traveller…to which I will digress until the next set of postcards. Au revoir darlings &  please bear with me as I am in the process of updating this layout for something more appropo to the vibe of these postcard excursions.