Leaving Vietnam and sending Carrie away on the Jetplane

Here's my last post with Carrie in it. We both flew back to Bangkok yesterday and she kept flying onward to Seoul then to Portland via Seattle. A long schedule. I was sad to see her go. She's such good company. So easy-going and nice to everyone. It was fun to have someone to try new foods and see the sights with and laugh and be sarcastic at the stupid things. I couldn't help it and cried when she left (and a little bit today too). (See Molly, you're normal!) I wished that I was going back to Portland too when she was flying away. There is something about home. I could just imagine hopping on the Max lightrail and whirring through the city. But she went through security and I stayed. I'm ok. It's good to know that I have emotions, right? I'd imagine that it is normal to have homesickness at some point and I sort of guessed beforehand that this would happen.

So now I am headed toward Laos. Today in Ayuthaya. Settling back into solo travels. It will take a few days to transition back. I plan to lay low for a while and make some more definitive plans for the next 6 weeks in Asia and all that follows.

Final Vietnam Pictures:

The alley to our second guesthouse in Vietnam which was much more authentically "Hanoi." We had a balcony and all.

I don't know why they stamp numbers on the buildings. I have to look it up.

Carrie and me at the cafe where Catherine Deneuve took her morning coffee while filming Indochine. Great coffee in a simple environment.

The power kept going out all over Hanoi on our last night there- we had dinner at this cute place called "Little Hanoi" and at the end (luckily we were finished with our food) the power went out. It was going out all over Hanoi. I guess it's not uncommon, but it was the first time it happened to us there.

Final days with Carrie

I'm sitting on the balcony of our little $10 a night guesthouse, which is located down one of the small alleyways in Hanoi. Carrie and each have a single bed with a sky blue comforter and pillow. We've made a small mess of the room in our last days together, filling all the empty space with Chinese lanterns, Vietnamese coffee filters, made-to-order clothing, Keen sandals, a wine bottle and various other treasures.

I know that Carrie's getting ready mentally to be going home to Portland, as things are piling up that need to be addressed by her, so she'll be busy when she gets back. I'll be on another path.

We're flying back together to Bangkok on Tuesday. She'll continue on through Korea to Portland. I'll get off and jump on the rails overland through Northern Thailand to Laos. I don't really fancy getting into another border crossing like our Thailand-to-Cambodia adventure and the easiest crossing is the Friendship bridge from Nong Khai in Thailand with Vientiane in Laos, so I'm going to take my time getting there. After that, I'm not sure what'll be next.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Carrie and I took a 3-day trip to Halong Bay, which included an overnight on the Imperial Junkboat (it was not junky) and hotel in Cat Ba city. It was all lovely. Cycling, kayaking, walking, a small village, caves, lunch on the beach with only 2 other tour members (there were four of us on the 3 day tour, an unusually small group) filled up our days there.

Insanity on the train, aka timer self photos in the window

This is what happens when you spend too much time on the rails.

TET -- Vietnam's New Year! (And Saigon)

Saigon, aka Ho Chi Minh City. The land of speeding motorbikes. Luckily we escaped in one piece.


Cu Chi Tunnels, one of the major sites of the French and Vietnam Wars



On the way to Hoi An via not one, but TWO overnight buses. I won't explain how we were so lucky.



So happy to be sleeping on my plastic seats.


Hoi An, Vietnam- a small town about halfway between Saigon and Hanoi full of artists and old buildings. It was completely untouched by all the wars, so buildings are over 300 years old.


Carrie at the cafe. Super food.



Lotus flower candles on the river.

Singing, dancing and fireworks on the river stage.

The Hoi An River, where they had all the signs of the Chinese zodiac floating among candle-lit lotus flowers.

Hoi An silk lanterns, we were pretty blown away by their simple beauty-- and $5 each.