Comming to America!

I'll update with a bit about the ppl in the photo's later.  Xuan and I are going for a walk!

Celebrating the end of the visa process

Ong Ngoai (means grandfather on mothers side)

Ong Ngoai is a very happy man who always brings a smile to your face.

Ba (Xuan's father; Ba meaning father) and Steve (Cau Ba, meaning second oldest uncle) celebrate.

Xuan's sister Yen, Aunt  Ma Sau (meaning 5th aunt/uncle) and Xuan

Ong Ngoai was trying to communicate to Steve how happy he was to be celebrating him, and Steve was doing what he does best - stir the pot!  They got along great.  Xuan's family has adopted Steve into their fold.

Xuan, Me (mother), Steve, Ba (father), Ong Ngoai, Loi (Xuan's sisters husband)

Ong Ngoai is saying, "you number one!"

Tram, Xuan's younger sister saying tam biet (good bye) to Steve before he drives home to Vung Tau.

And....the morning after two full days of parties and celebration.  Coffee for Grandpa and dad.

Tet 2010 - Bun Tet preporations Mmmm yummy

Xuân and Tram wash and dry the Banana leaves that came from a few tree's in the back yard.

Be oi, oversee's her mother in making the bean curd and pork fat that will go inside the Bun Tet

A special sticky rice is used. There is a green leaf that has been soaking in the rice water. This along with the banana leaf dyes the rice green.

Bun Tet is a sticky rice cake (roll) with pork fat inside of yellow bean curd, surrounded by sticky rice.

This is one of several traditional foods of the south Vietnamese Tet celebration.

The viens form the banana leaves are used to tie the Bun Tet tightly together. This leaf vien is very tough - like a hemp rope.

Xuân's mother has been doing this since she was a child.

One down, eight to go!

Xuan's father prepares the cooker. This metal bucket has been turned into an oven used to heat cylindrical stones that will be placed inside a large pot of water.

This one is for Be oi - the baby

I dont remember how long this took, but I think it was a better part of a day. There are people who make these as their business. Everyone in the south has Bun Tet and I have tasted a couple different ones. Xuan's mother makes the best :)

The bundles of rice cake are placed into this pot and boiled over night.

Funny pics from Sa Pa

We rented a bike. It broke down, sputttering, and we waited on the side of the road for the man who we rented from. He passed us somehow, and our total wait time was 90 minutes.

Xuan complained me when she saw this! It was a good picture of her I told her.

Look out, he's a gangsta'

Oil tanker or tree?

So.........,

While reaching down to pick up a pistachio shell from the floor, I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. It turned out to be more than just a simple pain. I am ok now (90%), but I wont be bending over to pick anything up again. The hotel manager called a doctor for me. He was an accupuncturist. It helped a little, but mostly daily icing has done the trick. Im fit for travel once again.

BUY FROM ME !!!

As far as I can tell, there are 3 main attraction bringing both nationals and foreigners to Sapa. The mountain scenery, the local ethnic minorites and the farming techniques.

All are good reasons to visit but our expectations of Sa Pa were dramatically different then what we actually experienced.

Xuan was disappointed with the behavior of the local Red Dao and the Black Hmong. I was just frustrated. These tribal groups each have a unique history, culture and language. The men work the farms and the women make arts and crafts to be sold at the local markets.

The funny thing is 95% of the 'authentic' Hmong/Dao trinkets available are mass produced. When you first arrive you are greeted by friendly locals who ask your name and country. Then they get right down to business. All foralities aside, they want you to purchase a handbag. Once you've made the mistake of buying something, the word goes out (through the internet??) and you are instantly surrounded. "Buy from me. Buy from me. Buy from me!" It doesn't matter that they are trying to sell you the exact same thing you bought already, you must buy from them as well. "You buy from her, now you BUY FROM ME!"

The first day I bought a set of postcards. Then the locals figured it was their turn. But they wouldnt offer you a different product. They figured you wanted postcards...."Buy from me!"

At first it was a surprise how agressive they were. Then it became rather frustrating. Xuan was sad that their 'traditional' lifestyle has changed so dramatically - especially when Xuan contrasts this experience with another village she traveled to over a year ago. The sad part about this, is they're agressive style probably scares away potential sales.

After a day, Xuan and I adapted to the locals, and made a little game of it - hide and seek. Just tiptoe real quite and maybe they wont notice us...... lol

One man made the mistake of purchasing a Black Hmong hat, while waiting for his pizza. After 30 minutes, he had roughly 10 women trying to sell him a hat. He made the mistake of pointing to his hat and saying, "I already have one!" This only encourages them...We finished our meal, and went for a walk. Passing by the pizzarea 30 minutes later the crowd had increased. Troi oi
Here are a couple pictures of the locals

A man surrounded by Red Dao - everyone of them selling the exact same thing. The Red Dao were much more agressive than the other groups. You had to completely ignore them for 5 minutes in order for them to give up. The baskets they carry were full of sugar cane, which they would chew on all day long.

"Wanna buy a hat??"



At one point Xuan and I laughed as he pointed to his hat probably saying, "I already bought one...."

"Wanna buy a hat?"

Very shortly he shares his pizza with them. Within 5 minutes there was a crowd of Hmong.

These kids would give you a free gift and then hassle you for as long as it took to make the sell. Xuan gave the free gift back - harder than you would think.

At the end of the trek tour Vans waited to take us back into town. This man couldn't escape the Red Dao...

BUY FROM ME !!!

Sa Pa, Vietnam Feb 2010

Xuan and I travelled to the mountain town of Sa Pa, located in northern Vietnam.

Hello! The weather was a perfect 70-80 everyday.

All pictures here are out of order. This was our last day in Sa Pa waiting for our Van to take us back to the train station in Lao Cai.

Our hotel, the Royal View is at the end of the street here. Our original hotel choice was the Ham Rung, which didnt look comfortable. We found this hotel the day we arrived, after about 15 minutes of driving around.

The market just up the street from our hotel.

A lake in Sa Pa, 15 minutes walk from our hotel.

Hmong villagers helping a fellow Hmong build a home.

On our third day in Sa Pa, Xuan and went on a hiking tour of a valley and a Black Hmong village. These are a couple locals who followed the tour making conversation and helping the 'less fit' as the trek was very steep in many area's.

Rice Fields cut into the mountain.

A Public school just outside of Sa Pa. Most of the Hmong and Red Dao children complete the 6th grade, but no more.

Say cheese

One of thousands of beautiful opportunities to take a picture

Sa Pa

Sa Pa from a small mountain top

It was windy the entire time we stayed in Sa Pa.

This is where pork comes from!

Men prepare lunch for the village men who are building the Hmong home. 'One pig was not going to be enough,' our tour guide said.

A couple children playing along a local route to the village originating from the road out of Sa Pa.

The begining of our trek - the easy part...

Xuan and our tour guide Leo.

An old church Burnt down around the 1940's

Most of the rice fields were owned by the ethinic minorites. The Black Hmong, Red Dao, and the Hmong Hoa. The men worked the farms and the women weaved and sold arts and crafts. more about that later.

After our motorcycle was fixed (very strange break down. We still don't know what was wrong.) we were cruisin again.

A picture from our hotel room deck. The view was royal for sure.