From Carmen and Leon Visit

I am sure it has already been said many times, many ways, but it is always interesting to see the familiar through the eyes of an outsider. I had intended to follow up an earlier post on some surprises I encountered in Vietnam with another like it (for example, Vietnam has paper money worth 3 cents), but things here became normal all too quickly.

Thus, it was good to have two friends visiting from Canada this past week. Leon and Carmen are spending three weeks traveling in Southeast Asia, and made Hanoi their first stop.

Rediscovering the terror of traffic, the shock of motorbikes laden with dozens of live animals, and the surprising sounds and smells of Hanoi was a good reminder that my life, while increasingly mundane to me, is still exotic and unique.

I was able to take three days off work, and we went to Halong Bay, a member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club (you think I’m making this up, don’t you?). I had been to Halong before, but this time we had the chance to go rock climbing with a group of wonderful South Africans who were in Southeast Asia on a climbing trip. Click the picture below to see the full album from Carmen and Leon’s visit to Hanoi.

From Carmen and Leon Visit