the vietnam mask

this is the mask from vietnam. it is inspired by the famous buddha named "di lac", who is very popular with the vietnamese. he represents joy, prosperity, and tolerance.

alina

eating in vietnam

since our arrival into vietnam nearly two weeks ago, alina and i have been able to sample a dizzying array of vietnamese food. from pho soup to spicy snails, cau lau and che, every city and town has provided us with another mind boggling culinary revelation. the food has been as colorful and refreshing as the people that have been preparing and serving it. every bowl of noodle soup, plate of spring rolls and baguette sandwich has been served with a huge smile that exudes the pride that went into making the food. as a fellow practitioner of the culinary arts, i can appreciate the feeling of seeing happy and excited diners anxiously watching you prepare food for them. i think that the sense of satisfaction is mutual between the vendor and customer here in vietnam.
here is a brief run down on a few of the dishes that have given us such great satisfaction in the last few weeks:
• pho bo (10000 vnd, about 60 cents) is probably the best-known vietnamese food outside the country, and for good reason as it is very much the staple food of the people here. in vietnamese, pho is the word used to describe noodle soup and bo is beef. so essentially what you have is a very simple beef broth with flat rice noodles and sliced lean beef. it is usually garnished with some green onion and cilantro with limes and fresh chiles on the side. of course, around every corner is a different variation of pho, utilizing braised beef, gelatinous beef tendon, beef meatballs and grilled flank. there is also pho ga - ga is chicken in vietnamese. in ninh binh, there is pho de - de being goat meat. from vendor to vendor, you can find the addition of fish sauce, chile paste, bean sprouts or shaved onions. i am sure that it sounds like we have tried it all, but after only two weeks, we have barely scratched the surface. street vendors seem to have their own territory, setting up shop in the same place everyday. there are also different vendors in the same spot throughout the day, one selling pho for breakfast in the morning then packing up in the afternoon to make way for a vendor selling something completely different for lunch or dinner. after a few days in one place, we start to get a feel for who sells what, where and when… but back to pho, it is much simpler than i had ever imagined before coming to vietnam. i think that it is perhaps too simple to be served in its true form in america, as most vietnamese restaurants in the states seem to over complicate it or try to 'spruce it up' for the american palate. i have really been enamored with the straightforward simplicity of the 'real thing' here in vietnam.
• bun bo hue (10000 vnd, about 60 cents) is another type of rice noodle soup. while its components do not differ much from it's cousin pho, to me it is infinitely more complicated. bun bo hue is a heavy beef broth loaded with fish sauce and stained red from chile paste. it is best when served with a few fried fish cakes, braised beef tendon and lean beef and drizzled with tons of fresh lime juice. at a stop over/day trip in hue, the ancient capital of vietnam, we had, by far, our favorite version of this soup for breakfast one morning. as usual, when least expected, we are treated to the best tastes and flavors… it must have something to do with the lack of expectations or anticipation. it was our first day officially out of the north and we were treated to some sunlight and our first taste of humidity since leaving hawaii so many weeks ago. on our way to the ancient citadel of hue we stumbled upon a small street front shop selling café sua, vietnamese drip coffee with sweetened condensed milk, and bun bo hue and stopped to have a bowl. as is often the case, alina let me order first. after seeing the steaming bowl of soup, she quickly asked the cook, sitting at her station next to our table for another bowl. she cracked a huge, warm smile and nodded as if to say, "yeah, i knew you would want one too…"
• che (pronounced gaa) is a cheap (5000 vnd, about 30 cents) sweet treat served on just about every street corner in vietnam. it is a chilled sweet tea made of simple syrup and varying types of beans, including white, black, soy and limas. it is served in a tall glass and topped with fresh, young 'spoon meat' coconut and fresh coconut milk. of course, going against what the guidebooks tell you not to do, we have ours the way the locals do, served over shaved ice. it makes for a very sweet, refreshing little mid-day snack. it is also a good way to take a load off after touring around for a while and is a good chance to sit down with the locals and make conversation. there is a unique culture that comes along with squatting on a small plastic stool on the sidewalk right next to a road full of scooters, carts, bikes and pedestrians. for some reason, once you take the step to sit down people seem to let down their guard a bit and let you into their world. after answering the standard, what is you name, where are you from, how long have you been in vietnam… you are rewarded with a chance to be right in the mix of things, watching them work, interacting with other locals and always a collection of friendly smiles…
• the baguette sandwich - east meets west or the french legacy… however you want to describe it, street vendors and cafes are toasting up warm epi baguettes and stuffing them full of pate, roasted pork belly, pork loin, chicken, smoked fish, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, lettuces, chile sauce, emmental cheese, donner kebab chicken and lamb or spicy chipped beef. for anywhere from about 30 to 75 cents you can grab one of these little snacks for a quick lunch or late night snack (or as i did after going to the fish market this morning, for breakfast…).
• grilled fish. here in hoi an, we stopped for lunch in a small café two days ago and were treated to a tasty little grilled fish dish that is popular throughout central and southern vietnam. small fillets or fingers of fish are covered with rough minced fresh turmeric root, wrapped tightly in fresh banana leaves and grilled over charcoal. the results are perfect, moist fish, infused with the tartness of the turmeric and aroma of the charred banana leaves. served with a little steamed rice on the side and a dipping sauce of lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and cracked black pepper - awesome… this would have made for a perfect entrée back at hotel hana maui, with all of the fresh snappers and groupers from the lind family…
• cau lau, a staple dish in hoi an, is yet another vietnamese style noodle dish. thick, chewy, fresh egg noodles are served with a few small slices of lean, roasted pork loin, fresh bibb lettuce, bean sprouts, cilantro and crispy fried rice noodle pieces and then dressed with a little bit of a rich pork broth and drizzled with lime juice. in hoi an, cau lau replaces pho as the most popular/served anywhere dish of the city… up market restaurants, road side stalls and everything in-between serves this dish. my favorite has been from a small street vendor right on the waterfront across from the boat dock, catering to both locals and adventurous tourists. like most, a family affair, with the wife cooking, husband taking orders and son clearing tables… here you can have a small bowl, enough to make a lunch, for 10000 vnd or 60 cents. i have forgotten to mention one interesting thing about paying and pricing. all prices are quoted simultaneously in dong (vnd) and dollars. it is funny to see. this phenomenon is not just reserved for americans or even tourists for that matter. i saw japanese people paying for a tour to my son, champa ruins outside of hoi an, yesterday with american dollars. even at the post office last night, when making a shipment back to the states, we where given a price list where everything was listed in dollars, while all of the text was in vietnamese and french… go figure. without a calculator and some quick division skills you could find yourself lost trying to figure out how much things cost.
well, i guess that is a good start in describing a few of the tastes of vietnam. i am sure there will be more to come. we have also added quite a few food pics to our account on flickr if you want to see more… david

Merry Christmas!

to all of our friends and family, we wish you a merry christmas. we are enjoying the christmas holiday here in ninh binh, vietnam. although we are a world away, you are all in our thoughts. hope everyone is healthy, happy and enjoying the holiday. love alina & david.

the bay

yesterday we took our first organized tour of the trip. a jam-packed 3.5 hour bus ride deposited us at the port of halong bay - an unesco world heritage site and one of the top attractions in northern vietnam. the huge boat was for our intimate group seven: three american guys on break from college in korea, two lovely austrian ladies, plus david and myself.

we cruised the spectacular halong bay, had a delicious lunch on the boat, and visited yet another beautiful cave. the bay has over 3,000 limestone islands peppered with caves and beaches rising from the waters. the sights were mysterious, majestic, and absolutely breathtaking. the cruise ended perfectly as we were treated to a stunning sunset over the stone islands of halong bay. - alina

hanoi

we are officially millionaires. a couple hundred bucks = millions of vietnam dong.

uncle ho's mausoleum
motorbikes
pho soup
scooters
ca phe sua da (coffee with condensed milk)
mopeds
smiling faces
motos
$0.15 bia hoi (fresh beer)
motorcycles
honking horns

did i mention there are lots of motorbikes?

we are in hanoi!

hello vietnam!

alina

china, the wrap up

our comments and observations of china:

. "hello" is the most common greeting in china. although the vast majority of the population does not speak english, many people are happy to smile and say "hello" to western tourists.
. same as korea - we are giant in size. david is challenged by doorways, short beds, low ceilings, and small-sized house slippers. even though i've lost a few, i still have a good 40 pounds on most women.
. cross-walks are non-existant in china. you may cross the street wherever and whenever you want. order is enforced only with police or patrol presence.
. china has a case of the "staries". of course, we don't blame anyone for staring - we know we're kind of funny looking.
. chinese people are all about selling things - which comes in handy, because you can always find whatever you need pretty easily.
. chinese people don't like to queue. pushing to the front and "cutting" line is the norm and is completely acceptable. luckily, we have size and weight on our side.
. food is cheap in china - especially if you eat in the non-touristy places along with the locals.
. because diapers are very expensive, many chinese babies don't wear them. they wear pants with a slit in the bottom, then do their business by squatting when necessary.
. mcdonald's, kfc, and pizza hut restaurants are all over china. kfc is promoted as, "the food of kentucky"
. we are over the spitting...
. i am over the squat toilets...
. rule #1 in china: never leave home without tp
. rule #2 in china: never leave home without hand sanitizer and wipes
. chinese full-body massage is performed with every stitch of clothing on - even socks. it's quite bizarre, especially after being in korea - the land where everyone is completely comfortable being naked.
. for the most part, chinese people are smiling, nice people
. you can smoke wherever you want in china - even under "no smoking" signs
. clothing for sale in china is mini in size. it took us 2 weeks to find size extra large boxers for david - which he says are barely a u.s.a. size large. the packaging called the boxers "fat older guy boxers". david wasn't humored as much as i was.
. canned pabst blue ribbon beer is readily available in most convenient stores - we presume it's a popular and well-liked beer in china.
. china is considerably cheaper than korea.

what things cost in china:

. a 20 minute cab ride to the city center of beijing at 1am $7.00
. beijing subway ride $0.27
. a bean sprout burrito $0.65
. an apple snack on a stick $0.27
. an order of fried rice $1.10
. spicy noodle soup from a street vendor $0.90
. a nice hotpot dinner for 2 people $10.00
. large bottled water $0.39
. american breakfast at a hostel $2.45
. 20oz. tsingtao beer at a hostel $0.68
. double ensuite room at qian men hostel in beijing $22.00
. fresh brewed coffee at a coffee shop $1.75
. a local telephone call $0.13
. a pair of "thinsulate" gloves from the market $3.37
. postcards $0.08 each
. postage to the u.s.a $0.62 each
. a pair of black pearl earrings from the pearl market in beijing $7.50
. 2 pc fleece lined thermal underwear $8.00
. premium peking duck dinner for 2 people $20.00
. a 10-hour hard sleeper train ticket $26.00
. instant ramen noodle soup $0.45
. a steamed bun from a street vendor $0.12
. a 12oz. can of diet coke $0.32
. admission to the great wall $5.50 per person
. a city bus to the great wall $1.95 per person, each way
. 1/2 kilo high quality jasmine tea $8.50
. admission to the army of terracotta warriors $9.50 per person
. a big-mac value meal $2.35
. 1 hour full body massage treatment $5.00
. admission to sichuan opera with guide and interpretation $15.00 per person
. the china mask $20.00
. a 12 inch stuffed crust pizza from pizza hut $13.00
. a chartered boat for a li river cruise $20.00

what's next?

we're currently in the southern city of nanning, which is our last stop prior to crossing into vietnam. the people are very nice (as are most folks from the southern part of anywhere), and are all about yelling out a "hello!". we need a couple of days to basically do nothing except re-group, re-fresh, and re-charge. rather than staying in a hostel, we decided to secure a room at an actual hotel - which is a comforting change of pace. the room comes complete with a computer with internet, television with an english channel, and the softest bed we've had in china. needless to say, we are enjoying our first bit of television entertainment in over a month.

hanoi, vietnam is about 8 hours away by bus. we'll see you there soon...

ps. happy anniversary madre y padre sizemore! love, su hija

onward!

alina

the china mask

tangu = a mask that is hung on the wall to prevent evil spirits and wish longevity.

this is the mask from china. it is a resemblance of buddha. - alina

the li river

for the past few days we've been relaxing in the smaller city (pop 400,000) of yangshuo, just an hour south of guilin. the limestone peaks and landscapes are absolutely stunning and david and i have enjoyed exploring the countryside and small surrounding villages. we managed to charter a small private boat with a young chinese couple and enjoyed a 2 hour cruise down the li river. the cruise went from the village of yangdi to the village of xingping - through the famous river scene that is depicted on the backside of the 20 yuan bill. we were happy the couple was kind enough to point out the tidbit of info as we made way past the karst formations. pretty cool. to make things even better, it was the warmest day we've had in china yet. woo hoo - no thermal underwear! - alina

the village and the rice terrace

today we took a daytrip from guilin that turned out to be quite an adventure. we managed to rise with the sun to get a good early start on the day. the plan: to visit the 600 year old zhuang village of ping an and the longji rice terrace - some of the most intricate rice terracing in all of china. the lonely planet guide made the trip out to be relatively easy, consisting of a couple public bus transfers. we set out sans tour/guide to make the daytrip on our own.

we easily completed the first leg of the journey to an ugly city called longsheng. immediately after getting off the bus a lady tries to direct us to a local minibus that will take us to ping an village and the rice terraces. i tell her that all i can think about at the moment is peeing and that i must find a toilet straight away. she seems shocked that i don't speak chinese (a common reaction) and looks at me confused. as david and i walk towards the w/c sign we both agree that our liquid breakfast of coffee, oj, and water wasn't the best choice prior to the 1.5 hour bus ride. after yet another traumatizing squat toilet experience, we return to the lot to look for a minibus going to ping an. the same lady spots us in about 8 seconds and escorts us to an empty waiting minibus.

after a short wait, the bus departs with david and myself as the only passengers. the driver takes us only a few short blocks when the lady tells us to get off the bus and onto another. we do as she instructs, trusting that she is leading us the right way. we get on the bus full of locals and we are quickly on our way. about 30 minutes into the journey we begin to enter a small town. we figure the bus is making a detour to pick up other passengers along the way. i hang out the window with the camera, trying to capture as much of the small town as possible. i'm amazed when i see dentistry being performed on the sidewalk. only in china can you have your teeth worked on and smoke at the same time. we pull up to an intersection when the bus attendant motions us to get off the bus and get onto another. she says, "ping an, ping an" and points to yet another bus. again, we do as instructed, figuring we may as well roll with it. we get on the third bus and get stared down by the locals. we respond with our typical goofy smiles and begin to take in all the commotion going on around us. next to the bus on the sidewalk there are several sacks with baby squealing pigs inside. a couple of the pigs are rolling around in the sacks as they desperately try to get out. i'm a bit bothered. i mean, i love to eat suckling pig - but i really don't care to hear or see them suffering in the sacks next to the bus. we hear a couple of the pigs being put into the trunk of the minibus. oh great, i think. people and their stuff keeps piling on the minibus. i wonder...how much can fit on this little minibus? well... a lot. 22 humans with their baggage, a couple of baby pigs, a huge appliance box that looks like a tv, a new wok, two 100 pound bags of buckwheat flour, several stalks of sugar cane tied to the roof, and two large baskets of tangerines that are blocking the aisle. isn't that a fire hazard? unreal. we start heading up the mountain and we are finally on our way to the village. about 45 minutes later the bus drops us off at the entrance of the village of ping an.

as there are no streets (only sidewalks and stairs) in ping an, we begin the one hour ascent to the village that is positioned between 2 mountains and the rice terraces that are almost 2000 meters above sea level. the zhuang and yao minority peoples of the village created and have tended to the terraces generation after generation for hundreds of years. we arrived to the village and had a mediocre lunch at a restaraunt that had mouse on the menu for 90 yuan ($13.00). we thought it was pretty pricey for mouse. i mean, is it premium mouse? after lunch we headed up a few hundred more stairs to some of the most remarkable vistas we've seen in china. we both agree it was well worth the effort getting there. the photos tell the story... alina

a long train ride to the caves

getting to guilin was actually easier than we anticipated. we wimped out and opted for the "luxurious" and pricier soft-class sleeper for the 24 hour train journey from chengdu. yes, 24 hours. it definitely qualified as the longest train ride either of us has ever taken. we thought of it as "practice" for the upcoming 30+ hour rides we will encounter when we travel through india. additionally, the train was a good 200 bucks cheaper than flying - which counts when you're traveling for as long as we are. soft-class was very empty and we lucked out by having the private compartment for 4 people all to ourselves. instant ramen, jasmine tea, and tangerines paired with too many hours of sleep made for a somewhat effortless entry into touristy and glitzy guilin.


guilin is famous for it's stunning karst topography and has been celebrated for generations by poets and painters. at the top of our list of sites to see are two caves that guilin is famous for. qixing gohgyuan, or seven star park, is one of china's most picturesque city parks. the seven karst formations (or peaks) in the park resemble the big dipper constellation. the highlight of the park is the seven star cave with huge chambers filled with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites colored by flood lights. the cave formations were absolutely stunning. the second cave we visited was reed flute cave. again, the scenery was breathtaking and extraordinary. we hope the photos do the sites just a small bit of justice… alina

noodles

well leave it to alina to find the best snacks to eat around the city. you know, even though i am the professional chef and all, my wife seems to have a much keener instinct when it comes to finding great food. today, in guilin, we were outside of qixing gongyuan, a.k.a. seven star park, waiting for bus 58 to head towards reed flute cave, another major tourist site right outside of the city. after arriving seconds too late for the first bus 58, we knew we would have a few minutes on our hands before the next one came along. alina quickly seized the opportunity, asking me if i wanted a lunchtime snack before heading to the next stop. of course i agreed, and waited near the bus stop. before i knew it she was back with a small take out container of stir-fried noodles. i was shocked to see such great looking food in such close proximity to a tourist site, as we have come to expect overpriced, mediocre options around most major tourist areas… instead, for only 4 yuan (about 45 cents) alina had found fresh, hand made flat noodles (the chow fun variety for all of you hawaiians out there) that were stir fried with the tinniest little, pencil thin, fresh bamboo shoots, vibrant green broccoli rabe (that even doug chang would have appreciated), shaved pork, fresh red chiles, garlic, onions and cabbage. they were piping hot, spicy, fresh and very satisfying. after alina had made her way back to the bus stop, we only had a few minutes to eat before the bus arrived, so we hopped on with the noodles and finished them in route to the reed flute caves, received a few nods of approval from several locals.
after spending a few hours touring the caves that alina's aunt d showed us such beautiful pictures of while in panama last february, we jumped right back on bus and headed into town. learning never to pass up a good thing, we decided to stop back at the noodle shop for another plate before heading to the hostel for the evening. the vendor that alina befriended only hours before was happy to see her appear again, this time with a big american in tow. she quickly cleaned up a table, sat us down and ran back to the kitchen to stir fry up a fresh batch of noodles for us to dine on.
alina and i headed back to hostel, with lunch and dinner under our belts (literally) for only about $1.50. as always, it seems like the greatest meals appear when you least expect it. - david

tea and the opera

for the past few days we've been touring the city of chengdu, home of the sichuan opera. the opera has a tradition dating back more than 250 years and is one of the cultural aspects of the sichuan province we hoped to experience. the "art" of drinking tea is another custom represented in the sichuan province, with numerous teahouses and teashops dotting the city.

on our second day in the city we visited the people's park and had tea at one of its lovely teahouses. while there, we met an interesting gentleman named mr. tray lee, who is a cultural interpreter and freelance guide in the city of chengdu. with a great passion and understanding of the sichuan opera, he offered his services to accompany us and interpret a traditional sichuan opera. we happily accepted and made arrangements to attend an opera the following day.

the next day we attended the opera with mr. lee, which was an experience that surpassed our expectations. we enjoyed both the interpretation and actually understanding the story line - rather than just seeing the beautiful actors and hearing the singing. mr. lee even made arrangements for us to be backstage prior to the performance to see the actors putting on their make up - which i thoroughly enjoyed. the opera was a traditional story and took place in a theatre for the local people. we were 2 of only 4 westerners in attendance. the other 2 westerners were german journalists that were taping and taking photos for a german network. to make things even better, there was tea service throughout the performance. tea and opera made for a culture-filled afternoon in chengdu. - alina

sichuan hot pot

since arriving in china nearly a month ago, i have heard and read the saying "china is the place for food, but sichuan is the place for flavor" a few times now. after spending about four days in chengdu, the capital of the sichuan province, i have definitely gained a new appreciation for this antidotal phrase. while i have read that chile peppers found their way into chinese cuisine less than 300 years ago and did not gain popularity in sichuan cuisine until 100 years ago, i would be hard pressed to find much evidence of this today in modern chengdu. it seems that down every block, around every corner and popping up in the middle of countless unnamed alleys, hot pot restaurants abound. in chinese the term for hot pot is ma la - translation, numb and spicy. as i have been stumbling around with words, trying to decide how to describe the food we have had the last few days, i finally opted to stick with the chinese definition. hot pot is, in short, numb and spicy. here is the protocol - after walking into your hot pot restaurant of choice, servers immediately light the propane jets built into your table and drop in a large stainless steel cauldron divided down the middle. in one half of said cauldron there is a milder, less 'nuclear' liquid for cooking your dinner. it is basically a fish stock with leeks, tomatoes and only a few handfuls of small red chiles (reminiscent of the hawaiian variety i have come to know over the last three years). the real damage is in the second half of the pot, a deep red, almost brown oil completely loaded with a variety of red sichuan chiles, sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cardamom and ginger root. after the oil starts heating up, the servers give you a clipboard and in our case, a few pieces of paper with english translations, and wait for your order. the list is an encyclopedia of the bizarre - duck tongues, cow lungs, chicken throats and bullfrog meat are a few of the staples. fortunately, the list is also full of 'safer' choices like fatty beef, mutton, squid, ribbonfish… and the list goes on. on preceding pages are every vegetable, mushroom, seaweed and tofu you ever needed to simmer in hot oil and eat. on the table, we combine sesame oil, salt, white pepper, raw garlic and cilantro to use as a dipping sauce and wait for our selections to arrive. once the order is placed, beers and milk teas are served, and we begin to cook. at first, things go pretty smoothly - the oil is hot but bearable and the broth is not too intense. slowly as the meal progresses, the chiles and peppercorns infuse with the bubbling oil to form the most wickedly hot and bizarrely addictive flavors you can imagine. at this point it is a race to finish the meal before you give up hope or simple faint from the heat. by meal's end, the sinuses are clear, the mouth and lips are numb and our heads are swimming. staggering away from the table, euphoric from the capsicum overload, alina and i slowly wander back to the hostel trying to suppress the smiles through our seared, numb lips. -david

xian

so next to xian being considered 'the cradle of chinese civilization' it is also home to some of china's best food. around ever corner is a small shop selling endless varieties of steamed dumplings and buns. xian is so dumpling crazy, that they have even gone so far as to create 'dumpling banquets' at some of their finer eateries. however, as usual, we stuck to the streets and managed to find a dizzying selection of food. among it's other claims to fame, xian is also home to china's largest muslim population. in the muslim quarter we found some of the tastier snacks of the trip. endless restaurants grill lamb, beef and mutton kebobs glazed with cumin, red chiles and sea salt. for roughly $2.00, 20 small skewers made for a tasty snack for alina and i. also popular were a wide range of sweets, from toasted persimmon & peanut cakes to plum glazed mochi rice and 'eight treasure rice.
by far my favorite dish was a soup called yangrou paomo - a mutton, cilantro and rice noodle soup served in a bowlfull of diced, coal baked flat bread. on the side they served pickled cloves of garlic and a chile paste similar to sambal. the soup was satsfying, hot and most of all filling on a cold evening.
well, we are off to our next stop in chendgu, the capital of china's sichuan region and home to what most consider china's best food... flamethrower hot, chile ladden mutton hot pot and dry fried string beans, here we come! - david