Hue is the former capital of Vietnam, situated nearly in the center of the country. It is an easy city to get a hang of, split down the middle by the Perfume River, boarded by an appealing boardwalk. The weather is infamously bad, with the Truong Son Mountains seeming to bring in frequent drizzle, but it is a relatively pleasant town with inexpensive lodging, good restaurants, and lots of sightseeing opportunities.
Remnants of the war for sale on the boardwalk.
There isn’t a lot left of the ancient Cham ruins at My Son, but from the rubble it’s easy to imagine how impressive the site must have been.
We have been to the mountain temple at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, Thailand many times, always eager to take in the view of the city below and admire the magnificent temple. Although a tram exists, it just feels right to climb the 309 steps to the top, where you find such treasures as this gorgeous doorway.
The temple ruins of the Kingdom of Angkor. A dream destination for historians, photographers, and travelers alike. Shrouded in misty, humid jungles, much of the city still buried in the over-growth, the full scale of the size of the city is impossible to fully comprehend from the ground.
My breath fogs the air, mixing with the morning mist, as I climb out of the camper. The morning sun is peeking through the trees, causing flashes of light to reflect off the lake. Jim and the dogs are still asleep and I stand in wonder at the absolute silence surrounding me.
At moments like this I’m always struck by the beauty of the simple things in life, and astonished by our continuing ability to ignore it’s power. We spend our lives fighting a simple life of happiness as we strive for more, bigger, better. As I sit alone in the still of the morning, my mind wanders away from this scenic lake in Oregon to reminisce about some of my favorite memories, all of which had nothing to do with grand monuments or fancy lodging, and everything to do with meeting the locals, good food, and unexpected magic.
I was momentarily blinded as I entered the labyrinth of makeshift booths. The simple relief of stepping out of the blinding sun into the relative cool of the market stalls was temporary as I moved further into the crush of bodies surrounding the overloaded tables.
Under cover in SIem Reap
Everyone knows about all the “must sees” at any particular destination but, while we’ve explored these as well, travel for me is all about the more personal experiences, the human interaction, the unexpected moments, and the side streets you happen upon, like this peaceful path on the edges of Luang Prabang, Laos
Side streets of Laos
I am constantly fascinated by Buddha’s and love this photo of the back of a gold-clad Buddha and a visiting feline friend in Laos.
Among the exotic and tasty food stalls of the markets of Saigon, one of my favorite sights was of these colorful tea cups and saucers.
I started to step into the street, my foot hovering in the air as my knees shook with fright. Heat, humidity, and exhaust fumes engulfed me as the air literally shook around me from what appeared to be thousands of vehicles swirling on all sides of the round-about.
It had been three days since we had arrived in Saigon, officially now Ho Chi Minh City, and we were trapped halfway across an eight lane street. Motor scooters, taxis, auto rickshaws, human powered rickshaws, all vying for first place in the ever crazed race around the streets of the city.
