Oh the Places You'll Go

In Vietnam, the biggest holiday is Tet, Lunar New Year. Technically, it is one day--New Year's Day--just like ours, but here, they celebrate for weeks. The week before Tet, Hanoi was teeming with people running errands, getting their affairs in order (you can't start the New Year with baggage from the previous year), and buying specialty items for the celebration. As the actual day approached, fewer people were at work, shops started closing, and the streets began to empty. We had been told that Hanoi shuts down for Tet, so my roommate and I decided to use our four days off of work and head to central Vietnam for some rest, relaxation, warmer weather, and much needed beach time. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't quite beach time appropriate, but the trip was still amazing.

We spent about two days in Da Nang and three days in Hoi An. We ate, drank, and played a lot of pool. Who knew the Vietnamese liked pool so much? I rented my first motorbike and took a day trip to explore the Cham ruins in My Son, just outside of Hoi An. I got to explore Da Nang, a popular R&R site for American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Da Nang also happens to be the place where my uncle was killed on February 3, 1969, and I had the amazing opportunity to be there on February 3, 42 years later. It was a surreal experience. Sitting in Da Nang on New Year's Eve, listening to the fireworks, it sounded like bombs going off. Although it was a celebration, I could close my eyes and imagine what it was like more than 40 years ago. It is amazing where life has taken me. I hope you enjoy some pictures from my trip.

Beach in Da Nang

Street side menu. You pick from the fresh seafood.

View of Da Nang from hotel rooftop bar on New Year's Eve.

Fireworks in Da Nang on New Year's Eve.

Street in Hoi An.

Lady boating on the river in Hoi An.

Cham ruins in My Son.

View of the river in Hoi An from our hotel rooftop.