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Rob & Lorenza B 17th December 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Pleiku (Central Highlands - part 3) Parts 1, 2 & 3 are very interesting reading, the travel tips are great! Many thanks for such well written and welll composed blogs. The song is cute also. Take care.
17th December 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Kum Tom - From: Kon Tum (Central Highlands - part 2) I heard the name Kum Tom many times at my shcool age. VOA informed about the situation of Vietnam war, though I could not understand English well. I never expected to hear the name again at my age. Thank you for telling me about the present day of the city.
17th December 2009 Patrick	You travel a lot - From: Pleiku (Central Highlands - part 3) Dear Red River With only 12 days off work, you manage to make us see an awful lot of lands from Vietnam and elsewhere. Thank you and happy new year 2010 for you and all your family. Patrick
15th December 2009 nhanvt	thật tuyệt vời! - From: Chuông hat village (Nón làng Chuông) đây chính là những thứ tôi đang cần,một bài viết rất hay tỉ mỉ về làng chuông, về nón lá truyền thống của VN, đọc xong bài nay tôi thấy càng yêu thêm đất nước mình hơn! tự hào vì nền văn hóa của mình hơn! thanks!
14th December 2009 NikeNL1	I am - From: Kon Tum (Central Highlands - part 2) Jalous of you having seen al these amazing places.... :( I hope you enjoy all your adventures throughout your country. Love that you explore every piece of Vietnam :)
14th December 2009 deirdre	- From: Kon Tum (Central Highlands - part 2) I'm glad to hear that Kontum has recovered from the recent typhoon.
Rob & Lorenza B 11th December 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Buôn Mê Thuột (Central Highlands - part 1) Great photos again, it looks like a very interesting area. The waterfall looks particularly nice. The cost of the trip was very good value.
11th December 2009 Hong Nghi	Bac lieu is my Hometown - From: Bạc Liêu (Mekong Delta - part 3) I was born and brought up in Bac lieu. now I'm living in Ho Chi Minh city for my studying. sometimes my friends want to known my hometown is. When I say to them I feel happy but shy because of the " Cong tu Bac Lieu" 's way using money.
10th December 2009 Graciela	lovely - From: Buôn Mê Thuột (Central Highlands - part 1) Dear friend: you look lovely in the pictures. Interesting places. I do love Vietnam. Love, from Argentina.
10th December 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Buon Me Thuot - From: Buôn Mê Thuột (Central Highlands - part 1) Thanks for your adventurous trek, that is very interesting to me. I have never tried to ride on elephant in Bangkok and Siem Liap. Now, I fee like riding on it next month.
Rob & Lorenza B 2nd December 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Tản Đà spa resort Interesting comments about travels with older folks, Lorenza and I travelled in 2005 to Europe with one of my Uncles and it was interesting because even though he is more than 20 years older than me he was very energetic, he walked slowly but could walk all day - he inspired us a lot! Great blog and lovely photos again. Take care!
Kent D. Converse 30th November 2009 Governor	Enjoyed reading about Tản Đà spa resort and Khoang Xanh. - From: Tản Đà spa resort Also, it was great to learn a little about your parents and see photos of them. I am in HCMC now and will take a tour to Buôn Mê Thuột this Friday. Maybe I'll see you. Kent
30th November 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Tản Đà spa resort - From: Tản Đà spa resort Thanks for your blog with the photos. Your father and mother look happy with you. I admire you are very devoted to your parents.
30th November 2009 John Strathearn	this blog - From: Tản Đà spa resort Thanks for another very interesting blog. It is very nice to see your parents. It is a shame that the prices at this place are so high as to be out of reach of ordinary Vietnamese people.
26th November 2009 dev b basnet	nagarkot. is butteyful vew - From: Trekking in Kathmandu valley Thanks for bringing back some memories and logging the trip I was supposed to take there. This was the city I got a bad case of dysentery in, so the family did the excursions while I was glued to my hotel bed. I did make the flight around Everest though
Hanoi_girl 25th November 2009 theRedRiver	Ao Dai dress - From: Two villages in Thanh Oai commune Hi Kent! It was too cold for me to wear my Ao Dai that day. Also we had to walk a lot. Thanks for asking this. My friends often ask me why I don't wear Ao Dai when they don't see its photos in every blog.
Kent D. Converse 25th November 2009 Governor	I missed my chance - From: Two villages in Thanh Oai commune Dear Hanoi Girl, I also read the article in Vietnam Airlines magazine. I am sorry I missed my chance. Great Blog. I have only one question: Where was you Ao Dia. Kent
24th November 2009 John Strathearn	Two Villages - From: Two villages in Thanh Oai commune Thanks for this very interesting blog. I love these old Red River Delta villages which still engage in their traditional crafts. I will certainly try to visit these if I get the chance to return to Hanoi.
24th November 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	A bird cage in Vác village - From: Two villages in Thanh Oai commune How beautiful the cage is ! I should have got many for my ornament if I had been there.
Rob & Lorenza B 24th November 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Two villages in Thanh Oai commune Interesting entry again and good photos. Keep the interesting entries coming we learn so much through you blogs - thank you
20th November 2009 Kent D. Converse	Great Education - From: The lotus season in Hanoi Your blogs give me a great education I can't find anywhere else. I still say you are a great blog writer. Thanks for what you do. Thanks for being a friend.
15th November 2009 NikeNL1	grats - From: How do young Vietnamese travel? Grats on the 100th blog posts. Added this place to my "go to list" when i am in VietnaM. I cant thank you enough for discovering these places and sharing them and your experiences with the readers here.
10th November 2009 Val Hoang	:) - From: How do young Vietnamese travel? Congratulations on your 100th blogs. Great pleasure to read yours. Best
9th November 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Great Photos - From: How do young Vietnamese travel? Congratulations for your attainment of the 100th blog. And, I am very happy to meet Windysmile’s photos that warm my heart and strangely let me feel like being there．
liliram 9th November 2009 liliram	Such talent! - From: How do young Vietnamese travel? This Windy is such a talented young man! You have to convince him to start blogging in our site! Maybe you can translate for him? While I do enjoy reading your blogs too, it would be nice to hear from him and know what motivates him while traveling.
9th November 2009 Walkman	For Windysmile - From: How do young Vietnamese travel? As you know, he is famous of severe actions when he was Moderator of that forum and I know him when he was in office. He has an emotional soul, a big gun with good barels (Modern camera with lens), a strong hourse (good motobike such as yamaha serow date of 2005) and something like that. Therefore, don't worry about how beautiful his pictures, how far he can drive and how many destination he has visited :D. Thank for extremly deep emotion.
Hanoi_girl 9th November 2009 theRedRiver	Hanoi during Tet holiday - From: New Year's activities during Tết 2009 Hi there! The temperature in February in Hanoi is about 10-20oC, sometimes it's warmer. The coldest temperature was 7oC but it was two years ago. During Tet holiday, hotels and restaurants in Hanoi's Old Quarter still open. Museums and travel agents will be off work for 3-4 days. The great side is that you will feel the atmosphere before Tet and experience new year's eve with fireworks.
9th November 2009 Mimi	- From: New Year's activities during Tết 2009 Hi! What's the weather like during February in Hanoi? Will it be cold during this period? Will it be ok to go to Hanoi during the Tet - are the food shops, markets and place of interest open during this time? Thanks :)
Rob & Lorenza B 9th November 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: How do young Vietnamese travel? great photos ...
9th November 2009 John Strathearn	Windysmile's photos - From: How do young Vietnamese travel? These are some of the most beautiful photos I have seen. They are particularly interesting because they are taken in very remote areas that are not easily accessible to most tourists. I'm most grateful to Hanoi Girl for drawing attention to them. I have sometimes been tempted to buy a better camera myself, but I don't like lugging around big pieces of kit.
9th November 2009 Leah	- From: How do young Vietnamese travel? O my God, the photos are so picture perfect, just like post cards. The author is so cool.
7th November 2009 anonymous	- From: Sunday at Việt Phủ Thành Chương Hi there, thank you very much for your interesting blogs. I love and miss Hanoi (where I was born). When you have free time, can you take some photos of traffic lights in Hanoi and write a blog about that (compare the place with and without traffic lights. I am sure it would be very interesting. I noticed that the new system of traffic lights in Hanoi possesses the down counters, but not for pedestrians. Very strange, but more efficient, I think.
Kent D. Converse 4th November 2009 Governor	You are the best blogger - From: Sunday at Việt Phủ Thành Chương Dear Hanoi girl, You are the best blogger. You really have a feel for your country. I hope to see Việt Phủ Thành Chương myself soon. Thanks for the information. Kent
3rd November 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Thành Chương - From: Sunday at Việt Phủ Thành Chương He is really a Vietnamese contemporay artist, who founded Thành Chương's Viet Palace even on his own. The place lets people enjoy know the heritage of your country's culture, as you well displayed photos . This is, I think, a new type of museum, avoiding "too academic to understand". All right, Ha! I will add here to my visiting list.
30th October 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Ethnic groups - From: 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam My foggy picture of Vietnam is becoming clearer, thanking to your detailed description with the photos you effectively use.
30th October 2009 John Strathearn	ethnic groups - From: 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam A very interesting blog. I knew about some of these groups, but I did not realize that there are so many. I've been to the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi twice. It provides a fascinating insight into the living and working lives of the Vietnamese ethnic groups. It is a 'must' visit for anyone travelling to Hanoi.
Rob & Lorenza B 30th October 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam Thanks so much for such an interesting entry, the Museum of Ethnology is definitely on the list of places Lorenza and I must visit next tim ewe are near Hanoi.
Kent D. Converse 27th October 2009 Governor	Hanoi Girl - From: Vietnamese propaganda I enjoy your blogs so much. Kent
27th October 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Tranh cổ động - From: Vietnamese propaganda Thanks for your photos of colourful propaganda bills, which might be one of the best ways to keep same idea in common. Yes, this is a feature in Communist countries. I feel,in China,nothing but being constrained with it because of "written in Chinese Characters" with direct expessions to tell the truth.
22nd October 2009 amie	ao dai - From: Vietnamese traditional dress preety dress cute rox fantastic cool lovely fashion nice colours
22nd October 2009 anh tú	- From: My favorite food in Hanoi trang web rat bo ich.minh rat thich.
21st October 2009 Tsegii	em thich nhieu - From: Happy women's day 8 March! em thich nhieu...........
Hanoi_girl 21st October 2009 theRedRiver	Vietnam - From: The people I met when traveling Niek, I really hope that you will have a connection with Vietnam and especially with Vietnamese people. We'll wait and see your beautiful photos of Vietnam when you come and live here.
20th October 2009 NikeNL1	amazing - From: The people I met when traveling Amazing, simply amazing.... All this facinating stuff in vietnam to do and see, you think a lifetime is enough for me to photograph all of vietnam while im staying there...?
20th October 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	People you met - From: The people I met when traveling Thank you very much for sharing your unforgettable memories, that really warm the cockles of my heart.
Rob & Lorenza B 20th October 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	WONDERFUL ENTRY - From: The people I met when traveling This is such a touching blog, I really enjoyed reading it. I agree that the people are one of the most imprtant aspects of travel ... you have explained this so well. That photo of Kim Phuc is amazing and always chilling. Thanks for such a great entry yet again!
19th October 2009 jarren	vietnamese girls is so cute^_^ - From: Vietnamese traditional dress the picture my son sanctuary in central vietname, she is so cute& her dress i love it, cn i borrow it' just kidding,, the wedding dress is so cute i like the color cn i borrow in our united nation day b'cause i need it,,,,,,,,,,,,,
17th October 2009 Sandy Meyers	Trip to Vietnam - From: Vietnamese traditional dress Having just come back from my first trip to Vietnam I have to say I think your national dress Áo Dai is one of the most beautiful and elegant costumes I have every seen. I only wish now I had got one made for myself as I think they would be most comfortable to wear for any body shape although they do look very good on the slim Vietnamese women. I love your country and hope to get back one day soon as Thypoon Ketsanaprevented us from getting to Halong Bay and Hoi An Happy travelling Sandy
Kent D. Converse 15th October 2009 Governor	I remember you now - From: My favorite season of the year Read one of your blogs and you came back into my memory. Look forward to meeting you. Kent
13th October 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Festival - From: My favorite season of the year Festival is the most enjoyable event that gifts our memory for ever. Thanks for your blog for me to recall my homeland festivals at my childhood.
13th October 2009 Graciela	fabulous - From: My favorite season of the year Nice pictures, interesting description.
13th October 2009 John Strathearn	- From: My favorite season of the year Thanks for a very interesting blog. Vietnam has such a fascinating history.
11th October 2009 hang	i am very hungry - From: My favorite food in Hanoi the foods in the pictuers make me feel very hungry. i only want to eat them immediately. thank for your article, it makes me understand more about ha noi
7th October 2009 ldinh	Famous men - From: Bạc Liêu (Mekong Delta - part 3) I have heard of them growing up but didn't know that "cong tu bac lieu" was real. I thought it was just an expression for depicting a spoilt rich guy. Your blog helps me plan for my next trip to Vietnam. Thanks for the info's!!!!!
7th October 2009 ldinh	Beautiful - From: Mũi Cà Mau - the southernmost point of Vietnam Thanks for sharing the pictures and informations. I will definitely go to the southern part of vietnam on my next trip. Enjoy your blog as always!!
7th October 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Mũi Cà Mau - From: Mũi Cà Mau - the southernmost point of Vietnam Dear Ms Ha, It seems you enjoyed adventurous trips in September 2009. I admire how you are a superwoman. Anyway, thanks for your good depiction on Vietnam, Best Wishes from Kob.
7th October 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Bạc Liêu - From: Bạc Liêu (Mekong Delta - part 3) Dear Ms Ha, Thanks for your interesting stories for two famous men, from Kob.
2nd October 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Sóc Trăng - From: Sóc Trăng (Mekong Delta - part 2) Thanks for your further information on the city, that added to my knowledge store. Regards. Kob
Rob & Lorenza B 30th September 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Cần Thơ (Mekong Delta - part 1) Once again thanks for a very well written and informative blog. One of the Sydney newspapers ran a story last weekend about Cần Thơ and tours on the Mekong, but it was not as informative as your blog. Lorenza and I will probably visit Vietnam again in February 2010, so your blgs are very helpful. Take care!
30th September 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Cần Thơ city - From: Cần Thơ (Mekong Delta - part 1) Dear Ms. Ha, Thanks for your detailed story and beautiful photos of the city, where any Japanese tours do not cover. Regards Kob
Areep 30th September 2009 Kchix	- From: The Plain of Jars (Cánh đồng chum) This such amazing creature. Will definitely put this to my 2010 routes. Thank for such good info too. d;D
27th September 2009 longnguyen	- From: Learning foreign languages Agree with you that English is useless in China. I have been Xiamen, China for 5 days and felt worried so much. Even receptionist in 4* hotel they could not communicate with me well. I did not dare to jump to a bus and hard to find a street since all is in Chine characters. Only one thing could help is a small Chinese communication dictionary. It is a really interesting experience.
21st September 2009 Patrick	Thanks for sharing your feelings - From: The meaning of life Dear Red River, Thank you so much for sharing these deep emotions about your life. Travelling is one of the best way to see, touch and feel life flowing between our fingers and appreciate every second of it wherever we are, whatever we do, whoever we are and will be. Patrick
21st September 2009 mataho in bangkok	Happy Travels - From: The meaning of life Hello again, thank you for another enlightening entry. I always enjoy it when you add to your blog. Have a good trip...m
21st September 2009 Graciela	so special - From: The meaning of life You are so special and I see myself reflected on your lines when you show your emotions. I would love to meet your grandmother. I will be there next November, I still don´t know excatly when. I have my visa for Vietnam. Lots of love and a huge hug from Argentina. Graciela.
21st September 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Meaning of life - From: The meaning of life Hello, Hong Ha ! Thank you for sharing your thought on traveling and life. Regards, Kob.
16th September 2009 van	My favorite ao dai - From: Vietnamese traditional dress September 15th 2009 Van Nguyen Hi, I really love your pics on the site.Ao dai is the most beautiful dress for the Vietnamese's girls and women.When you wear aodai on, you have your own personality.It is not only secretly attractive but also very sexy .And the views are the most beautiful as well.I wish i could see some pics of ao dai from 55 to 60 year old ladies.Thank
13th September 2009 Beth Siders	Lovely - From: Vietnamese traditional dress Hi, I am an American who lived in the Philippines for eight years with my family. I collect Barbie dolls of the world and when I can't find a national custume represented then I sew one. I was looking for images of vietnam and came across your site. Lovely pictures- and your dresses are beautiful. I am going to try to sew two without patterns so wish me luck! Thank You
9th September 2009 Imelle	Going Solo! - From: The loneliness of traveling alone Hey.. I came to your page cause when Im browsing about Vietnam. Yes, Im going to your country next month... Actually not just to your country, to your city Hanoi as well. Well, dont worry keep travelling. I love travelling as well.. and yes you so right when you said that sometimes its not easy to find someone who will agree to travel with you especially if its far! Its not always easy to match your schedule with other people.. plus money matters. Everyone has their own things to do and commitment to stick with. Anyway, cause of those reasons i sometimes travel alone too. I know being an asian (im asian too) its still rare to see girl travelling alone. My last solo trip was last year, went around some countries in Europe...ALONE! Things you can enjoy by going solo is that you free to chose itinerary as you like... freedom to stay in one place as long as you want.. in what kind of hotel, etc etc.. trust me, you cant get this luxury by traveling in group. I tried to organize travel with some of my coworkers to Vietnam. It supposed to be 8 of us... and ohhh boyyyy! Seriously.. it mucccchhh easier organizing your own trip! So what i can say.... either going solo or with companion, there still thing you can enjoy from both trip. So, as long as you enjoy.. Go for it!
Hanoi_girl 9th September 2009 theRedRiver	Reply to Long Thai - From: Bắc Hà Sunday market What would be the best time to visit North West Vietnam ? - April, May, September and October in my opinion. In other months it may be foggy, cold or rain resulting in the landslides. How about the H'Mong Hoa people in Bắc Hà ? - Some can speak a little Vietnamese. When I asked them "Is this thang co food?" and they understood my question. I heard that Dong Van Sunday market in Ha Giang province is more interesting than Bac Ha Sunday market. However, it's difficult to find a room in Dong Van on Saturday night and you have to travel far away to get to this town. The normal route to the northernmost province is Ha Giang - Meo Vac - Dong Van - Lung Cu. I also want to do this route someday in the future.
Kate Henschel 9th September 2009 Kate in Africa	- From: Trekking in Kathmandu valley I lived in the Kathmandu Valley last summer and walked all over the place. Your blog brings back many happy memories for me. Thanks!
Rob & Lorenza B 8th September 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Bắc Hà Sunday market Thanks so much for sharing this entry with us, as always a well written entry with great photos!
8th September 2009 longthai	Bắc Hà experience - From: Bắc Hà Sunday market Thanks for sharing your experience in Bắc Hà. We have not been there yet but we will visit it next time. We have been in Sapa in Jul/2009 and the scenery is so beautiful there with its rice terrace fields and the ethnic people mainly black H'Mong and Red Dao. What would be the best time to visit North West Vietnam ? In July, it was pouring and we can hardly see anything. Luckily, it was sunny the last day so we can visit Cat Cat village and Ham Rong. I also observed that the black H'Mong people does not speak Vietnamese language people at all compared to the Red Dao people where they can understand and even reply back to you in Vietnamese. How about the H'Mong Hoa people in Bắc Hà ?
8th September 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	H'mong minority - From: Bắc Hà Sunday market Thanks for your report and photos. Bản Phố village looks like somewhere in Japanese rural area. I wonder how they think about the other side of H'mong people in China each other.
8th September 2009 John Strathearn	BAC HA - From: Bắc Hà Sunday market Thanks for the helpful advice about rail travel from Hanoi. Great photos of H'mong people and the market.
7th September 2009 Harlz	cool - From: Japan Sakura Festival 2009 sounds pretty cool.
Hanoi_girl 3rd September 2009 theRedRiver	The old houses - From: The old houses in Đường Lâm commune Different generations of Vietnamese people still live at the old houses. It's very easy to demolish them and build up the modern ones, but they are still preserving the old houses as well as traditional customs.
1st September 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	First village in Vietnam - From: The old houses in Đường Lâm commune It's impressive your photos show Chinese letters at some houses Vietnam people used before. I wonder the old villagers keep the use for daily life instead of the present romanized Vietnamese. Wishing a happy future to the couples of newly weds !
1st September 2009 John Strathearn	Duong Lam - From: The old houses in Đường Lâm commune Very interesting blog and great photos. The architecture reminds me of the old part of the 'furniture village' I visited in 2008, not far from Hanoi. I have read that it is possible to devote a whole holiday to exploring the many villages in the Red River delta. In the UK old houses of this type are very expensive and mainly occupied now by retired people. The result is the loss of the traditional village community as schools close owing to young couple being unable to afford to live there.
1st September 2009 fritz bernhard	So many interesting places in Vietnam - From: The old houses in Đường Lâm commune Thank you for your very interesting blogs. I will soon explore some of the places mentioned by you.
liliram 1st September 2009 liliram	Very nice, indeed! - From: The old houses in Đường Lâm commune This is one of those off the beaten paths that I would venture to take if I were in the area of Hanoi. Thanks for sharing this.
Kris and Kate 28th August 2009 Rat on the Road	Learning Vietnamese - From: Learning foreign languages After living in Vietnam for 9 months and having long lessons in pronunciation and learning how to read, we still got in a taxi today and failed to make the taxi driver understand our pronunciation of our address!
27th August 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Foreign Languages - From: Learning foreign languages Thanks for your very interesting story that you have studied several languages. Younger generation here better strive to learn communicative languages specially English, free from the conventional way of "too much focusing on grammar". Regarding Japanese education for foreigners, surprisingly, the official text books ,putting emphasis on respectful, modest and polite way of expression and the related words, are very complicated enough to discourage the learners against carrying out. If I were a mater of the usage, I may have lost a lot of friends and co-workers even bosses. "Friendly expression" is much more important, I think.
26th August 2009 Chas	Foreign Languages - From: Learning foreign languages Again you write a very interesting article and I have enjoyed reading all you have written. Learning Vietnamese is really hard and I gave up, sorry. Keep up the good work. Cheers from Charles
Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness ~ 26th August 2009 TinNiE	cool tips :) - From: Learning foreign languages and now i'm so discouraged to go to China ... lols!
Hanoi_girl 26th August 2009 theRedRiver	English - From: Learning foreign languages You will be alright with speaking English in Vietnam. I have found that there are more people in Vietnam who can speak English than in China, Japan and Thailand. Chinese is not popular here, so your basic Chinese mandarin may not be usable. You can learn basic Vietnamese very fast when you meet and talk with the locals everyday. I believe everyone will love to help you.
26th August 2009 NikeNL1	Love the read - From: Learning foreign languages Love the read, can hardly wait to go to Hanoi myself (for my internship) 6months :) . But your post frightened me, do you think i will manage in vietnam with English and Basic chineze mandrin or am i....scr?*wed? Anywho keep the posts coming love them!
26th August 2009 Leah	- From: Learning foreign languages When I travelled in Phnom Penh, my friend ordered a pot of chinese tea but the waiter broght him a glass of chinese tea. At the end he drew picture of a teapot to show the waiter. Since then, we went to the same restaurant for dinner every night & the waiter remembered to bring chinese tea in teapot for us.
26th August 2009 Matt	Thank you - From: Learning foreign languages I always enjoy your blog entries!
20th August 2009 sj girl	Travelling with a companion - From: The loneliness of traveling alone I just returned from my trip to Ho Chi Minh city with a friend. She was my room mate when we travelled to Beijing in 1995. Since then, she has been asking if we could travel together should I go somewhere. Somehow, it did not materialise because I could not get away everytime she asked me. My niece invited me to her wedding on August 15 in HCMC. I asked this friend if she wants to come along, although I warned her she has to be on her own during the weekend when I will be at the wedding. She said she can handle that and off we went. Things did not work out well. Firstly, it was more than 10 years since we last travelled together. Now, this friend is in her seventies. She did not tell me she had problems walking down the stairs, and walking long distances generally. On our arrival on the 1st day she complained about having to walk too much after we visited Ben Thanh market, which was 5 minutes from our hotel. The next day posed no problem since we joined a tour with Sinh Cafe. On day 3 we joined the HCMC tour with Sihn Cafe again. This trip proved to be a memorable one for me. In the morning we had the pleasure of having a very experienced and professional guide who took us to Chinatown and its famous sights. In the afternoon, he was replaced by another guide who happened to be our guide the previous afternoon. From our experience we knew it was not going to be good. This guy is not a guide at all. He often goes off on his own without taking care of the group. He cannot speak well and gave information by repeating them by heart. It was really dull listening to him. Even his joke fell flat and nobody laughed. Halfway through the tour at the Reunification Palace, some of the ladies saw the toilet and decided to have a break. My friend told the guide we were going to the loo. We were the last two in the group to come out. I came out earlier and quickly looked for them. I could see my group in the distance but could not follow them immediately as my companion was still inside. As soon as she came out I told her to hurry and I went after them. After a short chase I lost them when they went down the stairs. I was not sure which floor my group went to. My companion, on the other hand, insisted that they have gone downstairs because the staff were closing up. We rushed outside downstairs. After waiting for about 15 minutes my friend decided that she was wrong and suggested that I go up and join the group (which was impossible by then!) Then she started saying that after all, the things inside were not very interesting, we could see them at home, etc. It was most frustrating for me. I almost burst into tears. We waited for about half an hour and finally saw our group emerging from the building to catch our bus. As we were walking towards the guide he questioned where we had gone. I told him he should checked if everyone was present before taking the group elsewhere. He retorted that there were so many of us, how can he keep track of us... I then went to my seat on the bus. When he went up the bus, he told everybody that we should follow him closely etc. Nobody responded to him. Out of the 4 places we visited that afternoon, we were left on our own to wander around for some time on 3 occasions. Most of the time little or nothing was said about the tourist sights. We decided to cancel our plan to join the Cu Chi tunnel tour for the next day. For myself, I will not go back to Sinh Cafe for any more tours. Most of their guides are untrained and unprofessional. As for my travelling companion, she was contstantly complaining about things. During the weekend she was not feeling well and became even more difficult. I was running around looking for bread rolls, Milo, medication, etc because she did not feel like eating this and that. She even implied that I took her to places where mostly beef was served (which was not true). Still, I tried my best to please her by taking her to Quan an ngon for dinner on Sunday evening. Bargaining at Ben Thanh market was also a problem. She was also very picky and she spent quite a bit of time looking for things which she wanted to buy. The breakfast at the hotel is always not good enough etc. The She cannot understand what the guide is saying. When I tried translating to her, she would not listen. She complained that the food she ordered is not what she expected. I can only tell her what is written on the menu. Since I have never taken most of the food in my life before I cannot give a very good description. On top of that most of the time the waitress/waiter could not speak English. So one can imagine the situation. Travelling alone is much much better. I did that when I visited South Africa. It was so much more enjoyable. I will not allow anyone to join me on my future tours. There is no freedom to do what I want at my own leisure. It was really tiredsome having to make adjustments all the time so I would not offend a friend. I will visit Vietnam again and bring my Ao Dai like Hanoi girl. Have not bought the conical hat yet. But will do so during my next visit. Definitely want to visit Hanoi, Hue, etc and all the other places.
Raymond 17th August 2009 NomadAdrift	fantatsic... as always. - From: The loneliness of traveling alone better to travel alone than not at all, i say.
16th August 2009 Rick Olivar	- From: Vietnamese traditional dress Your Áo Dài photos are very beautiful as is Vietnam.
15th August 2009 Pat	- From: The loneliness of traveling alone Dear RedRiver, I have to say that traveling alone as some advantages like being free of choosing the destinations, local trips, and lots of practicalities. However, I found that sharing with a companion the feelings of the discoveries or whatever adventures we have is much more enriching. Pat
Agne Serpytyte 13th August 2009 Darameja	- From: The loneliness of traveling alone I often travel alone too. And I traveled in Vietnam alone too :) And I often hear same opinions from people that its boring and that some would never be brave enough to do it. I do not mind traveling with people, but traveling alone is such a unique experience. And I like the feeling of accomplishment that comes after trip is over. I had some more or less scary situations in my travels too, but it always turned out to be alright. I think you should look up couchsurfing.com, which is a great community for travelers. I use it all the time I travel and never had bad experiences. Good luck in your travels.
13th August 2009 Jerry Nelson	Great blog - From: The loneliness of traveling alone I enjoyged reading your blog. Sounds fascinating...I too travel alone here in the USA. You can see some of my photos at my online gallery, www.journeyamerica.org
12th August 2009 Leah	- From: The loneliness of traveling alone Hi Hong Ha, I certainly can relate to your topic. I travel alone at times but I enjoyed travel with my buddies. However I had bad experience travelled with the wrong kind of people giving comment like: 'Why visit a bunch of stones (when we went to Angkor Wat & Sokhothai)?'. You take good photos with your old faithful brand of Ricoh though. Alarm clock & hair drier are some of the 'must have' when travel. I bring along a travel kettle & some coffee. Just like to enjoy a hot cup of coffee at the end of the day in my room while reading travel material for the next day. 2 times I burnt the fuse of the place I stayed. I usually stay at youth hostel as hotel gives me a creepy feeling staying alone.
Ali Watters 12th August 2009 Ali	Go alone or stay home? - From: The loneliness of traveling alone Easy choice for me too :) - though travelling with someone of a like mind and easy going nature has enhanced the experience on the occasions it's happened. Again - lovely thoughtful blog.
11th August 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	loneliness - From: The loneliness of traveling alone "I cannot sit and wait all my lifetime until someone agrees to go with me." is a good expression. My recent trips with someone who agreed to go with me are well arranged in safety without waisting any minute. It's , however, much more boring instead. Thanks for your photos of attractive Ao-Dai. Kob
11th August 2009 Dawn Smallwood	Your blogs - From: The loneliness of traveling alone Hi, I can share those feelings. I'm enjoying your travel blogs and I like how positive they are! Look forward to your next installment. Happy travels! Dawn
11th August 2009 gia	So true! - From: The loneliness of traveling alone I really enjoyed reading your love of travel and how it diifers from your siblings. I also do not invest in material things but rather save to travel to a destination. My husband jokes it would be easier if I was in love with jewerly as he could finance that easier than my traveling. I have 2 kids and I still travel and bring them along because I want them to see the world and its diffrent beauty and cultures. Safe travels to you!
11th August 2009 Chris	Solo Travel - From: The loneliness of traveling alone Hello Hanoi girl, I really enjoy reading all of your blogs entries. I like to travel also either alone or with friends. In a few weeks I will be taking a big adventure by myself in traveling to Vietnam. This will be my first time out of my country (USA) and I am really excited. Your blogs have inspired me and also provide some good traveling tips and ideas! I look forward to reading more from you. -Chris
11th August 2009 Chas	Travel - From: The loneliness of traveling alone Enjoyed reading your travel blogg again. I've read all of them and look forward to all you new ones. I agree with you on traveling alone can be lonely; but rewarding. I just returned from 5 weeks in your country, staying this year in Hue, Central Highlands and HCMC. I try to visit Vietnam every summer to tour and visit family. Wishing you the best. cheers from Chas
11th August 2009 Graciela	Very special - From: The loneliness of traveling alone Yes, you are very special. I agree with you 100% because I feel exactly the same way about traveling solo. Sometimes it´s hard, some others it is wonderful, but most of the time it´s like FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!! I hope to see you in November. Love, Graciela.
11th August 2009 chris	Awesome work done - From: The loneliness of traveling alone Hi this is the first time i have seen ur blog but i liked it very much.its awesome keep going. travel insurance
11th August 2009 Atur Kiri Ingti	Beautiful - From: The loneliness of traveling alone Hello Hong Ha, It is a pleasure to read your travel blog again as I always do. Being able to travel for the sake of traveling itself is very rare. And you being able to do that is really nice. I always like the stories and the lively and vivid experiences that you write about in your blog. It makes them very different from other travel writings. In fact, thanks to you I got to know lots of things about these places. Indeed, there are always dangers we face as travelers, but that doesn't mean we must stop traveling. I would always wish for you to travel to many more places (safely) so that I get to read more about them in your blog. All the best. ~ Atur
9th August 2009 Long Thai (Canada)	Phở Sướng - From: "Phở" noodle soup - a feature of Hanoi Interesting ! Where can we get information that pho first appeared in 1920 ? In your opinion what would be the best restaurant serving pho in Ha noi ? I went to a place called Phở Sướng near Hang Be in Ha noi and it was quite tasty. In Saigon, we went to a place called Pho 24 near Ben Thanh market and it is a clean place to eat pho there. Never heard of Phở thịt vịt (duck meat), Phở thịt lợn (pork), Phở chua, Phở cuốn etc.
5th August 2009 Walter	El nino - From: Summer 2009 in Hanoi Thank you for your blog and the nice photos. The increase in temperture might have something to do with the expected coming of "el nino" (south pacific weather anomalia between South america and south east asia). Scientist are still not 100% sure but they say that it is very likely to be happen around the end of this year. If this happens the weather around the globe can be different. I wonder if also in other places the weather is much different compared to those of the last years. kind regard walter
4th August 2009 Hideyuki Kobayashi	Construction site - From: A day at work Dear Hong Ha I'm glad to know you are enjoying both working and travelling. And, you are so beautiful in various Ao Dai blended-in with historic sights. Best Wishes Kob
Hanoi_girl 4th August 2009 theRedRiver	Vote for Ha Long bay - From: Summer 2009 in Hanoi Thanks. You can vote for Ha Long bay at website http://www.new7wonders.com
Rob & Lorenza B 4th August 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Summer 2009 in Hanoi Your nephew is very cute! Our friends in Hanoi also told us it had been very hot. How does one vote for Halong Bay?
4th August 2009 John Strathearn	travelling in Hanoi - From: Summer 2009 in Hanoi I really enjoyed this blog as it brought back so many happy memories of my time in Hanoi. I think it makes the point that good 'travel writing' does not have to involve travelling a long distance - one can be a traveller even in one's own city.
18th July 2009 Charles	Hanoi Old Quarter - From: Western backpackers in whose eyes I dont know if I should consider myself as a backpacker, although I travel on budget, stay at reasonably priced budget hostels and travel with a suitcase :) I cant bear to carry a backpack anymore. I prefer to drag my luggage. By looking at these pictures, they brought me back to my stay in Hanoi. I missed the Old Quarter especially and the food :) Thanks
14th July 2009 ldinh	backerpackers - From: Western backpackers in whose eyes I think that backpacking is the ideal way to travel because it will bring you closer to the natives to learn about their cultures. Regardless of how much money backpackers have, they will still contribute to local economies due to the mass of backpackers traveling in the country every year. Peace!!!!
14th July 2009 anonymous	- From: Western backpackers in whose eyes This is a very interesting article. I love it!
Hanoi_girl 14th July 2009 theRedRiver	Reply to Alex's comment - From: Western backpackers in whose eyes This is just one of a series of articles about Western backpackers on the large page and I cannot translate all of them. In another article, the author talked with some of the backpackers and they shared about their lives. Like anyone, they also have to work hard to earn for living and save for travelling in many countries. I agree with you that at least they are still lucky they can travel, while others can't.
13th July 2009 Alex	Don't Agree - From: Western backpackers in whose eyes What i find troubling about this article is that according to the writer, hospitality is based on a person's wealth. Granted these people are quite poor but backpackers, while not individually rich, have a lot of money collectively. And i'm sure that the Vietnamese economy couldn't go without.
13th July 2009 Marcus	Backpackers are still the same - From: Western backpackers in whose eyes When I started traveling in the 80s backpackers already ruined their reputation in Greece and Turkey, by misusing the hospitality of the people there and just eating themselfs cheaply through the local kitchens. Sorry to read that this now als happens in South-East Asia. Hope it does not reflect on other travelers also. Specially in developing economies I found that people have not too much understanding, why comparatively rich Westerners can be so filthy and take it as expression of disrespect. Greetings, Marcus
13th July 2009 John Strathearn	Western backpackers - From: Western backpackers in whose eyes I think this raises some interesting questions. Speaking as an older person, I would first mention that there is now a second category of 'Western Backpacker': the 'grey-haired Western Backpacker!'. Now these backpackers share some of the features of the ones described in this contribution (large backpack) but probably not smelly washing?! However, one key difference is probably that despite their appearance, they probably have nice bank balances and secure pensions, so the question arises as to whether we older ones are actually 'wolves in sheep's clothing'. I love travelling, but most of it has been done in connection with business. A friend recently told me about another retired man who regularly goes backpacking alone in SE Asia. I must admit the idea has occurred to me, but in some ways I feel that to travel encumbered with a huge backpack is a bit like caravanning, which has never appealed to me because in effect you are carrying your 'kitchen sink' around with you. I prefer to be as anonymous as possible when travelling (admittedly rather difficult for a white haired tall Westerner in SE Asia!). I am beginning to think that ideally I would like to travel as lightly as possible and not to have a mobile phone or camera with me. I have read accounts by distinguished travel writiers who prefer to do it that way. I also feel that we older travellers should contribute to local economies by paying our way in normal hotels etc rather than trying to 'do it on the cheap'.
11th July 2009 Ashley	beautiful photographs - From: Vietnamese traditional dress Hi, Just had to comment on the lovely pictures you have taken on your travels. My wife and i have been to the places you have visited, so your pictures brought back many happy memories.happy travels. Adshley & Lynn
10th July 2009 Marcus Schuetz	Very interesting ... - From: Where the French war ended ... entry. Hope you are fine and enjoyed your birthday trip. Greetings, Marcus
2nd July 2009 larry dinh	Happy Birthday!!! - From: Where the French war ended Better late than never. Happy Birthday! I have heard of the battle in Dien Bien Phu but never pictured what the place looks like until I read your entry. Thank you for sharing! Where is your next destination?
1st July 2009 Kob	The French War Ended - From: Where the French war ended Dear Hong Ha Thanks for all of your phtos, with which I visually noticed how Vietnamese fighted with French army. I wonder why Majority of Vietmamese martyrs at the cementery are anoymous, or whether those martyrs are unidetified civilians. It's much regrettable that the war expanded to the proxy war between capitalist countries and communist countries in the field of Vietnam, and ended up when N.Vietnam entered Saigon in April 30 1975, leaving behind the great number of irreparable victim. Regards Kob
30th June 2009 Batatawada	HAPPY Birthday....sorry a bit late.... - From: Where the French war ended HAPPY Birthday....sorry a bit late....
17th June 2009 larry dinh	beautiful pictures - From: Festival in Sài Đồng village Thanks for sharing your experiences. I was in vietnam (Ha Noi, Hue, HCMC) in april 2009 and wish that I'd read your blog before my trip. Ha Noi is a beautiful city with lots of history and I will visit it again someday. Where did you learn your englsih? Your english is perfect, far better than mine although I have been living in America for 30 years. Love your blog!!
17th May 2009 Rachel	cooking classes - From: My favorite food in Hanoi Hi, Thanks your comments; i love all this talk about Asian foods. My Mum and i have just decided to organise a trip to Vietnam. I have been there before but its been 6 years and this trip is going to be a bit different. I am interested in any cooking courses you may recommend; i was hoping for a one course that might include a trip out of the city Hanoi to farms or market. thanks for your help.. Cheers
16th May 2009 axw11	Awesome.... - From: Bhaktapur - the City of Devotees Now this is an awesome travelogue & an impressive list of countries/cities......I have so many places to see/visit in my lifetime.....
Rob & Lorenza B 13th May 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Trekking in Kathmandu valley great blog - very entertaining photos !!! Keep having fun and stay well and happy!
Get A Trip 11th May 2009 Get A Trip	Memories - From: Trekking in Kathmandu valley Thanks for bringing back some memories and logging the trip I was supposed to take there. This was the city I got a bad case of dysentery in, so the family did the excursions while I was glued to my hotel bed. I did make the flight around Everest though!
11th May 2009 chinaguy	- From: Trekking in Kathmandu valley i think you are a great trekker
8th May 2009 chinaguy	- From: Kathmandu waiting for your writing
Hanoi_girl 8th May 2009 theRedRiver	- From: Kathmandu I stayed in Thamel which is crowded and noisy. I suggest you to find a guest house in Jathaya. I walked from Thamel to this area and saw some quiet guest houses there. You can expect US$8 per night for a single room. A double room costs US$12.
7th May 2009 leowlf	Nice! - From: Kathmandu Nice photo! May i know the name the hostel that you stayed and how much you paid for it?
6th May 2009 Leah	- From: Kathmandu Hi! Finally the Nepal trip photos came in. The people, buildings are so exotic. Thank you.
Rob & Lorenza B 6th May 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Kathmandu Sorry - forgot to mention we have a Nepalese friend in Sydney I will have to make sure she looks at this she will love it.
Rob & Lorenza B 6th May 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Kathmandu Really interesting blog thank you and great photos.
26th April 2009 JP	Restaurants in Hanoi names Please! - From: My favorite food in Hanoi Fabulous Blog! Vietnamese food is the BEST in the world! I would love to hear of some names and addresses (Or therabouts) of some of the places you have used for these photos. I will eat everywhere from cheap and authentic to a bit posh and exxy if it is excellent authentic Vietnamese. Going for 5 days and don't want to waste 1 meal! Thx, from Vietnamese food freak Aussie
19th April 2009 Oanh	thank you - From: Chuông hat village (Nón làng Chuông) Thank you for your interesting information about Chuong hat village and very beautiful pictures :-)
14th April 2009 Leah	- From: Japan Sakura Festival 2009 Very colourful & joyous cultural event to add atmosphere to spring. Cant wait for yr posting & photos from Nepal & save travelling.
Rob & Lorenza B 14th April 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Japan Sakura Festival 2009 Looked like a very exciting event - good luck with your travel to Nepal.
8th April 2009 Leah	- From: Tràng An nature reserve Trang An Nature Reserve looks very cool & green & has potential to attract tourists & nature lovers. This place reminds me of Chao Mai National Park in the district of Trang in southern Thailand which I visited some years ago. We took a row boat & the guide rowed us inside grottoes. At some grottoes where the ceilings ware so low & we had to lie flat on our back to sail through. At times we had to lend a hand or leg to push our boat to position.
Rob & Lorenza B 7th April 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Tràng An nature reserve another amazing place not so far from Hanoi. Interesting that not so many western tourists go there as it looks spectacular.
3rd April 2009 not in ks anymo Toto	- From: Do you appreciate the chance to travel? Thank you for your lovely pictures and insightful comments. I agree with being gratefull. For travel, health, love, family & all the good things in life. Where ever you go, things are "different" than at home. That's the point, isin't it? I get the most out of travel when I research beforehand and talk to people and then remain flexable. Happy trails to you!
Agne Serpytyte 3rd April 2009 Darameja	- From: Do you appreciate the chance to travel? I have been in Vietnam last summer and yea it was quite a difficult place, especially after Thailand and Cambodia. But all in all, it was great experience. Even not so good events taught me a lot and I remember Vietnam with nostalgia and would like to go there again, not in that hurry as first time. And I just loved Sapa.
Lara and Al 2nd April 2009 laandal	- From: Do you appreciate the chance to travel? Your entry is extremely apt. I think as travellers it is important to remember how lucky we are and that our experiences aren't available to 99% of the worlds population. We should embrace different cultures and definitely focus on the positive. Getting out of your comfort zone is hard for some people but an important and exciting part of travel. Thanks!
2nd April 2009 Charles	Totally agree - From: Do you appreciate the chance to travel? I have traveled all over the world and I find if you treat people with respect they will mostly do the same back. It is ashame that some people always look on the dark side and have nothing nice to tell. Thanks again for your great blog. Cheers from Charles
2nd April 2009 charles	Beautiful Wall - From: Mosaic wall along the Red River Thanks for the update on the wall, it is beautiful. Keep up the good work, I have read everyone of your bloggs :-) Cheers from Charles
1st April 2009 Graciela	excellent - From: Do you appreciate the chance to travel? The pictures are lovely. The text is very interesting. I am going to Vietnam next October for the first time. I´d love to meet you. Graciela.
Edward Adrian-Vallance 1st April 2009 EdVallance	- From: Do you appreciate the chance to travel? everything you say is spot on correct. Travel should be about going to places that interest you, not just ticking off places on a list. Unfortunately the majority of travelers I meet don't view it like this. They go somewhere they know little about just because they think they ought to go and as a result tend not to concentrate on the really interesting things about the place.
1st April 2009 Johanna	I couldn't agree more... - From: Do you appreciate the chance to travel? As an optimist, I also tend to look at the bright side of things ... focusing on the silver lining of every dark cloud. Our joy and misery depends on our disposition and not on our circumtances. However, having said that, sometimes just being around with negative people (or getting into the psyche of a negative person) can dampen your spirit. I have crossed paths with travelers who are cynic and send off negative vibes ... it's not a good feeling. As a tourist, I have so much appreciation having the chance to visit and witness how beautiful our world truly is. Life really is to short to waste it on dwelling on negative things bringing your spirit down.
1st April 2009 matt	The song of travel... - From: Do you appreciate the chance to travel? Travel is an intensely personal experience that both teaches and confounds. Your observations represent you and your love of life, and your interest in the world around you. Another may have a different reflection for whatever reasons, entirely their own. The internet has broadened our access to other peoples' experiences if they wish to share them through prose and pictures. The nature of this particular medium is to present both the good and the bad. Thank you for sharing your world with all of us. It's been wonderful to follow. I, for one, have truly enjoyed my experiences traveling in Viet Nam -- both the good and the bad. M
Rob & Lorenza B 1st April 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	Take your chance to travel and enjoy it anywhere you can go! - From: Do you appreciate the chance to travel? We agree with your statement 110%! Also - every place has positive and negative, every place is different, there are rip off merchants in our home town and in places we have visited, but for every negative thing that has happened to us while traveling 50 positive things have happened that made us forget the negative in seconds!
Hanoi_girl 31st March 2009 theRedRiver	October 2010 - From: Mosaic wall along the Red River The 6,000m mosaic wall along the Red River will be completed in October 2010 when we celebrate the Millennium Year of Hanoi.
Rob & Lorenza B 30th March 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Mosaic wall along the Red River what an amazing project - will have to make sure we take a look next time we visit
30th March 2009 anonymous	- From: Mosaic wall along the Red River Wow, it looks so nice. I can't wait to see the wall. Do you know when the work (total 6 km) is completed? Thanks a lot.
30th March 2009 Pinkrose81	This is so intersting airticle! - From: Mosaic wall along the Red River I've been linking your one! Would you link to this site? I'm looking forward to sharing the pleasures with you! http://travel-reservation-happy.blogspot.com/
19th March 2009 Autumn River	You have a beautiful collection of Ao Dai - From: Vietnamese traditional dress You really have nice collection of Ao Dai. I love the accessoires you've used with them, pe the red one with a paper fan in HaLong bay. The violet one at Heaven Gate in Sapa has wonderful colour. One of my favorites is the white one at the Lotus Lake: it is just so pure. Hope to see your new blog soon.
17th March 2009 Arihant Kothari	Travel Accessories - From: Weekend at Khoang Xanh & Thác Đa Wonder what fashion accessories can be taken here to enjoy the trip?
17th March 2009 Charles	Beautiful Pictures - From: Weekend at Khoang Xanh & Thác Đa So enjoy all your blogs and your pictures. Thank you so much. I am always looking forward to your next entry. You look so beautiful in your Ao Dai. cheers from Charles
Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness ~ 16th March 2009 TinNiE	- From: Vietnamese traditional dress Áo Dài is lovely! :)
12th March 2009 brooke thom	happy holidays!! - From: 2009 - the Year of the Buffalo enjoy your holidays!! have a blast!!! thanks, brooke thom car alarm
Rob & Lorenza B 10th March 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Festival in Sài Đồng village Following your blog is like a weekly travel/cultural lesson - we like it so much, thank you for the effort of publishing them!
Rob & Lorenza B 5th March 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Phù Lãng ceramic village "where I did learn Vietnamese" now that is funny!
Rob & Lorenza B 3rd March 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Chùa Hương (the Perfume Pagoda) Amazing place - we found it incredible when we visited and well worth the time to take a look
Rob & Lorenza B 1st March 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Vietnamese traditional dress The Áo Dài is so simple yet so elegant - absolutely gorgeous! Regards Lorenza
24th February 2009 Nguoi Hanoi	- From: Đông Hồ woodblock paintings Thank Hanoi Girl for your beautifully written blogs, which always make me homesick.
24th February 2009 Patrick	Great works - From: Đông Hồ woodblock paintings Thanks Hanoi Girl to share these priceless pieces of tradition from your country. It is always a pleasure to visit your blog, and the treasures from the East.
23rd February 2009 Alessandra	Hai - From: Hanoi Flower Festival 2009 I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often. Alessandra http://www.craigslistpostingonline.info
Rob & Lorenza B 18th February 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: New Year's activities during Tết 2009 Thanks for the museum info, we missed visiting that museum last time in Hanoi so it is on our list of things to see next time.
Rob & Lorenza B 18th February 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: The festive season (Mùa lễ hội) Lorenza & I really enjoy your blogs, they give a great insight into the culture of your country, plus some wonderful photos. We visited the Perfume Pagoda while in Vietnam and it was very crowded, but an amazing place to visit (the walk up the mountain after the boat ride was a challenge). Keep up the wonderful writing.
17th February 2009 Abe	My My - From: Mũi Né beaches and sand dunes My My, Vietnam is such a pretty place, and you are also very beautiful, The Vietnamese people have endured so much yet they are such wonderful people, much thanks. And I hope you find a good man someday Abe
Hanoi_girl 16th February 2009 theRedRiver	Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi - From: New Year's activities during Tết 2009 The museum is located 10km away from Hanoi's center. You can go there by taxi or take bus #14 from Hoan Kiem lake. I write in Vietnamese the name of the museum, so that you can show the locals in the bus and they can help you. (Museum of Ethnology, Nguyen Van Huyen street / Vien bao tang dan toc hoc, Duong Nguyen Van Huyen). I think the Museum is closed on Monday.
Rob & Lorenza B 14th February 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: New Year's activities during Tết 2009 Is this museum far form the centre of Hanoi?
7th February 2009 Leah	- From: New Year's activities during Tết 2009 Thank you for highlighting Museum of Ethnology this time. I didn't have time to visit this museum during my trip to Hanoi late 2007. So many activities going on & so much to see.
6th February 2009 Graciela	My next trip - From: New Year's activities during Tết 2009 I love your blogs, they are very interesting. I will be there next October or November, before the high season. We will be in contact. Love from Argentina.
6th February 2009 Ray Chandler	Photo - From: Savannakhet Great photo's...Amazing, we took the same photo's....Hmmmm
Edward M 6th February 2009 rossi92353	Edward - From: Đồng Hới city Brings back memories I was in VN in August 2008, for 2 weeks, Dong Ha, Khe San, rt 9 and 1 and also ho chi minh trail from khe sen south along the laos border. It was amazing. thanks for a good blog.
Rob & Lorenza B 6th February 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Đồng Hới city Another well written and interesting blog - thanks so much!
4th February 2009 Chas	Thanks for the update - From: Savannakhet Appreciate your Travel Blog and read everyone of them. Your pictures are great and you look so nice in your Blue Traditional Dress. We are planning on going to Savannakhet in June from Hue and traveling in Southern Lao. We spend a month every summer visiting friends and relatives in Hue. Keep up the fun Blog. Cheers from Chas
Rob & Lorenza B 2nd February 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Tết 2009 in Huế city Thank you for sharing that with us - great photos and writing - Rob & Lorenza
21st January 2009 Leah	Happy Tet 2009 - From: 2009 - the Year of the Buffalo Dear Hongha, Happy Tet 2009 to you & thank you for posting beautiful photos. Can't wait to read yr posting from Central Vietnam & Southern Laos. My neighbour's dog barks until he can't bark any more whenever fire crackers lighted. Some fire crackers (even thogh it is banned here) really shake the ground & set off car alarm & annoying.
20th January 2009 anonymous	- From: 2009 - the Year of the Buffalo What blogs you write! Yours always make me totally homesick. However, keep us updated. Thanks a lot. Chuc Mung Nam Moi!
Rob & Lorenza B 20th January 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: 2009 - the Year of the Buffalo Happy Tet to you also and enjoy your holidays!
Rob & Lorenza B 3rd January 2009 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Hanoi Flower Festival 2009 beautiful photos - thanks for sharing them with us. Happy 2009 to you also!
2nd January 2009 Graciela	GOURGEOUS - From: Hanoi Flower Festival 2009 Lovely pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gorgeous celebration. Love from Argentina. We´´l be in contact.
2nd January 2009 Nedeho	FLOWERS - From: Hanoi Flower Festival 2009 Thanks for the super photos. I was always impressed at the beautiful flowers on sale in Hanoi at such reasonable prices. I had not heard about the miniature ceramic houses before. The Vietnamese have so many fascinating traditions.
2nd January 2009 jtayli	Good pics - From: My favorite food in Hanoi My wife liked looking at your pictures very much. We too are planning to go to your beautiful country next summer. I think I might steal your idea of showing different foods for my blog.
25th December 2008 Chinese guy_XP	Happened to see you blog - From: Mũi Né beaches and sand dunes Very good story! interesting, I found your blog by chance because I am planning to visit MuiNe next month and search some information through google. Nice to see your blog. XP
24th December 2008 Chuck	Nice Pictures - From: Christmas 2008 in Hanoi Your blog is very good and I always look forward to reading them and seeing your pictures. I can't wait to return to Vietnam again this summer. Merry Christmas and a very good New Years to you and your Family. Keep up the great blogging.
22nd December 2008 Leah	Christmas in Hanoi - From: Christmas 2008 in Hanoi Hi Hongha, Waited for your posting for some time. Your blog always enlightens my days as I check every day. I was in Hanoi last Christmas & enjoyed every bit of it. Cold Hanoi weather just added atmosphere to the Christmas mood. One Indonesia family told me Christmas in Saigon was better. Well I hope to see it myself. Keep blogging.
17th December 2008 Le Anh	Great job!!! - From: My favorite food in Hanoi I really like your entries and photos! Even I was in Hn for a long time and I love Hn as much as the Hn food (or Vnese food), I never seen a better blog about food... That makes some Hanoi senses. I miss all of them. Thank you and wish you the best (health and money and time) to continue your travels.
Rob & Lorenza B 25th November 2008 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Bái Đính pagoda under construction Wow - an amazing pagoda, it is certainly a huge and ambitious project. Always enjoy your blogs, great writing and photos. Thanks
Rob & Lorenza B 25th November 2008 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Mũi Né beaches and sand dunes Nice photos and an interesting place - thanks for the great blog. Rob & Lorenza
15th November 2008 rrugroupseven	Noodle Variety!! - From: My favorite food in Hanoi It sounds like you had a great time at this restaurant. I think it's really interesting to hear the variety of different types of noodles they have. Considering rice and noodles are their main types of food they eat for their meals, they are able to create a multitude of dishes by creating different combinations of chicken, beef, etc. The selection of the size of noodles sound incredible! This makes me want to go out for some Vietnamese noodle soup right now!
12th November 2008 Chuck	Ninh Binh - From: The 4th trip to Phát Diệm cathedral Hi we have been to the Ninh Binh area a couple times and have not visited Phat Diem. Now that I have seen your photo's I can see it is a must visit place to go. Thanks for the great pictures.
4th November 2008 Chuck	Can't wait to return to Vietnam - From: The Mekong Delta (Sinh cafe tours) Enjoy your travel blogs so much. Your pictures area great. Please keep up the good work. Your blog helps keeping me counting the days until I return in June 09.
4th November 2008 rubin pham	wish i was here! - From: The Mekong Delta (Sinh cafe tours) i was born in cantho. i visited this place back in december 2007. i had a wonderful time here. keep on traveling and sharing your stories with us!
1st November 2008 IinniI	So homesick - From: My favorite food in Hanoi Hi there! Your favorite foods make me so homesick. I love your blog. Keep doing the great job.
1st November 2008 chuck	Traditional Dress - From: Mũi Né beaches and sand dunes Enjoy seeing your latest pictures and the ones of you in the yellow/green tradional dress are very nice. Thanks for the latest travel pictures.
23rd October 2008 duke nguyen	Beautiful pics - From: Vietnamese traditional dress Beautiful pics, sceneries and model. You are lucky to have a good photographer. Keep on traveling and keep taking those pics with your ao dai. Best Wishes.
29th September 2008 Leah	- From: Kim Bôi hot spring It's great to hear there is hot spring near Honoi as well & will definately include in my next visit. I go to hot spring spa every Sunday & public holiday morning near where I stay. There are 3 open air pools. Water temperature is rated warm (muddy), hot & boiling hot (crystal clear). However the facility is not as good as the one shown in your photos. Visitors are dissapointed when they come & slowly the tour buses don't drop by any more :(
m j a 22nd September 2008 dog gone	Hot water - From: Kim Bôi hot spring Great blog entry...makes me want to come back to Viet Nam.
3rd September 2008 anonymous	- From: Vân Long nature reserve Hmmm! The water looks crystal clear even though there are a lot of duck activities....
Rob & Lorenza B 29th July 2008 Rob_n_Lorenza	Thanks - From: Cruising the Red River Such an interesting entry - thanks for sharing this! Take care.
27th July 2008 Tu	hi - From: The Old Quarter in Hanoi nhung bai viet ve HN cua chi that hay
Rob & Lorenza B 18th July 2008 Rob_n_Lorenza	- From: Sầm Sơn beach Interesting blog again - we hope you are doing well. It looks like a nice place. Take care.
15th July 2008 Paul Levrier	wonderful - From: Vietnamese traditional dress Hi, I just came across your site when searching for images of girls in ao dai. Having lived in Vietnam for 15 years I still find the ao dai the most attractive and graceful dress on this planet. Nothing compares to it and it is pleasing to see someone such as yourself travelling the world showcasing this wonderful dress. I can understand the need for young women to wear western style dress these days but perhaps they do not realise that they all look their most beautiful when wearing an ao dai. For me, the ao dai, is the single most beautiful vision of Vietnam and it should be universally recognised as the dress that brings Vietnam's culture to the world. Thanks. Paul
m j a 14th July 2008 dog gone	By the seaside... - From: Sầm Sơn beach Interesting blog entry. Nice narrative; great pictures. Thank you!
Rob & Lorenza B 2nd July 2008 Rob_n_Lorenza	Belated birthday wishes - From: My birthday in Sukhothai Belated happy birthday - it looks like you enjoyed it
Franklin H 1st July 2008 Franco	- From: My birthday in Sukhothai Great brithday gift. Looks like a beautiful place with colorful history.
1st July 2008 Jan V	A great blog again - From: My birthday in Sukhothai Sukhothai looks like a great place to visit. You looked great in your orange Ao Dai.
Rob & Lorenza B 18th June 2008 Rob_n_Lorenza	"Go as far as you can see, and when you get there, you'll see farther." - From: The lotus season in Hanoi That is a great quote on your profile. Great blogs & photos! DOn't stop writing they are very interesting.
Franklin H 18th June 2008 Franco	- From: The lotus season in Hanoi Haha-good thing you can speak Japanese. Same thing happen when I asked an elderly man to take my photo with me and a tree. Every the photo came out with the tree but not me in it. Your Lotus there are 4 times as large as those here in Hawaii.
16th June 2008 gecko	Nice blog - From: Hạ Long bay Love the blog very much. Ha Long bay is wonderful. I was there 7 years ago. Cannot wait to come back. Miss Ha Noi so much too. An Hanoian.
3rd June 2008 Vicky	Beautiful - From: Hạ Long bay I love the blog you have about Ha Long Bay. I just wanted to say hi and to thank you for the lovely pictures you have in your blog. Beautiful.
m j a 2nd June 2008 dog gone	Lovely Photos - From: Hạ Long bay Nice blog. I was at Ha Long Bay about 10 days ago...we had sunshine. It was beautiful! Viet Nam is a wonderful country.
23rd May 2008 lulu	about your essay - From: Brunei Darussalam - the Abode of Peace i would like to thank to you because of writing an essay about my country,Brunei Darussalam. i love my country!!!!! once again, thank you very much.
9th May 2008 Qui	- From: My favorite food in Hanoi Nhin hinh ma thuc an ma them. I'll be going to Ha Noi for the very first time in June. Your blog entries are very helpful.
Franklin H 7th May 2008 Franco	- From: Jing Xiu Shan park The Red and white Ao Dai you wore in Guilin was very pretty and with the nice backdrop, it was like a calendar photo. Your blog really shows your love for travelling and sharing your joy.
7th May 2008 deleted_71787	Be hungry - From: Chinese food on the tour Hmm! Even if in the night .Oh It made me hungry!! Thailand Hotel Reservation
m j a 7th May 2008 dog gone	Interesting blog - From: Jing Xiu Shan park Another beautiful Áo Dài... Thank you for sharing your trip story. Hope to see you in Hanoi. Matt
m j a 7th May 2008 dog gone	Lovely Pictures! - From: Guilin city (TP Quế Lâm) Your colorful dress truly brightens up the gloomy Guilin Landscape. Great blog entry!
25th April 2008 Leah	- From: A photo model in Sapa Hi Hongha, you should have set up your blog long time ago...but never too late since you have so much to write & contribute. I used to read about your contribution on Lonely Planet. I visited Hanoi after Christmas in 2007 but only stayed four days. Went to Halong 2D1N. Enjoyed Halong Bay cruise very much. Something differnt staying on a junk boat. The weather was cold & windy in the open sea. Other than that, everything was just wonderful. Saw Hanoi people welcoming new year. I plan to visit Sapa next time & your write up on Sapa is helpful. Keep writing.
m j a 23rd April 2008 dog gone	Excellent Blog Entry - From: A photo model in Sapa As alway, great story and interesting, well-done photos! matt
Franklin H 21st April 2008 Franco	Cat Cat Village - From: Cát Cát village So glad you keeping up the traditions and continue to wear the Ao Dai. We have Vietnamese here in Hawaii, but rarely see them worn anymore. I was a soldier station in Qui Nhon during '63-'64, and always felt Vietnam had good potential for Tourism due to it's unique culture, friendly people and natural beauty. I'm glad times are happier now and people can enjoy life again and are visiting there. I didn't realize there were so many Minorities in Vietnam. The photos of them are so colorful and interesting and they seem so unspoiled by Western influences. Also the artwork you posted on previous blog is so colorful and varied from what I saw in Vietnam and in the local Vietnamese Shops. I especially like the traditional Mother of Pearl in-laid sceneries.
21st April 2008 Bryan	- From: Cát Cát village xin ¹p nhiÁu nhiÁu!
15th April 2008 hoang tran	- From: Đền Hùng (the Temple of Kings Hùng) Wonderful! I did learn about Hung Vuong when I was young but have forgotten many details. It's time to do my homework again I guess. Another place for me to visit when I go to Hanoi. Thanks.
Franklin H 10th April 2008 Franco	- From: Bát Tràng ceramic village Very interesting.
7th April 2008 htran	- From: Hanoi Hanoi is quite beautiful and full of history. We were planning to go to Hanoi/ Ha Long Bay for 2 days but decided against that because we figured that it'd a week to see all ( most) of Hanoi/ Ha long. Well, Ha noi will have to wait until the next trip...
7th April 2008 htran	- From: Tết 2008 in Hanoi Wonderful memory I had about Tet in VN , I really miss it. We used to cook banh chung in a big aluminum vat which took about 10-12 hours ( in the US, we used a pressure cooker which cooks in about 2-3 hours, just not the same!). The atmosphere was just magical, esp. during the days before Tet. I will have to make a trip 1 year back to VN just for this. Thanks for the blog.
7th April 2008 htran	- From: A day at work Thanks for your wonderful blogs and pictures. I am travelling to VN this summer ( first trip back in 25 years). I am trying to catch up on information re. VN since my memory/knowledge of VN is way out of date. Looks like you have an interesting job esp. the travelling part. Also interesting to see the workers exercising in the morning( or is it more stretching/warming up?) since I assume that their works are likely a good exercise by themselves.
m j a 7th April 2008 dog gone	Arigato gozaimasu - From: Japan Sakura Festival 2008 Once again, a well done and interesting blog entry. Great pictures, too! Thank you Ms. RedRiver... Arigato gozaimasu
m j a 1st April 2008 dog gone	Once again... - From: Chùa Hương (the Perfume Pagoda) Interesting blog, great pictures! Thanks, m j a
1st April 2008 Deirdre	April 1st 2008 powerful memorial - From: Welcome to Vietnam! That's a very powerful memorial on Huu Tiep pond. You can go there on the way back from the ethnographic museum on the no 14 bus. You get off the bus, walk down a little lane and it's there, surrounded by people's houses and a school! It's one of the few things in Hanoi that reminds you of that time.
Hanoi_girl 29th March 2008 theRedRiver	Live traditional music in Hanoi - From: Vietnamese water puppets I suggest you to visit Cheo Hanoi Theatre (Nha hat Cheo Hanoi) at No. 15, Nguyen Dinh Chieu st., Hanoi, Tel: 84-4-9437361. There are some shows every week, starting from 8pm. Cheo is a special art form of northern Vietnam. The word "Cheo" means “lyrics of folk ballads, proverbs”. The music is similar to the one you heard at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater.
28th March 2008 Ned	WATER PUPPETS - From: Vietnamese water puppets I've been to Hanoi seven times, but only got round to seeing the water puppets for the first time in March. It was fantastic! Can't think why i did'nt go before. The skill of the puppetters is amazing. It was so funny! I also love the traditional Vietnamese music. Do you know of any places in Hanoi where there is live traditional music apart from the expensive tourist restaurants and hotels?
25th March 2008 Jackie	Thanks - From: My favorite food in Hanoi thanks for taking the time to post this looking forward to our trip.
racky 24th March 2008 nomad_ninja	cool - From: Festival by Manila bay i enjoy readin your blogs and checking out the pictures... you should also visit the south... start with cebu... enjoy travelling!
m j a 22nd March 2008 dog gone	Excellent! - From: The 22nd trip to Huế city Beautiful city, lovely photos. Thank you for sharing this. m
m j a 20th March 2008 dog gone	fantastic! - From: My favorite food in Hanoi Great blog...makes me want to go to Hanoi and eat, eat, eat!!!
Hanoi_girl 18th March 2008 theRedRiver	Another B52 wreckage in Hanoi - From: Welcome to Vietnam! Jerry, there is one more place in Hanoi (other than the Army Museum) where you can see a B52 wreckage. It's on Huu Tiep pond in Ngoc Ha village, Ba Dinh district. The B52 bomber was shot down over Hanoi in December 1972 and some parts of the bomber fell into the pond and still there up to now. How horrible were the Christmas 1972 bombings? My mother was pregnant and she had to hide in the tunnel for 12 nights, but at least she was still alive after the war. Every year, at Christmas time, the gate into the war memorial on Kham Thien street is open, so that relatives of the victims who died in December 1972 because of American air raids, can burn an incense stick in front of the mother-and-dead-child statue.
17th March 2008 JerryZ	Thanks, Red River - From: Welcome to Vietnam! Thanks, Red River. The American press did not cover this very well at the time and I had forgotten all about it. Thanks for publishing the text of Clinton’s speech. It was a very good speech. He, like myself, was very fortunate in not having to fight in Vietnam. So Clinton went to Vn Mi¿u. I did not know that. Wow, as always, you look so stunning in those pictures at the War Museum. Having once lived near the corner of Tran Phu and Dien Bien Phu, you bring back my many memories of bicycling by the Army Museum and the Flag Tower. You certainly dress up the place with your beauty and your beautiful Áo Dài. Stunning is all I can say. Thanks for including these pictures in your blog. I have never seen (or at least I don’t remember seeing) the statue of the mother carrying her dead child. Thanks for showing that picture. How horrible those Christmas 1972 bombings must have been. Thanks again so much. Keep up the good work. You are starting to inspire me to come see some of these sites (which I missed) later this year.
12th March 2008 violets	March 12 - From: The 22nd trip to Huế city Interesting blog. Hue is also my favourite city in Vietnam. I think it's the most beautiful. I love the photos, both you and Hue look beautiful.
racky 7th March 2008 nomad_ninja	amazing - From: Mandalay - Bagan - Yangon what an amazing adventure...
2nd March 2008 patrick	THanks for the blog - From: Some pagodas in Hà Tây province Thanks, this is now on my itinerary for June!
2nd March 2008 patrick	bia hoi food - From: Bia Hơi (Vietnamese fresh beer) Apart from the beer being much cheaper than bottled beer, many bia hoi spots serve great food as well, from tasty snacks to full meals. Anyone new to Vietnam should give them a try!
1st March 2008 Jan	Cheers! - From: Bia Hơi (Vietnamese fresh beer) I must say that Vietnam is starting to look a lot better now. Is the Bia Hoi comparable in taste with a western beer?
22nd February 2008 rubin pham	hue travel - From: The 22nd trip to Huế city i visited hue in december 2007. the most beautiful city i have ever visited. so many sights to see and the people are so friendly. i hope i can go back there in the near future.
Hanoi_girl 13th February 2008 theRedRiver	- From: Tết 2008 in Hanoi Anh Sunrise, this Tet was too cold in Hanoi, so "Ong do gia" (as you called "old caligraphy artists") couldn't wear an Ao Dai and sit by some street. Last month, when we had a photo exhibition "Hanoi in the old days and today", I saw some "Ong do gia". We always show our respect to them.
12th February 2008 sunriseplace	- From: Tết 2008 in Hanoi Thanks for all the photos of Tet in the North, especially the hoa ào... M×i nm hoa ào nß L¡i th¥y ông Ó già Bày mñc tàu gi¥y Ï Bên phÑ ông ng°Ýi qua... I was wondering if this kind of "caligraphy artists" still exist in Ha Noi during Tet?
Hanoi_girl 10th February 2008 theRedRiver	Tet and Chinese New Year - From: Tết 2008 in Hanoi Thanks Jan for an interesting question. As the Chinese ruled Vietnam for 1,000 years, our culture in many aspects was influenced by the Chinese. Both Vietnamese and Chinese celebrated the lunar new year. However, our Tet is still based on our own lunar calendar. Most of the years, our Tet and Chinese new year are celebrated at the same time, but last year 2007, our Tet was one day earlier than the Chinese new year. As I am responding to you, Vietnam Television is announcing about some traditional customs and festivals in Hanoi and other provinces. There are many festivals in January and February (I mean the Lunar Calendar).
10th February 2008 Jan	Great info - From: Tết 2008 in Hanoi This was great info about the Tet. I hope you had a good time celebratig it. I do wonder what is the difference between Tet and Chinese New Year?
17th January 2008 Jan	You make me jelouse - From: My favorite country in SE Asia Would love to live as close as you to Indonsia. It's my favorite country too. Liked your story.
Hanoi_girl 12th January 2008 theRedRiver	Thank you - From: Vietnamese traditional dress Thank you for your comment on my Ao Dai photos. I have been working in the construction industry with the Japanese for many years. I can speak English and Japanese, and used to travel in Japan on business in 2004. I'm still new to blog technique and hope to write some travel stories about the countries that I visited and share experiences with other bloggers.
Mai/Maire/Myra McCann 11th January 2008 Mai1	Ao Dai - From: Vietnamese traditional dress Chào em, your photos of the Ao Dai are beautiful - they make me very homesick for Viet Nam! I spend most of my time in Hoi An - returning to Australia only long enough to earn some money! You have certainly travelled far & wide! What do you do for the company? Safe travelling. Mai.

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