Seoul Korea

Heir had talked to us about a Transfer tour while we were in Korea.  On the way to Vietnam we were newbie's and to chicken to do it. Also we were there in the late evening.   Oh side bar.... Seoul Korea has the coolest airport ever!  Besides the normal restaurants and such they have a rest area.  You can sleep on beds, they have showers all free with your plane ticket.  We rested and just hung out on the way to Vietnam as our plane was delayed and we had time to kill.  On the way home we were there in the day time and had lots of time so we were doing a "transfer tour".  It also meant we got another stamp in our passports!   We signed up and got on the bus at the appointed time and off we went with people from all over the world.  The guide was very informative and entertaining.  The only hiccup was there was a protest about to take place. Our guide informed us that she had never lost anyone on a tour and she wasn't going to start today.  So if she said go to the bus, GET to the bus!  LOL  Alrighty then. We had no intentions of getting to far from her.
Seoul reminded me a lot of Seattle in look and feel.  The rooflines were different but it was similar.  It looked and felt familiar in a way.  We went to a huge temple first. I'm sorry  I cannot remember the name.  Lots of little girls in tradition dressed. They were so cute.  Then we went a restaurant where we had lunch.  It was part of the tour.  There were 3 options for lunch that you got to choose from. Dh and had different things and shared.  Neither of us loved what we had.  That actually was the only meal in our entire trip that neither of us cared for.  Then we got to look around this shopping area with all different little shops.  They were so cute.  There was a large police presence but not in a threatening way at all.  Just there.  BUT no protest broke out.   WHEW!  It was time to head back to the bus.  It was a really nice fun way to kill time between flights.   When we got back to the airport we went and cleaned up and then laid down for a bit while we could lay stretched out.   Then our flight was called and it was time to go home.  We missed the kids but already missed Heir.
This trip was the trip of a lifetime and I will cherish EVERY moment of it.

Saigon Part Deux..

When we went back to Saigon the plan was to see some things we hadn't yet and relax and figure out how to get all the things back into our bags and then head home.  I didn't want to leave but missed everyone at home.  There is always something/someone to miss, eh?
One of the things Heir wanted his dad to see was the Vietnam War Museum.  He had already been twice so he took us and then had a business meeting and then came and met us when we were done.  I hope I am never not saddened by the human capacity for evil.  I thought the Museum would be all about bashing the USA.  It wasn't at all.  It of course was from their prospective.  It was very painful to see the pain and suffering.  I finally had all I could take so I told Dh I would be sitting on the bench in the middle when he was done.  He took it all in.  He had his personal reasons.  It was not fun but it felt very necessary.   We also went to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum.  It was so beautiful inside.  So many beautiful artifacts.  It was very interesting.  Really. We had to finalize our fittings for the clothes that we had ordered. That really was fun.  I never ever dreamt that I'd have custom clothes made.  Who'd have ever thought! 
We had  dinner at a rooftop place that had a pool up there!  So odd.  It was a beautiful last sunset. There was a glass bridge.  THAT was weird to walk over.  
On our last morning there Heir and I got up really early and got on his bike to go take a sunrise tour. Dh wouldn't go on the bike with Dh.  I couldn't wait to go. The sunrise was sort of lame due to weather.  But we didn't let that stop us.  We went on a bike tour.   We went to parts of the city that tourists really don't go to.  It was AWESOME.  We went through a market that we were the only non Asian folks there.  It was so much fun.  The traffic could have made me very nervous but I trusted my son.  I loved being on the bike.  It was almost less stressful then being in a car. Almost! There are so many little stories, memories.  I could write pages and pages.  But some were only funny because it was us and to us.  So many pictures.  So many!  I will cherish each and every one of them. Always.  Then we had to say Good bye.  Heir came home as often as possible.  Usually several times a year, but OH it still hurt to say good bye and leave him there.
Here is a picture dump in no particular order.

Next stop... Soul Korea 

Hoi An

When we left Cambodia it left a huge hole in my heart.  I'd love to go back and see more. The people were lovely and we only saw 1 little dot of the country.  It was so beautiful.  But if you don't move you'll miss what is next.  Next is Hoi An Vietnam.
We were going to Hoi An for the Full moon lantern festival.  It was a BUSY town!
We stayed at the La Terrazza Guesthouse.  It was on the out skirts of town.  So tranquil and beautiful.  We got there in the dark.  We walked around the outside of the house. Heir and Dacey were left at one door and we were taken around and up stairs to another door.  I got a bit anxious and our phones didn't work and I had NO clue where we were and how to get to Heir if something went sideways.  NO CLUE why I got upset, that really isn't like me.  But there were no phones, no tv so just very rural and in the end LOVELY!  In the morning in the light of day I was fine!  It was just a moment. Heir knew and told me if we didn't like it we could move.  NO WAY.  It was fantastic.  Our host was super nice. He was from Italy and his wife was from Vietnam.  We asked him if he spoke Vietnamize, he said no not really and even if he did no one could understand him because of the accent.  LOL  They had 2 daughters.  One was named a Vietnamize name and the other an Italian name.  So cute. They had 2 little dogs that reminded us of home and the smallest mama cat with babies almost her size.  They were just sweet.  We were served the best breakfasts on a beautiful deck over looking rice fields.  Dacey did so much work in planning for us.  We would have never had the same experience if we had booked it.   I can only hope she enjoyed it all as much as we did.  I know Heir did because he had the same grin on his face that we did.  There was not a moment of this trip that we didn't love.
While in Hoi An we had some shoes made.  I would go back to Vietnam to do that again!  Clothes and shoes... It was so fun.  Dacey did our bargaining.  We were willing to walk if it wasn't a good deal.  We all thought it was fair for all.  We also had things being made in Saigon that would be ready when we got back.
We spent a lot of time at the beach in Hoi An.  The South China Sea was so warm!  DH who doesn't love the water went out with me and let the waves wash over him.  It was so beautiful.  We saw people fishing in round boats that look like giant cereal bowls.  I have NO clue how they made them go any where!  Then there was people fishing with nets.  A school of something came through and people went running to catch them.  It was so interesting to watch.  We laid on our beach chairs and waitresses would come buy and ask if we wanted anything.  Dh said it was the best hamburger he'd ever had!  Between that and the 50 cent beer he was a happy camper.  It was so relaxing and fun.  We did that 2 different days.  OH!  It may not be so, but I thought the South China Sea was way more salty then the Ocean here.
 One day Dacey and I went to Vy's Market and Cooking School.  While we did this, Dh and Heir took bikes and road all around Hoi An.  
Dacey and I got to take a tour of the local markets and then a tour of the restaurant and then went to our class.  SO MUCH fun!  I wish I could tell you I've made the recipes again once we got home, I have not but I still have tool that we got to keep and I have the recipes.
DH was VERY worried about eating on this trip.  He doesn't like to eat out as it is.  BUT he was a great sport about it.  He mostly only ordered fish.  I'm pretty sure he never had the same fish twice.  He loved every one of them!  The only thing he wouldn't try was Pho.  Heir and I LOVE it, Dh wouldn't even try it.  He's not a huge soup fan anyway but....
The lantern festival was so beautiful!  It was good weather.  You buy your lantern's and light them and make a wish, a blessing or whatever you'd like and send it down the river.  It was GORGEOUS.  I can't think of the litter in the water though.  Hopefully most get caught up in a curve and get picked up.   Before I saw how it worked I thought it was the kind of lantern you light and let go into the sky.  I loved it on the river.
We saw several couples getting married.  It must be a popular day to get married.  Maybe good luck?  We also went to a night market.  Those are different then the ones in the day time.  Different venders and such.  I'm not sure why it changes out but it was sure fun to walk through.
We were sad to have to leave.  But again, if you don't move on there is something else you won't get to experience.  Back to Saigon.

These pictures didn't load in the right order.  I'm  not going to wrestle them around.  LOL Also so much for not loading a lot of pictures.