Our First Pho made at home!

Hello everyone, today 4-11-2014 I decided it would be appropriate to make a short blog post to "celebrate" Leanna and I having our first home made pho soup.

The post is with pictures of the first cauldron of Pho we made at our home in the USA .  We used a mix we bought at a market for the spicing but we prepared the meat, other vegetables, and got the greens to serve with the soup.  It was really exciting and fun to make our own Pho and eat at home.  Soon, after we get a little more experience making pho, we will invite some friends over for a breakfast of American pancakes and Pho.

We will soon begin working on a book about our time in Vietnam using much of the material on our blog.

Celebrating Tet in Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ha Long Bay and Hue.

Hue is a very old and beautiful city situated on the Perfume River in the central part of Vietnam close to the East Sea that extends east from Vietnam toward the Philippines and other nations in the Pacific. On the first of February we flew into Hue from Hanoi to explore this historical city and celebrate Tet with our friend Vinh and her family. But first we'll share the earlier travels just before Tet...

On January 25^th we began our trek to the Northwest part of Vietnam by flying to Ha Noi from Ho Chi Minh City in the midst of the Tet Lunar New Year rush to return to home to family villages by thousands of Vietnamese heading to the rural provinces to be with family and friends. Luckily our driver had delivered us to the airport about 3.5 hours before our flight, because it took about 2.5 hours to get our baggage checked and to receive our boarding passes. Now we understand our Vietnamese friends' warnings that Tet is like all USA holidays combined! Once we reached Ha Noi we met our guide Thiep and our driver. We spent the next two days and nights in Ha Noi visiting the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the HCM Mausoleum, and several other sites including a long walk halfway across the Long Bien Bridge -- the railway bridge that was bombed many times by the USA during the American War (to no avail as the Vietnamese immediately rebuilt it or used alternative routes to carry on). This was at the same time that we bombed the dikes and irrigation systems in the North that were necessary for food production. Of course this caused hunger and famine for the Vietnamese, but in the spirit of people's war they carried on with great faith that victory would be theirs.

Our Hanoi Friends

Tet Lights on a lake in Hanoi

Next to the Mausoleum we visited the traditional stilt house where President Ho Chi Minh lived instead of the Presidential Palace – he considered the beautiful structure liberated from the French as “too much” and preferred to live in the stilt house (built like a traditional rural farmer's house) until he died at the age of 79. Incidentally, when he had the house built he refused to allow the installation of a toilet within the house in keeping with the practices of the rural people. I would note that there were literally thousands of Vietnamese visiting these sites when we were, celebrating the Tet holidays when they are off work and families can enjoy the beauty of their country. In the HCM Museum our party of three moved quickly as we had lots to cover, including the aforementioned Long Bien Bridge and then the Old District market that lies next to the railroad and covers a number of square blocks. The streets in the market are named by the goods that used to be sold there: a silk street, vegetable street, beef street, and so forth. Thus family shoppers or the different classifications of merchants would quickly find the items they needed to purchase or barter and get on with it. Our friend Carol found a type of mushroom that she was looking for and was able to purchase a nice quantity right there in the market. The woman running the herbal medicine shop cut it up, ground it and packaged it while we waited.

Black Hmong mother and child

From Hanoi we headed north by sleeper train to Lao Cai near the border with China. After a short drive we were in Sapa – a beautiful mountain town with picturesque streets, houses, parks – and lots of tourists. The town is surrounded by several ethnic group's rural villages that are reached by HIKING up and down hilly roads. It took a couple of days of walking, but we able to visit the villages of the Black Hmong and Red Dao to see up close the typical houses, rural primary and secondary schools, rice fields, water-pump rice threshing, wine distilling and handicrafts. With 45 ethnic groups living in Vietnam, there is debate and some controversy about education, balancing economic development and cultures as well as the impact of tourism. With the mountains, waterfalls, mist and sunshine, terraced rice fields and colorful ethnic dress, the area is breathtakingly beautiful. While improved housing and roads, new schools, electricity (and satellite TV) and other signs of improved living conditions are there, it is clear that sustainable economic development is a work-in-progress.

Rural village school

Sa Pa Market

Sa Pa skyline

Terraces and water buffalo

Walking to the Red Dao Village

Nap and feeding combo

Friend Carol with Red Dao woman

From Sapa we headed east to HaLong Bay – another UNESCO and world famous area of Vietnam. This bay full of limestone islands is impressive and popular with Vietnamese and world tourists. During Tet the bay is not as crowded as other times of the year, but we were still amazed (and worried) about the number of cruise boats – of course we were on one! We were lucky to experience both fog and sunshine during our day-and-night-on-the-water while we saw dramatically beautiful islands, floating fishing villages, an enclosed lagoon with golden monkeys. And, as always, the food on the boat was GREAT!

Limestone Islands

Sunset Ha Long Bay

Lagoon

Floating fishing village

Our final stop to celebrate Tet was Hue where we had a wonderful visit with our dear friend Vinh and her family while visiting the Citadel, Forbidden City, several Vietnamese king's tombs, traveled by boat on the Perfume River and ate as many famous Hue dishes as possible during three days. Vinh and her family shared their home and a traditional Tet meal with us – what a great moment to meet with the parents, grandfather and brother of this exceptional woman who was our teaching partner and friend all the while we were in Vietnam. Vinh and her brother showed us a nearby village with the oldest covered bridge in the area – and FUN VILLAGE Tet market where folks were playing a complicated traditional gambling game as part of the Tet celebrations. We also got to visit the high school where Ho Chi Minh, General Giap and other famous Vietnamese leaders studied – same high school Vinh and her brother attended. Everywhere you look you see living history and awareness of ties between generations. Visiting the Citadel and Forbidden City (where generations of Vietnamese kings held court) once again reminded us of the horrible destruction and death of the American War – ancient historic sites bombed and destroyed in the midst of an important Vietnamese city. With help from Vietnamese donors, government and some foreign governments and NGOs, Vietnam is slowly, lovingly restoring some of these historic buildings. Hue is known as the “heart” of Vietnam with a large number of pagodas and temples, traditional architecture and slower, traditional pace. It was so special to get introduced to Hue by Vinh and her family!

Ancient bridge that is national treasure

Friends at ancient bridge

Coffee with Vinh's family in Hue on Perfume River

Forbidden City restored and destroyed

Vinh's father and Carol 

Vinh's parents heading home after Pho and coffee

Celebrating Tet at Vinh's home with FAMILY!

Beautiful Perfume River - perfume from Sandlewood
Trees.

From Hue we flew to HCMC where we took quick naps before heading back to the USA – after getting to say goodby to some of our special TDT friends at the airport. Even after a week in Los Angeles, we still aren't sure if we've really finished our Vietnam adventure. There are lots more photos – which we'll figure out how to post for painless viewing. So watch for the photo alert. We'll also be participating in a workshop at the annual United Association for Labor Education UALE conference in March in Los Angeles (check out the UALE website for more details), hoping to recruit more volunteer teachers to go to Vietnam.

We thank and recognize each and all of you who contributed solidarity gifts and money for solidarity gifts that we shared with many students, workers, union leaders, professors, children, peoples organizations and Vietnamese friends while we were in Vietnam. You were a real part of this adventure concretely showing YOUR international friendship. We shared your stories with the Vietnamese when we shared your gifts, so YOUR friendship now resides in Vietnam!

Onward to a 2014 full of international friendship, peace and progress for workers everywhere!

Here is a very short video of a pump used by the Black Hmong to operate a mill that grind their rice for them, Quiet, efficient, clean and doesn't dirty the water.  Some folks might call it primitive or quaint but for the job it is better than an iphone, a giant electric plant to get some power down to a house hold, or a

neo-fascist corporation overcharging consumers for glorified stuff that ends up in the closet.

Nghe An and Tuyen Quang Provinces – Famous for Beauty and Leaders

Nghe An and Tuyen Quang Provinces – Famous for Beauty and Leaders

Motorbike Collection

Following is a photo essay celebrating the creative use of motorbikes by the talented Vietnamese drivers! Below you can see “cargo” ranging from pigs, orchids, Tet trees, ceramics, building supplies, fabric – any and everything that is strap-able and can be balanced (talents!).

Tet flowers on the way to market.

What do you mean, big load?

Got anything more to deliver?

You are hogging all the space.

Delivering paper to market, paper is
a big industry in the forest area.

This little piggy goes to lunch and this one ...

Delivering ceramic ware.

Orchids for a celebration or just for beauty.

Murals and Mosaics

Both Hanoi and Vinh have GREAT art – Hanoi is home of the largest mosaic in the world created to celebrate the 1,000 years birthday of Hanoi. And Vinh greets you with a beautiful mural/mosaic at the airport.

Hanoi, city of a thousand years that they celebrated
in 2010 with the production of a several kilometers
long mural on their main city freeway.

Vinh's airport mural celebrating a visit to the
city by Ho Chi Minh City during the war in
a small two engine aircraft.

As we visited the area where Vietnamese leaders launched the 1945 revolution declaring Vietnamese independence, we saw the North's beautiful countryside, rural mountains and villages. Check out the following photos and captions for a glimpse.

Home made. hand made noodles at the market.

Ho Chi Minh's Childhood Homes

Nghe An Province has long been known for its smart people and leaders, so it is no surprise that Ho Chi Minh was born here. His family story is somewhat unusual in that his poor father was a great intellectual whose mentor and teacher was so impressed that he suggested the poor student marry the teacher's daughter and that the couple live with the teacher's family (usually the couple would have lived with the paternal family).

House where Ho Chi Minh's maternal grandparents lived.

First home of Ho Chi Minh.

Inside Ho's first home.

 Vietnam has lovingly preserved both the house of Ho Chi Minh's maternal grandparents and the next-door house built by these grandparents for HCM's parents where HCM was actually born. Both houses are typical architecture. When HCM's father passed his national exams, his paternal family village was so honored that they built HCM's father a new house close to his paternal grandfather's home. So HCM and his family then moved to the nearby paternal family village – which has also been carefully preserved. Surrounding both sites there are still the villages living daily routines so that you really get a feel of on-going village life while visiting these historic sites.

Ho Chi Minh's father's house built by his village
to honor his high scholastic achievement -- 2nd score
in the nation.

Another shot of the family's second home.

In the garden by the first home of Ho Chi Minh with
his maternal grandparents family. 

Tan Lap – Village of Revolution

While we were traveling to Tan Lap our guide mentioned that he had never been asked to take foreign tourists to see this historic site and alerted us that people in the area and Vietnamese tourists would probably be amazed to see two Americans. It's true that we were the only foreign faces and people were so friendly and welcoming, eager to share stories. The mountains, lake, hills and forests of Tan Lap are home to an ethnic group and ancient village that welcomed and supported the Vietnamese revolutionaries dating back to the struggle against the French as well as the USA. The landscape is incredibly beautiful and undeveloped even today (although lots of logging is taking place).

Ho's hidden mountain hut where he formulated plans for
the successfully defeating French colonial forces.

House where Ho Chi Minh stayed in the village.

Village meeting house, note the loud speakers used
for daily announcements and news.

House where General Giap lived and worked in the
village.

Tan Lap Village of the local ethnic group
who hosted Ho, Giap, and the revolution.

Historic banyan tree.

Planting new rice just before or just after Tet.

Tea fields on the hills.

 The region is famous for tea. Under an old banyan tree (it was 300 years old before it finally died in 2008) General Giap announced the formation of the People's Army. Along with other revolutionaries including at times HCM, plans were made here to form the new, independent government of Vietnam in 1945. Before the old banyan tree died successful grafts were made so that the old stump is now surrounded by newly-growing trees to make this historic site. The village houses where General Giap and HCM lived as guests of the resident families still stand and are occupied today. Later HCM successfully evaded the French by living in a small hut nearby and directing the on-going war against the French colonialists. It was amazing to be able to see the areas where these great leaders lived and worked – hiding in plain sight with the support of the people and villagers of the area.

HCM Trail Museum

When we first read about this museum, it was described as being located south of Hanoi. Our experience driving to the museum is that Hanoi has rapidly grown and developed to now spread out to the museum. We passed impressive construction of the Hanoi monorail along with lots of TALL buildings and skyscrapers.

Mono-rail construction

Entrance to the HCM Trail
Museum.

Statue honoring the soldiers of the trail.

Scaling cliffs along the Trail with
bamboo.

Carrying heavy loads over rock, water
and any obstacle.

Pack Elephant.

Famous hero woman who carried
a load of 70 kilos when she only weighed
about 45 kilos.

Rope ladder used on the Trail

Meetings on the road, this one with General Giap.

Bridges made of any available material to
get supplies to the troops in the south.

Communications equipment used on the Trail.

Camouflage over the Trail to keep moving day and
night under threat of USA bombing.

This museum is an amazing tribute to the bravery, tenaciousness, brilliance and creativity of the Vietnamese to patiently construct, defend, maintain and expand a network of land and water routes the entire length of Vietnam to transport troops, distribute food, provide health care, transport and mobilize weapons, build a fuel/oil pipeline and construct an elaborate and effective communications system which supported the revolution for independence and socialism. We thought we knew a lot about this effort – and were WRONG! Both the museum exhibits and an amazing DVD and diorama/diagram provide incredible facts, materials and stories to bring this impressive accomplishment of so many Vietnamese people alive. Our tour guide added his own father's stories as a HCM Trail soldier to what we learned form the museum.

The people, history and land of Nghe An and Tuyen Quang Provinces will stay with us forever! We hope many of you will get to explore here as well.