Let’s face it, you all knew it would not be long until there was a post about food.  It was a really good thing that we were able to work out this morning, because the rest of the day here has been all about eating.  One of the best ways to start learning about a culture is to  sit down and enjoy a meal with its people.  Today was no exception.

The day started with the breakfast buffet at the hotel.  Can you imagine the sheer delight when we walked in and there was a pho station?!?!  Sign me up!  We made our way through pho, lycee fruit, dragon fruit, fish with Hoisin sauce, pork bun, noodles, dumplings, and coffee

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We then joined Leann and Thao Linh on a trip through the Ben Than market and strolled through all the vendors.  It was like a much larger version of the Market in Charleston, stalls filled with paintings, magnets, silk scarves, purses, etc.  A part of the market was also dedicated to food, with places to buy fish, meat, fruit, nuts, and sweets.  We all shared a platter of rice & shrimp “balls” in a Vietnamese sauce, which Leann explained was a dish local to Hue (pr. whey). We then had fresh coconut milk – yum!

We walked through the city a little more, checking out parks and shops and decided to get ice cream. The ice cream is not as heavy as back in the US, and is delicious.

And then came the real treat of the day. Leann took us to visit her uncle here in Ho Chi Minh City, and nearly all her extended family was there. We spent the afternoon meeting her aunts, uncle, great uncle and nieces. They were so friendly and hospitable! They treated us to Vietnamese coffee and lycee fruit.

Her aunts then cooked a huge meal for everyone and we sat around the table to enjoy Vietnamese pancakes with beef and shrimp. We rolled these into lettuce with mint or into rice paper to dip in a Vietnamese dipping sauce. I NEED to find a cooking class here!!!  It was truly a wonderful experience to enjoy this time and meal with her family.

We have now traveled from Charlotte to San Francisco to Taipei to Ho Chi Minh City.  Right now I am honestly not sure what day it is (Friday I think?). Somewhere around Taipei we both realized that we have had an incredible lack of Hello Kitty in our lives so far.

We are both very excited to be here in Vietnam finally! We are lucky to have two Vietnamese-American girls, Leann & Thao-Linh, with us on this trip. They have already helped us get acquainted to a few travel rules that we were completely unaware of. Most importantly, when crossing the street, you should just walk in front of the cars and keep walking. Yes, this does in fact go against everything we were taught about how to cross a street. Mopeds are the primary form of transportation, and may be ridden anywhere.

After we arrived, checked-in (Marriott Riverside, just building up the rewards), we went walking through the city with our new friends. We realized quickly that we have some important decisions to make for tomorrow. Namely, which salon should we get a pedicure at. Or hair straightening, or a massage. Or all of the above.

We then walked through the tourism district of Ho Chi Minh City and had a drink on the rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel, which we learned was a favorite of American Commanders to hang out at during the war.  The view was beautiful and it was a very relaxing night (let’s be honest, early evening). Tomorrow hopefully we will be a little more rested and ready to enjoy the rest of the city!

There are a few inevitable truths when it comes to traveling. 1) It always takes longer to get to the airport than expected. 2) Something will be forgotten. 3) I will get pulled aside by airport security and have something thoroughly searched with special testing strips and all.

Other than the aforementioned interrogation hold-up in the security line (in which Kit decides to leave me in favor of Starbucks), we made it to sfo.

Flying out to San Francisco and reading about the Dipsea Trail reminds me of last year’s road trip up the PCH.  An old friend in San Francisco took us on a great hike up (part) of the Dipsea Trail overlooking Stinson Beach. I had read about a killer trail race, the Dipsea 50, years ago and wanted to see it/hike it/run it.  It was honestly one of the best hikes. Ever. Thinking about that and reading about the (much more reasonable) 7.4 mile race makes me want to go back.

Because there are no pics of Vietnam to share yet, here is a picture overlooking Stinson Beach!

It’s T-24 hours until Vietnam….. and first blogging adventure! This is a big step, more the blogging than the traveling.  I,  for one, still have all my pictures since 2011 that I have not uploaded to Facebook.  No need to fret though…… I have personally told many people that this is happening, and Kit is much better than I am about updates.  This will def be a team effort!

So…. put this in your favorites, check in daily, and we will provide you with the best of adventure….. from swanky (more please) all the way to the Possum Lodge (enough said)

~K & M