Foot and Fire

I am happy we took the Cyclo tour on our first day in Hanoi as we had a bird's eyeview of the Old Quarter and important sites in Hanoi, especially that he have a very hectic schedule out of the city and we have only a day to do shopping before we leave for the airport just hours before midnight. From the Old Quarter, we passed by the Temple of Literature which houses the studies of scholars on Confucious and other sages. After that, we headed to the far end of the tour, the Ho Chi Minh Complex and One-Pillar Pagoda. After there, we were brought by the ever-smiling cyclo drivers at the Tran Quoc Pagoda where we were amazed of the simple beauty of the red towering pagoda. From there, we passed by the laidback Truc Bach Lake then took a long ride passing again by the Old Quarter and headed to the St. Joseph Cathedral where my friends attended the mass while I laze around, observing the well-dressed iced lime tea drinkers sitting on the dwarf stools on the sidewalk.   ...

From Marijuana to Lotus Seeds and Tree where chopsticks are born, these are the photos of various fruits, flowers and yes, vegetables we feasted our eyes on as we walk along Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi and the market route in Sa Pa, Valley of Vietnam. If we were not walking, we must be riding the cyclo around Hanoi or ran a bit because of drizzles in SaPa.... What a memorable vacation because of these colors.    Can't help it. In Tam coc, when i saw a vietnamese woman  holding out her lotus to another vietnamese woman,  i excitedly extended my palm to ask for one.  I bought the preserved crunchy and nutty lotus seed... and because of that curious moment in tam Coc,  i can compare it with the raw peanutty texture of the fresh lotus seed.. Tastes good, actually.Yahoo!  We are all familiar with this fruit: its appearance and smell... Love Durian... Beside the watermelon, what's that??? Note: --My friend says that's a...