Japan With Pete Adventure: Day One

After arriving at the Okura late at night, we got up at 6am to go to the fish market...it defies description, but is large. Very large. Very Busy. Very Full of Fish. We walked all over the city, but probably cover 1/100th of it. The buildings and the sensibility seems as far away from the chaos of Hong Kong as possible. And I guess you know Hong Kong is crazy when Tokyo seems serene next to it. The cherry blossoms are 1/3rd open. ...stay tuned.

den, chua, and vien bao tang

...temples, pagodas and museums.

Ha Long Bay

Three hours (with traffic) from Hanoi is Ha Long Bay - "Descending Dragon". The Bay was made by a giant dragon that plunged into the Gulf of Tonkin, it's tail splashing and creating the many islands and karsts that rise out of the water. It is pretty surreal and beautiful....

Viet creatures

Let's not forget the creatures...

Traffic in Vietnam

Everything is always moving...in one form or another.

Food in Vietnam

Hanoi - the Comfort Zone

Hanoi, although referred to as "the slower city" by the locals, is noisy, crowded and always moving. Scooters and Motorcycles zoom by at every angle and in every direction, and you take your life in your hand when you cross the street. The sidewalks are cramped and people spill over the sides, loaded down with baskets of fruit, papers, meat. Makeshift pho stands are set up on what spare room there may be on the sidewalks as well, and that area becomes a temporary restaurant. Five million things are going on at once, and so staying here was perfect for us, wimpy westerners.....