Vacation in Vietnam

Happy New Year!

My friend Jenny and I spent twelve days in Vietnam over our Christmas Vacation and it was absolutely splendid. What was so great, you ask? THE FOOD. THE COFFEE. THE CULTURE. THE LANTERNS. THE PEOPLE. everything.

I will try to sum up our time there the best I can, and include some picture compilations. =)

December 24th-29th Hanoi, Vietnam and Halong Bay

The capital of Vietnam is full of organize chaos. Whenever necessary, feel free to drive on the opposite side of the road, and traffic lights are more like suggestions in the land of the motorbike. We spent time exploring the city the first day, getting our bearings after a very long day of travel on the 23rd.  We spent about three hours at a spa getting facials, manicure, and pedicures, the perfect way to start our vacation! The first night, we went to a Vietnamese Water Puppet Show where traditional stories and music were the backdrop for these amazing little puppets dancing and floating in the water. 

Everything we did was so incredibly inexpensive, we found ourselves always saying, "Well, why not?" 

Visiting the "Hanoi Hilton" POW prison was definitely a highlight of our time there as we learned of its history starting with the French in the late 1800's, all the way up to the Vietnam War.  I think our favorite thing that we did by FAR was the street food tour.  We went to almost a dozen different vendors, trying various traditional Vietnamese dishes from a green papaya salad with beef, to egg with tarragon, and fresh friend spring rolls. I even tried a crazy ice cream that tasted just like green sticky rice!

Our trip to Halong Bay was also incredibly beautiful and memorable, even though Jenny and I were incredibly disappointed that our trip was cut back one day due to a typhoon on the coast.  We had a wonderful time meeting and talking with the other people on our little cruise boat, and enjoyed the scenery and caves we were able to explore.  

December 30th-January 3rd Hoi An, Vietnam

Rain. Rain. Rain. That describes our time in Hoi An. Usually rainy season is finished in November, but the rain had continued and had been so bad in central Vietnam there was quite a bit of flooding. We didn't do quite as much exploring as we would have liked, but we found ourselves getting some rest! Unfortunately, only the last day was rain free.  Hoi An is definitely a "the perfect little Vietnamese town", and the lanterns were absolutely gorgeous. 

We went and visited My Son Sanctuary and the Marble Mountains, both sites that date back to around the 14th century. Our guide was an absolute wealth of information, and told us stories about when he was a translator for the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War. 

January 4th-6th Okinawa, Japan

We knew we were back in Japan because things were expensive again...Although we only had two full days in Okinawa, we were able to explore Shuri Castle, the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom before the island became a part of Japan.  Visiting Itoman Peace Memorial Park was an incredibly solemn affair as we learned more about the history of Okinawa and the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 at the end of WWII. We also were able to visit the Naha Prefectural Museum where we learned about the Ryukyu Kingdom, the culture of the Okinawa people, their relations with China and other countries nearby, and so much more.  Although it was winter so we didn't get to visit any beaches or do anything in the water, it was wonderful to learn so much about the history of one little piece of the world.  

There is so much more that I could write about this trip- about the little Japanese man who gave me an oragami crane when we landed in Taiwan (where I was on the verge of vomiting because we experienced THE WORST turbulence ever on a flight) or the lady who put all her fruit on my shoulders in Hanoi and then insisted that we buy her fruit, or the lanterns that we put into the river on New Year's Eve in Hoi An.  All I know is that the more I see of the world, the more I see a need for a Savior.  There is so much evil in this world, and often it seems there is little we can do about it.  I cannot change the heart of any man or any woman-only God can do that.  I can only show the love of Christ the best that I know how and pray that hearts and eyes would be opened to the one true God.  

This trip made me realize just how thankful I am, for the home that I was raised in, for my family. Thankful that I do not pray to a god made with my own hands, that I do not pray to my ancestors, or to "the god of wealth" or "the god of good luck", that I do not have to clap my hands to wake up the gods.  No, my God is always listening and the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is at the right hand of the Father interceding for me.  I will forever rejoice that Christ opened my eyes to his goodness and mercy, that He bought me with a price, and that I am His.