We arrived to Hanoi late this afternoon, after less that 24 restful hours in Hong Kong.( It was strange to be back in HK after only 2 years, and we felt surprisingly comfortable and familiar with the city. Not sure why we didn't fly there a day earlier! Nevertheless, we were excited to start our trip in Vietnam.) We were greeted by Lam, who is to be our guide for the next week, as well as a bouquet of flowers! Lam took us to our roomy van, driven by Mr. T (!) and he too will be with us for the week. It was rush hour as we made our way in to Hanoi. To our amazement there are 4 million motor scooters in Hanoi and most of them seemed to be on the roads we traveled. There are no traffic lights or stop signs so it is bedlam on the roads. Agressive driving is the key! Imagine trying to get across a 3-lane road! Quite amusing!!
Our first stop was at the hotel where the Mudd Butt International (MBI) kids are staying for the night. When we arrived Wendy Brooks, founder of Telluride Academy and a most amazing woman, greeted us. The kids were all sleeping, exhausted from their travels. We said goodbye to our sweet daughter and went down the street to The Metropole Hotel, our home for the next few days.
We had a little downtime before meeting Diep Leto, who was treating us to a welcome dinner. Diep, along with her sister, owns Sister Tours, and she planned the bulk of our trip for us and the Hodes, Telluride friends of ours who live in Laguna Beach, CA. (Marla and Dan's son Dean is on the MBI trip. They also have 11 yr old twins, Matt and Carly).
Diep took us for a wonderful meal in an old French villa. As she ordered, she explained to us the theory of Vietnamese cooking. Like their belief system, cooking balances yin and yang. For example, a white, bland, soft fish will be combined with stronger flavors of tumeric or ginger and will include a crunchy texture and some color from a vegetable, perhaps. (Diep has also taught cooking classes and I'm hoping that she will come to our house and give a class next time she is in New York!) We also learned that the Vietnamese eat from little bowls, serving themselves a few bites at a time from the larger dish - sort of family style. This not only prevents wasting food and overeating, but provides a familial spirit of sharing food.
After dinner we went to Fanny's - the best ice cream parlor any of us has ever been to! For $2.00, you could try every flavor! Hudson, at one point exclaimed "This is a free-for-all!!" Each flavor, my favorites included coconut, coffee (like eating a cup of espresso), ginger and the most incredible, tart lime sorbet were served by the mini scoop! It was almost 11pm when we decided we should return to the hotel!
Well, the sugar high has worn off, and it's time to go to bed, hoping for a good, solid night of sleep, and excited for the day tomorrow.
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