Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand

Snake Village, North Vietnam

Just outside Hanoi there is one of the country's two largest snake villages devoted to every aspect of the snake -- raising, pampering, preparing, selling and exporting. In economic terms -- a classic industry cluster; a self-reinforcing collection of businesses that makes it hard for new competitors to enter the market.

All kinds of snakes are important to Vietnamese cuisine and culture, but the really good stuff -- the snakes that are just too challenging to grow in your own backyard -- well, those are all poisonous and they are all at Snake Village.

We drove around the village to get a sense of the place before settling on one of the finest snake restaurants in the country. Tuesday night is two snake beers for a buck night, so the place was packed. The patrons were mostly couples but a few families. The restaurant was large and elegantly appointed -- there's very good money in the snake business.

The menu offered a delightful array of snake meals - fried snake, boiled snake, dried snake, snake soup, snake roll-ups, snake-on-a-stick. The owner let us visit the kitchen to assure freshness of supply and cleanliness of preparation.

But what really intrigued us was the poisonous snake wine. (see Snake Photo Gallery). You just can't find these vintages back in the States (like the French - they keep the good stuff for themselves).

The Cobra wines, though expensive, are a particular favorite for men given the inherent benefits of the drink. While the FDA won't let wine producers make specific claims, a wink & a nod (and graphic hand gestures) sufficed.

Think Red Bull with Serious Benefits, but with less carbonation and more little slimy pieces of snake in your glass. [Label Warning: "If effects last for more than four days, consult your veterinarian."]

Sadly, they did not have a gift shop. Glen and I explained that we had a lot of experience in "themed restaurants" and tried to convey the profit margins on logo T-shits, key chains, shot glasses, posters, etc. We saw Samuel L. Jackson as the spokesman, but it just didn't translate.

So, what dishes and drinks did we enjoy? They have a saying there: What Happens in Snake Village Stays in Snake Village - or will at least dissipate over the next few days.

Teaching Glen Photo Technique

Since we started traveling together I've been coaching Glen on how to improve his photography. I've been able to pass along artistic techniques I learned from my instructor, National Geographic photographer Joe McNally:

1- Strong Feelings - find subjects that evoke in you strong emotions or deep feelings. If you care about the subject, others will be able to tell the depth of your enthusiasm

2- Fill The Frame - when you take a photo, you can't be afraid to get up close and personal with your subject.

3- Reveal Your Passions - what does this picture tell the viewer about you as well as about the subject?

The photo below and the accompanying Glen's Gallery is testament to how much his eye and technique have improved. Grasshopper is learning.

B-52 Museum

This is not so much a museum as a monument of pieces B-52's shot down by the North Vietnamese over Hanoi.

It is a somber, sad and emotionally stirring memorial and a moving reminder of the men who were shot down and the population they bombed.

The pictures speak for themselves.

Visit to the Vu's home

Our guide in Hanoi, Hoang, was kind enough to take us to his family's house where he lives with his mother, father, and younger sister.

The Vu family graciously entertained us for about an hour, letting us tour and photograph their lovely four story home and talking about their lives.

Mr. Vu served in the North Vietnamese Army and traveled the Ho Chi Minh Trail to fight America's soldiers in the South. He began his comments stating that he harbored no anger toward Americans, despite his brother being killed in the fighting.

This sentiment of "forgive, but do not forget" was prevalent among every Vietnamese we met. Almost to a person they go out of their way to say the war is in the past and we must learn more about each other and look only to the future.

After Nixon ordered heavy bombing of Hanoi late in the war, Hanoi was bombarded by B-52's and heavily damaged. I asked Mr. Vu if he ever thought the North was in danger of losing.

"We were fighting for our homes, our families, and our land as well as our lives -- we had no option but to be win," was his reply.

After the war Mr. Vu held an engineering position in the government and was able to comfortably retire at 55. The whole family seemed quite happy, hospitable and successful.

Interestingly, Mr. Vu speaks fluent Russian, as his generation was closely linked to the Soviets. His father spoke fluent French, living under French Colonial rule, and Haong speaks fluent English, the global language of commerce.

Hoa Lo Prison

Better known as the "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War, Hoa Lo Prison was actully built in the 19th century by the French.

Today only a small section has been preserved (thankfully), which is more than enough to give one a sense of how horrible it was for the 500+ American pilots who were held there for years.

Senator McCain is prominently featured, with his flight suit, helmet, and boots on display. His jet was shot down right over Hanoi and he crashed into a nearby lake where locals "rescued" him.

As horrendous as it must have been for the Americans, thousands of Vietnamese political prisoners were brutally tortured there during 80 years of French colonial domination. One of the preserved rooms was the French execution room, a chilling reminder of what the French inflicted on generations of Vietnamese.

A Truly Fresh Market

We took a stroll through the Hanoi food market, a maze of streets with dozens of tiny shops selling every imaginable kind of meat, seafood, vegetable, fruit, nut or spice.

The Vietnamese have an extraordinarily wide palate and they simply do not waste anything.

Lots of freshly cooked dishes filled the air with an aromatic robustness that was actually quite appetizing. However, one can also purchase literally all manner of "raw" ingredients for home preparation, truly proving there are times when ignorance is blessed.

As I photographed the displays, I was inspired to coin this slogan:

The Hanoi Market: The only meal that's fresher is the one that got away.

You'll understand as you view the photos.

The Rush of Rickshaw Racing

As we learned in India, rickshaw racing through insanely crowded urban streets can be truly exhilarating!

My driver fell behind early in this race, so we attempted an "inside slide by" -- also known as the "Hanoi Drift", but Glen's driver waved us off and they went on to win.

I've demanded a rematch in Ho Chi Minh City. I've also insisted that if Glen wins again he is not to repeat that "Tai Chi Slow-Motion Victory Dance".

ONE OF A KIND

One of the surprising things about Hanoi is the remarkable amount of "one of a kind" artwork, clothing, ceramics and women's fashion accessories that can be found here.

Needless to say, Glen and I didn't travel all this way to leave one of a kind stuff behind. We both have purchased a second large piece of luggage -- Glen paid $9 for a genuine Adidas canvas duffel bag. I overpaid a bit at $12, but mine was a higher quality genuine North Face bag. Curiously, brand name products are very cheap here. Lower shipping costs from China, I suspect

Anyway, we have been buying wisely and aggressively. I'm confident our friends and family will be rather pleased with these one of a kind gifts. [The first shipments should be arriving home shortly]

Below, Glen is shown examining some "one of a kind" artwork, although he did not purchase it, having had an odd feeling that he had seen it only an hour earlier...

Hanoi At 6 AM

Hanoi at 6am is already bustling with hundreds of people playing organized badmiton on the sidewalks, legions of people doing tai chi, thousands of motorcycles racing in all directions and countless merchants carrying their wares to market.

I was exhausted just watching everyone.

Bill Clinton & Vietnam's Miracle

Much to Glen "Jefferson" Tullman's delight, former President Bill Clinton is a hero to the Vietnamese people. Following the end of the war in 1975, the US embargoed Vietnam and for 20 years most of the population lived hopeless lives on the edge of starvation.

In 1995, President Clinton ended the embargo and the Vietnamese people's natural entrepreneurial skills blossomed. New roads, new airports, lots more food, better housing, transporation --- as our guide Hoang stated "President Clinton changed everything for the better."

For the rest of the evening I had to endure Glen asking Hoang to "tell us the Clinton story again..."

"So, Clinton unleashed an economic growth miracle with just diplomacy and a brilliant policy decision?" says Glen, "Wow Bob isn't that a great story?"

This may be a very long trip...