Vietnam 2012

  Today was about golf... ... every trip, I try to sneak in a little surprise for Sonja. This trip, I had scheduled a round of golf at Tam Dao Golf Resort about two hours outside of Hanoi. She had no idea why I was controlling her dress this morning until I finally pulled her golf glove out of my suitcase and said "you might want to wear this today". Those looks on her face of confusion and then recognition are priceless. But the surprise was only beginning. The ride out to the course was through the Vietnam countryside and the fascinating rice paddies with water buffalo. We saw a completely different look to this beautiful country. And then getting to the course, another great look on her face when she found out we had caddies! Sonja has caddied for me several times, but this was her first time and she quickly found out how much fun that can be. We had two wonderful young ladies, Yan and Ha, caddying for us. Neither of them spoke much English but we communicated all day with...

  First Day in Hanoi I think I'm starting to say "wow" too much. Hanoi is sensory overload. From the minute you hit the street you are bombarded by the sounds, the smells, the symphonic chaos of the motor bikes and cars orchestrating their way around you. It's absolutely fabulous! We left our hotel early in the morning and headed to Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi. After a breakfast of Pho and spring rolls we headed to the temple in the middle of the lake. Passing the women doing their Tai Chi and the students practicing their drawings. And then it was into the heart of the Old Quarter. Street after street, lane after lane of shops and vendor hawking their wares. Little old ladies cooking on the streets and all the while dodging the endless stream of motorbikes. It doesn't take long before you learn to blend in and the din of horns and voices meld into the background. We shopped, we tasted the street food, we walked down tiny alleys and nobody paid us any min...