PeaceTrees VietNam's Đồng Hới office, Quảng Bình province

We departed HaNoi and arrived in the city of Dong Hoi on Tuesday, 23 January. 

Dong Hoi is in the Quảng Bình province, and has the newer of PeaceTrees VietNam's 

two offices in VietNam. We heard a great presentation in the office, 

then went to the field to see a demining team in action.

Below, a PTVN demining team demonstrates some mine detection equipment.

The day of our visit, two cluster bombs were found in a field. 

Below, the demolition detonates them from a safe distance.

 

PeaceTrees VietNam trip begins! (Jan 20 - 22 in HaNoi)

First moments together as a group in HaNoi shared over Bun Cha lunch, 

then to the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long.

Portions of the Imperial Citadel were used by the government and military leadership during the US-VietNam War, and have been preserved in their state from that time.

Museum of Ethnology, incredible overview of the 54 ethnic groups that call VietNam home, including an amazing outdoor area with replicas of village homes of about 20 different ethnic, regional styles. Also was great fun to be interviewed by groups of middle school students practicing English, and learning a bit about one another's lives and cultures.

A great time out at Binh Minh Jazz Club, a very meaningful visit to the US Embassy in HaNoi, words of poetic-wisdom from one of the two Veterans in our group of 15, and our final HaNoi meal at the amazing Cha ca Thang Long restaurant. 

Lunch; overlooking a HaNoi intersection with no traffic lights

Probably most mesmerizing view I've ever had over a meal —

a common sight in HaNoi — sizable, busy intersection with no traffic lights; 

it is amazing to me how the scooters, bikes, cars, trucks, pedestrians all maneuver around one another without lights in intersections of this size — I have still never seen a single collision, while in the US I'd have seen hundreds of them by now in traffic like this. A friend told me that HaNoi was given the title "city of the bee" for their traffic; it fits very well—!

 

HaNoi's Temple of Literature ("Văn Miếu")

On Friday, 19 January, spent about three hours here at the Temple of Literature 

It is dedicated to Confucius, and also commemorates several of his best disciples

This temple is nearly 1,000 years old. It was built in 1070, 

during the reign of King Lý Thánh Tông

 

The temple hosted Vietnam's first national university, 

the Imperial Academy (Quốc Tử Giám), from 1076 to 1779.

It has undergone numerous expansions and reconstructions in its time

At top center is a statue commemorating Confucius. 

During the some of the wars VietNam experienced 

in the 20th Century, huge sections of the temple 

were buried in sand protecting them from bombardment

In the final building are statues commemorating the first three monarchs 

during whose reigns the temple was built, and an influential 

rector / mandarin / teacher at the temple, Chu Văn An.

*** *** *** * *** *** ***

Across the street from the temple, beautiful plaza, 

behind which is a small lake with an island, connected by an 

elaborate foot-bridge. Tết (VietNamese New Year: February 10th this year) 

preparations are evident in the stunning 

red and yellow lanterns and other decorations.

The flights, arrival, & first 60 hours in Viet Nam!

This is a trip that in some ways has been 21 years in the making for me. Extremely excited and grateful to finally be here! All of these images are on the way to (montage 1), or from my first 60 hours in HaNoi (click on photos to see larger view).

 

Largely I wish to let the photos speak for themselves.. but must point out some of the Aleutian Islands (center left), an amazing Platt Park beanie (bottom left), Mt. Fuji at dusk, behind the plane (bottom center), and a Chinese city at night on the last of the three flights (bottom right).

Arrival, and spent most of the first day with a great new friend and fellow early-to-arrive PeaceTrees Vietnam Citizen Diplomacy traveler..

First run, around historic Lake Hoàn Kiếm, and towards Tay Lake, aka West Lake 

Military History Museum and National Fine Arts Museum

Stunning ancient sculpture and modern paintings, at the National Museum of Fine Arts

Run 2, around parts of Tay Lake / West Lake

at the tremendous Vietnamese Women's Museum

Vietnamese Women's Museum, spending time with an amazing new friend and his family, and views from the rooftop of my hotel, including a view of Lake Hoàn Kiếm.

 

Secondary color reversals

 

🖍: Spokes II

             A lot of life is lived within each bubble, between each spoke