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Rona & Aaron’s Excellent Adventure, Part 2

December 13, 2009 by Rona Michelson

…to see what happened earlier, go here

So we were airborne. Of course the luggage could not have made the flight. We had run over, under, around, and through and the baggage simply could not have been identified and transported that fast. It was all right. There would be another flight that night? the next morning? We’d be fine.

And after about two hours, we landed in Hanoi. We walked to the waiting area where we were met by our local guide. I gave the guide all of our passports, the visa application forms with photos attached, and the visa approval form we had received from the government of Vietnam. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. We could see the office where the visas were being given, see passports opened and visas affixed, but our guide was elusive. So we waited. Did I mention we waited?

After about an hour, she finally came back and we distributed the passports into which had been pasted the visas. Then everyone went through passport control and we met on the other side.

Our guide said we had to go to the lost luggage desk. Reminding her that our luggage was not lost, but tardy, she explained that unless we filed a claim for lost luggage, the luggage would not be transferred to Hanoi. I was to gather up all of the baggage claim checks which they then pasted onto a sheet of paper. Some of my people were hesitant to give up their only proof of every having had a bag, but were reassured when they were told that I would get a copy of the baggage tag page. We were missing 14 pieces of luggage. We had found only 11 baggage claim checks. No one would own up as to having additional ones. They filled out the paperwork only identifying 11 pieces of luggage. As they handed me the paperwork, I opened my ticket holder and found that I was the hold-out. There were the three baggage claim tags. I gave them to the people behind the counter and they copied the sheet for me.

Now about two hours later than we had anticipated, it was time for dinner and everyone was hungry and tired and so we decided to go directly to the restaurant where we would eat rather than to the hotel. We called and made sure that the four Swiss travelers and the one British traveler were brought to the restaurant to meet us.

Finally on the bus, we made our acquaintance with the Hanoi traffic jam– the type that puts everything at a standstill. The major bridge across the Red River was being repaired and construction materials and dug up road surface narrowed it to one lane. But we told people about Vietnam and about Hanoi and most of them were just happy to be finally out of the airport and on our way.

We arrived at the restaurant. It is the “forest” restaurant and it is beautifully decorated with objects that represent the history and folklore of Vietnam. Set in a garden, the wooden building was adorned with cloth and metal and wood wall hangings. The wait staff was dressed in native garb of one of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities. It was beautiful.

Rung Restaurant, Hanoi

What was not beautiful was the fact that our knives, cutting boards, and cooking utensils were in our baggage which was currently homeless in Hong Kong. So there we were with our Hanoi equipment (dishes, silverware, one large pot, and a wooden spatula) unable to prepare dinner.

We sent the local guide out to buy a knife. She had to take a motorcycle ride to get it and meanwhile, the chef was bristling as he wanted to kill the fish already so that he could cook them. Yes, you see when we cook in Vietnam, we need to see the fish whole and intact. So, often the fish are still alive when we meet them. These fish had something of a reprieve as we waited for the knife to appear.

In the end, we ate dinner, enjoyed getting to know each other, and although our luggage was still not with us, we all settled into our hotel that night for some much needed sleep.

Tomorrow: Hanoi as most people never imagined it and what ever happened to the luggage…

The adventure continues here

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Rona & Aaron's Excellent Adventure, Vietnam Tagged With: ethnic minority, Hanoi, kosher, Tour, Travel, Vietnam

Rona & Aaron’s Excellent Adventure, Part 1

December 13, 2009 by Rona Michelson

This is cross-posted from www.drsavta.com

We begin our adventure at Ben Gurion Airport. Our travelers arrived so promptly that by 5 minutes after the announced gathering time having received their tickets and bags and hats and information packets, all were in line to get their boarding passes This was surely a portent of a flawless trip!

Several of the travelers asked that I show the people at the ticketing counter the letter of visa approval we had gotten from the government of Vietnam because apparently without it we could not board our flight. One woman had renewed her passport after the visa was applied for and since her passport number didn’t match the one on our approval form, there was a question as to whether she would be able to enter the country. I reassured the El Al personnel that there would not be a problem.

OK, one minor glitch… I called our office and they conveyed the new number to our representative in Hanoi.

We boarded the plane ready for our 11 hour flight to Hong Kong. Our flight to Hanoi had been scheduled for only one hour from our landing time in Hong Kong. I had asked the operations person at our office if that wasn’t much too short a time to get from one plane to another in Hong Kong. He told me that it was a code share and as such, the second flight would wait for us and the two gates would be adjacent. What he didn’t tell me was that he was leaving the company and that he wasn’t really concerned with any fallout if things didn’t go as planned. He was already gone from the company before we left for Vietnam.

As we sat down, we noticed that the TV monitors in front of our seats were registering error messages. As the doors of the plane remained open and we stayed on the ground, we began to realize that they were trying to get the system fixed before we took off. In fact, the system did get fixed and we left not more than about 25 minutes late.

Of course, we likely had lost our place in line to take off and so by the time we were in the air, we were about 40 minutes late.

Realizing this, I began to be very concerned. It was not just that there was not another Vietnam Airlines flight to Hanoi that night, it was the fact that at the same time as we were in transit, so were four people from Switzerland and one from England, all of whom were to arrive in Hanoi about an hour before we were due. They were being met at the airport and taken to the hotel, but if we did not make it to Hanoi that night, they would be left with nothing to eat until we arrived as they all kept kosher and there is no kosher food available in Hanoi. The only Chabad in Vietnam is in Ho Chi Minh City — Saigon.

I began fairly early in the flight speaking with some of the flight personnel. Some said, “Oh no; you’ll never make it.” Others said, “You’ll be fine.” Still another said that when we get close to Hong Kong, they will call Vietnam Airlines to see if they would wait for us.

And so passed the night.

About two hours from Hong Kong, our projected arrival was 10 minutes before the connecting flight’s takeoff. I was never told they would wait for us. I was, however, still under the impression that the gates were adjacent and if we could only get our people out of the plane first, we might have a chance. When I asked if they could just ask the other people on the flight to remain seated and to let us get off the plane first, I didn’t get an answer.

About 10 minutes before landing, long after the seat belt lights had been lit and the tray tables returned to the backs of the seats and all of the seats in an upright position, I was told to gather my people quickly and bring them up to the first class section. Amazingly, my people were incredibly responsive and in seconds they had gathered their carry-ons from their overhead compartments and joined me in the first class section. (Parenthetically: it’s definitely the way to fly).

When we landed, we got out first. Waiting for us was a lovely lady from Vietnam Airlines with a big sign with our names and she ran ahead of us, leading us to the check-in counter where we quickly received our boarding passes.

Then the fun began.

The Hong Kong Airport is more a city than an airport. It is huge. It is the third largest airport in the world after Dubai and Beijing with a terminal area of 570,000 square meters. Our gates were not adjacent.

Three Vietnam Airlines workers ran with us across aisles, down escalators, onto a train, up elevators, across more halls and aisles, through concourses, and finally to the gate. As we didn’t all fit on the same elevator, my husband and I ended up running separately from the other travelers. Apparently our person was a faster runner than theirs because when we got onto the plane, we realized that none of our people had made it yet. The plane was already 10 to 15 minutes beyond takeoff time. I didn’t want to sit down because I was worried our people would not make it onto the flight in time and the plane would take off without them. In a short time, however, the first of them showed up and after a few minutes we were missing only three. As I begin to make my way up the aisle, the last three boarded. In a few minutes, the captain apologized for the delay and we were airborne.

Freed from the earth, but not out of the woods…

For more of the story, go to this post

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Rona & Aaron's Excellent Adventure, Vietnam Tagged With: kosher, Tour, Travel, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam

October 5, 2009 by Rona Michelson

One of the loveliest places we visit in Vietnam is Hoi An. Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the 16th to the 19th century, Hoi An was a major port for international trade. About 45 minutes’ drive from DaNang, Hoi An today is a great destination because although it is tourist friendly, it is not overrun with tourists and the city retains its natural charm.

Because of trade ties, a large number of Chinese and Japanese people settled in Hoi An and there are remnants of both. One of the attractions in town is the Japanese bridge which is a covered bridge guarded on one side by a statue of a dog and on the other by a statue of a monkey. On the bridge itself, there is a side room that was used for prayer!

A view from the Japanese bridge, Hoi An

There are beautiful Chinese assembly halls in the city. This one, Quang Dong, has elaborate mosaic covered sculptures. This is the entrance gate.

Entrance gate, Chinese temple, Hoi An, Vietnam

Like China, Vietnam has had a silk trade for many years. Hoi An is famous for its hand tailored, custom made silk dresses and suits. After several days in Vietnam, one comes to regard the Ao Dai, the traditional Vietnamese dress, as very beautiful and graceful as well as modest. They can be made to order from a large variety of colors and patterns. Amazingly, one can be fitted in the evening and have a dress ready to wear by morning.

Hoi An is also noteworthy because of the beautiful silk lanterns that are made and sold there. Each lunar month, on the 14th night of the month, the night before the full moon, the lights in the downtown area are switched off and the town is lit by only silk lanterns. Of course, silk lanterns/lampshades are available for purchase as well. Here are some.

Silk lanterns for sale in Hoi An, Vietnam

Come see Hoi An with me!

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Vietnam Tagged With: kosher, Tour, Travel, Vietnam

Halong Bay, Vietnam

September 14, 2009 by Rona Michelson

One of the most beautiful places in the world is Halong Bay, east of Hanoi. Halong Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, is known for its magnificent rock outcroppings. There are about 1600 huge rocks, some the size of mountains and others only a few meters long and a few meters tall. They are the result of a process that is termed “Karst.” Karst is the name of an area in what is now Slovenia where these types of structures were first identified and explained. They are the result of the receding of the ocean floor and erosion that took place over thousands of years. The limestone has been worn away leaving only the core area resulting in beautiful formations.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Halong Bay has been named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Although most of these rocks are not large enough for people to live on, the bay has a large number of residents who live on floating homes. Their food is delivered to their porches by boat and their children are collected by boat to go to school.

Floating homes, Halong Bay

Selling fruit on Halong Bay

On our tours of Vietnam, one of the loveliest experiences we have is lunch on board a boat as it cruises along Halong Bay. Because our tours are strictly kosher, we bring with us, of course, all of our own kitchen equipment (woks, knives, cutting boards, stirring implements, foil trays, foil for surfaces) and disposable utensils to eat with. On Halong Bay we enjoy very fresh fish. Below are our people watching as our boat stopped to be supplied with the freshest fish we ever ate!

Sailing on Halong Bay

Come with me! We leave on November 16!

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Vietnam Tagged With: Floating village, Halong Bay, kosher, Tour, Travel, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vietnam

Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue, Vietnam

August 21, 2009 by Rona Michelson

There are many magnificent things to see in Hue, Vietnam’s former capital. Like China, Vietnam too had a Forbidden City for its rulers. Built in its own Vietnamese style, it is quite impressive and certainly the highlight of a trip to Hue. Parts of it are now undergoing reconstruction and restoration.

But no trip to Hue is complete without a cruise on the Perfume River. It is so named because of the fragrances of the plants and trees that line its banks. Here two views of the Perfume River, a place of enchantment.

Looking at the Perfume River, Hue, Vietnam

A dreamscape

The treat that comes at the end of the cruise, as if the calm waters and entertaining hostesses on the boat, selling silk pajamas, silk blouses, embroidered wall hangings, and carved wooden items weren’t enough– is the Thien Mu Pagoda.

Built in 1601 and then renovated in 1844, it is part of a Buddhist Temple complex that includes a huge 2000 kilogram bell. Legend has it that people used to see an old lady sitting on the hill where the pagoda now stands. She presumably said that a great leader will someday build a pagoda on this spot that would bring peace to the country. She then disappeared into a cloud. The pagoda’s name translates as “Heavenly Lady Pagoda.” The complex now houses young men who are learning to become Buddhist monks. The setting is calm and beautiful.

Approaching the pagoda

The pagoda actually is not straight, but leans back. So far, no one is talking about reinforcing it and the angle is barely noticeable.

Thien Mu Pagoda

A walk on the grounds is a reminder of the peace and calm that the monastic life has to offer. Join me on my next trip!

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Vietnam Tagged With: kosher, Perfume River, Tour, Travel, Vietnam

Fireworks in Hanoi

July 26, 2009 by Rona Michelson

The last time I visited Hanoi, we had come back from a side trip to Halong Bay, a most magnificent place that I will post about in the future. We spent the day touring the Temple of Literature, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area, seeing the homes he lived in and the One Pillar Pagoda. After a cyclo ride around the old town,

Two cyclos in Hanoi

we transported our people to a small hotel to have a chance for a shower and change of clothes before dinner and the overnight train to Lao Cai. After everyone was settled in their rooms or decided to take walks, I stayed in the lobby to get the address of the restaurant where we were to eat that night. I was then to take all of our equipment (pots, woks, cooking implements, knives, cutting boards, dishes, silverware, etc.) to the restaurant and work on the cooking of dinner.

As I stood in the lobby, all of a sudden, I saw a flash of sparks. It was already getting dark and it looked like nothing so much as fireworks. I looked to see where it was coming from. It was coming from the top of a utility pole down the block from the hotel. It was sparking like a giant cake decoration sparkler. I turned to the desk clerk and said, “Maybe you ought to call the electric company.” She just stood there. I said to my English speaking Vietnamese guide (we always have a local English speaking guide with us), “Perhaps she didn’t understand; the electric pole is sparking (everyone could see that– people in the street had stopped to watch) and if someone doesn’t come, it could make all of the power in the area go out.” He went to the desk clerk and she again did nothing.

By then, it was time for me to go to the restaurant, about a fifteen minute drive away. My guide stayed to load people onto the bus and bring them later to the restaurant.

The people at the restaurant were lovely and cooperative, something that we found to be true of every place we prepared food in Vietnam and Cambodia. They had the fresh fruits and vegetables waiting for me and the whole fish ready for my inspection. Although it was a busy kitchen, they set aside an adequate area covered with tinfoil for preparation of our food completely separate from the other food that was being prepared that evening.

When our people arrived about an hour later, they came with their story of an adventure: they had just gotten to the lobby and were about to leave when all of the lights went out– in the hotel, in the shops nearby, in the streets. Fortunately, they just proceeded to the bus, but they left the entire neighborhood in the dark.

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Vietnam Tagged With: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Jewish, kosher, Lao Cai, Temple of Literature

Water Puppets!

July 10, 2009 by Rona Michelson

Vietnam is very much a water culture. That is, the country has a very very long coastline and much of its industry is water based- such as fishing and growing rice. During the rainy season both the Red River and Mekong Deltas fill with water and leave the soil fertile when the waters recede.

One art form that has resulted from this water culture is the water puppet theater.

The puppets are fashioned from wood and the puppeteers stand in water thigh to chest deep behind a screen and manipulate them from behind via the use of bamboo rods under the water. The puppets are fairly primitive looking but the puppeteers are able to make them do amazing things- they dance, they throw and catch, they even have fire-breathing dragons! The stories come from Vietnamese folklore and history. It may not be high art, but it is fascinating and definitely worth seeing.

Here is a wonderful article about the water puppets we see in Hanoi on our Shai Bar Ilan tour to Vietnam/Cambodia!

Here is one outdoor water puppet theater.

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Vietnam Tagged With: Hanoi, kosher, Tour, Vietnam

Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

June 25, 2009 by Rona Michelson

One of the more impressive places to visit in Hanoi is the Temple of Literature. Originally built in 1070 as a Confucian Temple, in 1076, part of the complex became Vietnam’s first university. Its purpose was to educate the ruling class– the bureaucrats and the nobles and other members of the elite.

Temple of Literature, Hanoi

During the time it functioned- from 1076 to 1779, many of the students were not successful in passing the final examinations. The names of those who succeeded were engraved in a stone stele and over the entire period, only 2,313 students’ names were recorded.

The temple is constructed with a series of five courtyards and three paths lead through it. In older times, only the king would use the center path. There are a number of attractive buildings, manicured gardens, and ponds on the complex.

Garden view

Statue of a phoenix next to offerings in the temple

The day we visited, we saw many Vietnamese high school students, dressed in their graduation robes, having their pictures taken against the beautiful gardens and buildings.

Students in their graduation robes

We also were treated to a concert of Vietnamese music played on traditional instruments. Altogether delightful!

Filed Under: Vietnam Tagged With: Garden, Hanoi, Temple of Literature, Vietnam

Hanoi

May 27, 2009 by Rona Michelson

There is a lot to say about Hanoi. Coming of age in the era of the Vietnam War, I thought of it as a dark forbidding place and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever visit. NowI not only visit, but I am getting to know it like a friend.

There are many notable sights to see in Hanoi. There is the complex that surrounds Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. It contains the Presidential Palace built by the French, Ho Chi Minh’s two unassuming residences, a museum dedicated to him, and the One Pillar Pagoda. Further off in the city are several lakes, the Temple of Literature, the Old City, and one of the famous Vietnamese water puppet theaters. Of course, there is also Maison Centrale, the old French prison that used to house political opponents of the French, but during the Vietnam War era, housed US POWs including John McCain.

But today, I want to show you the character of the city. It is perhaps enhanced in these pictures by the gentle rain that was falling as I took them.

Early in the morning in Hanoi

This woman is readying her flower cart. There are hundreds of flower carts in Hanoi and in the days before the celebration of Tet, many of them are festooned with flowering branches, many times of peach blossoms, without which, the holiday is not complete.

Flower vendor with blossoming peach branches

Park in downtown Hanoi

This park has a large memorial to the fighters of Vietnam. Here, the women are cleaning the park, sweeping it in the early morning hours. The hats they are wearing are worn throughout the country. They provide shade from the sun while allowing circulation of air.

Luscious flowers in Hanoi

Tet is a holiday that is celebrated with great joy. There are dozens of customs that accompany the holiday. One of them is decorating the home. These decorations are very similar (perhaps identical) to those of the Chinese New Year which comes out at just about the same time, in the mid-winter.

Tet decorations

And lest you think that Hanoi is a frightening or dangerous place to be, rest assured that you have nothing to fear. The watchful eyes of the FBI are guarding you.

FBI Agent

Filed Under: Kosher Tours, Vietnam Tagged With: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, kosher, Tet, Tour, Travel, Vietnam

To Market- in Bac Ha, Vietnam

May 7, 2009 by Rona Michelson

After a long drive through gorgeous landscapes- terraced mountains, picturesque villages, we arrive at the Sunday market in Bac Ha. Every moment of the ride is worth it as you take in your first glance of the market. The people who trade here are from the minority group, the Flower Hmong.

The market at Bac Ha

The market is not just an opportunity to sell and trade handicrafts, but it is the major event of the week. At the market people from villages all around meet. They trade/sell/buy their fruits and vegetables, their meat and their fish. The also buy the exquisitely embroidered clothing they wear.

Buying clothing in Bac Ha

They also buy fabrics to make their own clothing and handicraft items. The women are in their traditional dress– not to impress tourists, but because that is what they wear. Notice that since the helmet law (enacted in December 2007) for motorcycles and motorbikes, the traditional dress has begun to include an additional element.

Shopping in Bac Ha

On Sundays, in Bac Ha, even live animals are sold at the market. Because Vietnam is only beginning to mechanize farming, the water buffaloes are very important to a family’s economic well-being.