FACES of Vietnam...

Vietnamese children on a school trip.  Guess it's the same in every country... single file line and holding on to each others shirt so no one gets lost. 

A local just passing time on the sidewalk.

Graduates at the Temple of Literature in their traditional dress. 

College kids at Temple of Literature kicking back and sketching by the garden. 

Locals sitting in front of a Cafe on the corner.  This was very common in Hanoi to have chairs and tables on the sidewalk as their seating area.

Local with his potato cart. 

Those oranges look delicious, but we didn't try them.  Just a little hesitant to buy any local fresh fruit or veggies. 

Caitlin... this one's for you! 

Yep, everyone was acting like this was completely normal...

This lady came by and placed her baskets on my shoulders, so of course I had to take a picture.  I think she wanted us to buy a banana though... whoops.

Dinner time!  Couldn't believe this was an entire kitchen/restaurant on the side of the street.

AND, this is a typical intersection in the Old Quarter.  Look closely to all the directions the scooters are going.  They didn't even stop at all!  I actually got hit by one walking down the street.  I would have walked on the sidewalk, but it was already taken up by parked scooters...

Fresh fruit stand on the corner.

This little street was just extremely busy and packed with shops and restaurants.  A little too much for me actually. 

Very cool looking rice paper lantern shop! 

My favorite dish of the whole trip... Chili-lemongrass chicken!!  AMAZING!

Hanoi, Vietnam...

Hanoi Hilton was the prison during the Vietnam War where they kept the American pilot POWs.  It was extremely erie walking through there trying to imagine some of the conditions the prisoners had to endure.   

These were the first pilots pulled out of the water during the Vietnam War and were held as prisoners at Hanoi Hilton. 

The flight suit John McCain wore when he was captured.  It was very interesting reading about some of the POW's stories of when they were in there.  I definitely want to learn more about it!

Katie and I in front of Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum.  Honestly, I could have done without going there, but we had to since we were in Vietnam.  Kind of weird inside. 

Presidential Palace next to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum.  All important political discussions go on in this building.  This area was surrounded by the many embassys and Ho Chi Minh's residence.

Standing in front of the One Pillar Pagoda.

Pretty lotus flower hanging and decorations at the pagoda.

Temple of Literature (Confucius' Temple) was a university in the middle of Hanoi.  We actually went on their graduation day.  It's a tradition to take traditional Vietnamese pictures around the university at graduation.

Cool looking dragon at the Temple of Literature.  Dragons were a big deal in Vietnam. 

Katie and I got pedi-cab rides throughout the Old Quarter.  There were a few times that I was scared for my life.  Vietnamese don't believe in driving on one side of the road or using stop lights/stop signs.  They will drive where ever they feel like (usually on both sides of the road) and never actually stop when going through intersections.  Their idea of a turn signal is honking their horn.  And did I mention, there's probably a million scooters, cars, and trucks driving on these narrow roads where the sidewalks are used for scooter parking and restaurant overflow instead of pedestrian traffic.

I made it alive and safe! 

Hanoi Cathedral 

Hoan Kiem Lake right outside of Old Quarter.

We decided to walk around a little bit to pass some time before the water puppet show.

Water Puppets are a Vietnamese tradition.  They put on a story with song and music, with intricate puppets commanded by people standing behind a bamboo screen in waist deep water.  Definitely interesting to see once. 

The band at the water puppet show.

Intricate water puppets.

Cambodia FACES...

Traditional Khmer dress.  These women were all dressed up at Angkor Wat temple. 

A school for orphaned children next to the market. 

"How much you paay Laaday??  I giv you good priiii!"  Yep, that's what we heard for the two days we were walking around the markets.  They preferred to use the USD because their Riels were basically worth nothing.  Bargaining was fun though.

"Welcome to Coffee Angkor Wat".  Katie and I enjoyed a traditional Khmer lunch at this local restaurant.    I had a chicken and onion stir fry dish with rice.  (of course I had rice... comes with almost EVERY dish)  There was also a few fresh veggies and fresh pineapple, but I had to contain myself and stay away from it.  Didn't really want to spend the rest of the trip in the bathroom.  Lunch was delicious though. 

The kitchen of the restaurant we ate at.  Now you see why I didn't want to eat any fresh foods from here... never know, the bathroom was probably right around the corner too. 

Katie and I enjoyed fish foot massages and an hour foot massage for.... $3!!!  Man, I could have stayed there all night for that price.  It was recommended by our tour guide... his favorite place.  I did go back to the hotel and got an hour full body massage for $8.  I could get used to that.  :)

The Night Market where we went shopping, got foot massages, and ate a delicious local dinner at a "resort restaurant".  I did enjoy the lemongrass tea and spring rolls! 

For all the nurses out there.... Here's the local ER.  Yep, check out the nurses sitting outside and the old fashioned treatment beds inside...  Very thankful for American healthcare!

Locals hanging out and playing hackie-sac.  Check out all the tuck-tucks in the background.  

A couple taking wedding pictures at Angkor Wat.

Resting after a long day in front of Angkor Wat. 

There were a few of these types of bands around Siem Reap.    They were raising money for the land-mine victims of Cambodia.

A little local boy hanging out around Banteay Sarei.  Definitely one of my favorite pics of the trip.

Locals on the side of a country road making sugar cane candy.

The next step in making sugar cane candy.  Didn't eat any after seeing the random dogs wandering around.

A local relaxing outside her house.

There were small children selling all sorts of things all over Angkor.  It was kind of hard to say no a lot of the times. 

Children hanging out while working at Ta Phrom. 

Artistans Angkor is a trade school for locals to learn a valuable trade from wood and stone carvings, silk making, painting, or sewing.