Greetings from Pleiku
I am sitting on my bed under a mosquito net in Pleiku, Vietnam, and I
finally have a few spare moments to update you on the latest adventures
of your favorite globe-trotting producer.
Click “Read More” below for stories and pictures.
Since my last blog
entry I’ve been traveling the country, but we’ll pick up where we left
off: Hanoi. We still had one more day there before we headed off to
meet the family of Hoang Ngoc Dam. Doug Reese took us to the beautiful
Temple of Literature. It was founded in 1070 by King Ly Thanh Tong to
honor great men of academic achievement. Six years later, it became
the first university of Hanoi. The King himself used to pose the
questions to students for their final examinations. Today, it is a
beautiful place to visit.
A man getting a shave outside the gates of the Temple of Literature
The place has a wonderful contemplative feel. It must have been a wonderful place to learn
Students still visit the Temple and rub the heads of the stone turtles that hold the stelae engraved with the names of those who passed the University’s rigorous examinations
After our sightseeing we went to lunch at a place that had two markers of being authentic: eating was done while sitting on the floor, and dog was on the menu.
Homer and Wayne relaxing at lunch
This was the most delicious meal I have had so far in Vietnam. And no, I did not try the dog!
After lunch we went back to the hotel and then I made my way over to examine a monument that had captured my attention. It was a great example of socialist realism.
The kneeling male figure is shown holding a type of land mine that was used against the Americans during the Vietnam War. This mine required the person holding it to jam it up against the target to detonate it-a suicidal endeavor.
The following day we left the city and traveled to Thai Binh to meet the family of Hoang Ngoc Dam. I have many pictures and images of that part of our journey to share with you, but I am afraid you’ll have to wait for them just another couple of days!
-Jessica
