Have I ever told you guys my favorite part about traveling? It's a 3-way tie for the best part: culture, food, and friends. I always thought it was weird how people said that the friends you make in college will be your best friends for life. Don't get me wrong, I made a few great friends in college, but I also made a lot of acquaintances who, since the moment I left Red Square, I haven't spoken (or typed) two words to. Sure, we had some good parties back in the day, but there were only a few people I really connected with. I always felt a little bit like I must have done something wrong, or that my friend-making days had been left behind in my childhood years, or something. It turns out that for me, the friends I met traveling would end up being some of the ones I feel I could keep forever. **Disclaimer: I had a great time with you, WWU peeps. Some of you are my nearest and dearest!** There's just something about being away from home that helps one form bonds with the friends they meet… it has been the same with almost everywhere we've gone in the last 2 years.
So, let me tell you about a magical time we had in Vietnam, thanks to a special Top Paddock friend named Hai. Brian worked with Hai in the good old back bar days (in Melbourne), and he was a super friendly guy. They stayed in touch after we left Melbs and we ended up hanging out with Hai and his friends in Adelaide (see my SA post). After we'd moved along, Hai introduced us to a few of his Vietnamese friends over Facebook, and they invited us to hang out with them when we arrived in Hue. I think at the most, Brian and I thought we'd have dinner with a new friend and she'd give us some suggestions for things to do in Hue. Instead we made 6 friends who carted us around their city in their free time and took us to all their favorite spots. They arranged for at least one or two of them to be hanging out with us almost the entire time we were there; we never really went without a special local tour-guide! :) They gave us access to the part of Vietnam we struggled to find on our own- the local food and the local hang outs. We ate spicy snails and BBQ'd frog, had a karaoke party, and were serenaded by our friends at an open-mic night. We rode motorbikes through torrential rainstorms and ate drank tapioca fruit iced tea drinks with meat dumplings in them. We didn't focus as much on seeing the traditional sights we might normally have, as we were too busy chatting about cultural differences and similarities between young people in the US, Vietnam, and Australia. Our time in Hue fulfilled us in a different way than the rest of our Vietnam trip had, and I still can't get over how lucky I feel that we had that experience. It will always be in my memory as one of the very best times in Asia I've had, and I know Brian and Ryan feel the same. Such wonderful friends... your hospitality made for an unforgettable time!
A HUGE thank you to Hai, who made it all possible for us- the only thing that could have made it better would be if you could have been there with us!! And to our friends in Hue, we will never forget you and your amazing friendship and hospitality. You and your friends will always have a place to stay in Seattle; come anytime! xo
Hue Imperial City
negotiations
snails in spicy lemongrass and chili broth... yummmm
catching an early morning coffee before our friends are off to uni/work for the day
Thien Mu Pagoda
banh beo - steamed rice flour cake topped with shrimp and pork crackling
Barbequein'
karaoke party :)
Crazy downpour on our last night but we still had a blast with these lovely folks!
Farewell Hue!
