The brunette with Karin was just so taken by her that she wanted a photo. This is a common occurrence for Max in much of Asia (too much, actually) but it happens to Karin less and to me…less.

The square was huge and impressive as always. We had a delicious brunch afterwards at a swishy nearby restaurant that offers a glass of prosecco, fashion and travel magazines to browse, and a view over Mao’s mausoleum (at the south end of Tiananmen) and the Great Hall of the People (home of the Chinese Government). Very fun contradictions.

Looking to try something new?

Read the description in the menu, below the pic.

Dinner was excellent by the way, and largely vegetarian.

“Safari could not open the page because the server stopped responding”

That’s the message you get when going to Facebook, YouTube, and several other social media sites in China, as well as many foreign news sites and anything related to many “sensitive” topics like Tibet, democracy, Falun Gong, etc. This is ostensibly to protect China’s citizens and maintain social harmony. Or maybe they just think Facebook is a crappy waste of time.

Media censorship seemed to fit well with the vibe of the China I remember in the mid 90s. But now, with everyone fully wired and frequently travelling it just seems like a silly obstacle, slowing one very small part of a vast and unstoppable trend.

Beijing cabbies have all their buddies on speed-dial and grab their cell phones for GPS directions, real-time traffic maps, and online translators. They will find a way to get all the information they need or want.

UPDATE: an hour after posting this through my wordpress app, karin and I both couldn’t access this site. Weird. Maybe coincidence or maybe they have an auto checker for certain words that are in the post.

Update 2 (May 16): yup – this blog is now blocked in China. I tried it from a local connection and through a Canadian VPN at the same time. Works from Canada but not here. The app still works though, so I can continue to post and read.

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Map showing the worldwide rise of Facebook use. China is the black hole on the right.
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Attached are photos taken from the kids play area next to a rooftop tennis court connected to our hotel here in central Hanoi. The yellow building next door is the infamous Hỏa Lò Prison, known by American POWs as the Hanoi Hilton. Notable inmates included James Stockdale, John McCain, and others.

One morning this week, Max and I went out playing catch on the empty tennis court. Well, more a game of “throw”, as there wasn’t much catching going on.

Anyway, it occurred to me that when I was his age (in 1973) the Vietnam war was at its peak and I don’t think many people would have predicted that we’d be doing family travel in North Vietnam today.

So now I wonder where Max may vacation in the not-so-distant future. Backpack in Baghdad? Camping in Kabul? Seems improbable given the current situations, but so did Tennis in Hanoi a short while ago.

I was a little unsure how we’d like being in a big, bustling city after several great months at the beach and in smaller towns.

All good. Karin is loving Hanoi, Max is coping well, and I feel like the urban Asian smells and noises are a bit of a homecoming. This is a charming city with a mix of rhythmic chaos, quiet spots, and a lot of excellent aesthetic.

Bring US$50 to Vietnam and exchange it. The rate is now over 20,000 Vietnamese Dong per dollar.

Inflation in Vietnam has been high for most of the last decade, twice jumping well over 20%. The cumulative effects on prices is obviously huge. While you may feel cool with a few mil in your pocket, you still wonder where the money went after buying lunch at Burger King in the airport. (By the way, the Whopper tasted just like a Whopper does in its country of origin, which is a lot more than I can say for Vietnamese food in O’Hare!)

The rate on the Cambodian Real isn’t quite so high, but when Karin generously tipped her tuk-tuk driver in Siem Reap a hundred, he giggled and rolled his eyes. She only later realized that her generosity equalled a little over 2 Canadian cents. (so she tracked him down and gave him something appropriate!)

Karin has gone to Cambodia with friends for a few days so Max and I have gone ahead to Hoi An, Vietnam to check things out and do some serious training.

Apparently, when preparing for the 2008 Olympics in which he won 8 gold medals, Michael Phelps was in the pool for several hours each day, took very long naps, and consumed up to 12,000 calories per day.

Our days are modelled after that.

Ate at L. Maladee tonight for the third time in 5 days. They offered different seafood each time, based on the day’s catch. We’re definitely getting our fill of the Thai coconut curry with ultra-fresh fish.

The photo of Max’s spaghetti carbonara (without ham – just cream) is for those of you who are squeamish about seeing a fish, or at least one with a face.

Allen