New pics from Thailand and Vietnam

It's Wednesday in Hanoi and an overcast day has faded to night. We're back in our hotel after another full day of sightseeing. The streets of Old Hanoi alive with activity, motorbikes fill every inch of the street while merchants hustle their wares along sidewalks packed with curious pedestrians. The story that has unfolded here over since the end of the war in 1975 is incredibly captivating, particularly for those of us who grew up during the war but even the kids seem genuinely interested. Today was our first day in Hanoi and we visited the tomb and residence of Ho Chi Minh, the ehnology museum, the temple of literature (Vietnam's first University founded in the 11th century) and the oldest Pagoda in Vietnam. It's been a similar pace throughout Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue and now Hanoi. We're headed to Hai Phong and Halong Bay tomorrow, then back to Hanoi on the 19th and on to Bangkok and Mumbai on the 22nd. We'll get to rest for a week in Puna, India and we'll need it. It's hard to fully absorb this place in real time. I think I'll be reflecting for weeks or even months to try to fully understand what's going on here. It's odd but Liz and I both feel this strange connection to Vietnam and consequently their history and future seem somehow more relevant than that most other places in South East Asia.

We've posted some new pics from Thailand and Vietnam. Unfortunately, I lost our first digital camera in Thailand so many of our pictures are now being enjoyed by a Bangkok cabby. Nonetheless, we've posted some from Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Tha Tong. More to come but for now, we're off to dinner.