The Occupations of Vietnam: The Streets of Hanoi

Hanoi from our hotel room

HANOI!

This city of 7.5 million is overwhelming for a newcomer. The text below is pulled from my journal while I was in Hanoi.

Cheese tea!  Iced green tea topped with a layer
of white creamy froth that had the tang of Jack cheese.

Near the cheese tea shop (near Hoan Kiem Lake), I walked past hundreds of business people eating lunch on tiny plastic stools from street vendors. I turned to take a photo of a shop and watched a business woman in a short skirt and black heels riding a scooter get hit by a black sedan. She wobbled, then fell to the street to her right. I watched her shoe fall off and her bare foot and leg were pinned by her scooter. It was terrifying. Seconds later, she was standing and talking with the help of passersby. The driver of the car that hit her was stone faced and barely interacted with her. I walked on. I never got a photo of the shop, as I didn't want to looks as if I was trying to photograph the accident.

The area was chic and much less chaotic than the old town, where our hotel is located. I wandered into a "house paint" area, with sacks of colored pigments at the ready.

One of many shops in this district of Hanoi,
near the Temple of Literature,
where families sold pigments for paint.

The sidewalks of Hanoi are made of dusty red octagonal bricks, many of them broken or missing. One cannot walk far on the sidewalk with out being forced into the street by rows of scooters parked or businesses spilling all the way to the street. I saw scooters exiting and entering an alley three feet wide over the sidewalk. Cramped, overcrowded, hot, sensory overload. The heat slays me.

Hanoi temple

The walk to dinner took us through puddles and remnants of a flower and vegetable market, past countless people, smells, and scooters. After dinner we encountered a busy nightlife street packed with people sitting on blue plastic stools drinking beer. The street was lined with thin tall bars and restaurants, many with hawkers trying to pull us in.

Hanoi backpacker district nightlife, I only wish I'd caught
the tiny ancient stooped woman selling gum out of a
blue plastic tub to revelers with my camera.

Hanoi nightlife

Motorbike mania, Hanoi

My birthday dinner, just how I like it,
didn't have to make any choices because they make
 one dish and they make it well.

We dined for my birthday at Cha Ca La Vong, a family restaurant in business since 1871. The name of the restaurant is also the name of the one dish they make. It was perfect and delicious.

Fish + dill + green onions = delicious

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

Monsoon at the night market. 

Bicycle fruit vendor in front of our hotel. Many older women sell fruit,
vegetables, and rolls on the streets, either from their bikes or out of a plastic
bowl or tub.

Speaking of selling stuff... the people of Hanoi sell on the ground floor of their building and live upstairs. The neighbors to our hotel sold water, liquor and cigarettes from a tiny stand the size of a doorway. Behind the small counter sat their couch and television, where they lounged. I saw this scenario again and again on the streets.

Bun Cha, Hanoi's signature dish, at Huong Lien - President Obama ate here
with Anthony Bourdain.

Huong Lien is a tall skinny restaurant with many floors, where we dined on Bun Cha, grilled pork and pork patties in a vinegar and sugar broth with lettuce, garlic, and peppers. The flavor was transcendent.

Caphe su da (Vietnamese iced coffee) - strong and
delightful - a moment of respite on a hot day

Hanoi gate

In front of Ho Chi Minh's tomb, Hanoi

Pink plumeria!

Across the street from where I tasted Bia Hoi -
Hanoi's famous fresh draft beer.
It was cheap, ice cold, and sweet - perfect for for a hot day.

Railroads go right past these Hanoi residents' homes. Ladies squatted in the tracks
(their front yard!) picking through plastic bowls of herbs.

Ngoc Son Temple on and island in Hoan Kiem Lake,
 in central Hanoi. The image represents the the turtle of
myth who emerged from the lake with a sword.

HANOI HANOI HANOI You scared me at first and intrigued me. Then I decided I didn't like you. Then you wooed me with your crumbling grandeur, sidewalks I could walk on and a breeze. I found a  plaza with french style cafes where I could sit and caffeinated and cool down simultaneously. I could breath a little bit.

Tiki Graduation Party!

Mom and Madeline in the foreground, Natalie and Jagger behind the bar
Photo by Melissa Burman

Last May my family hosted a tiki graduation party for my sister Natalie when she graduated medical school. The decorations, food and drinks were so fantastic that I had to write a post about it. This post is so late because, oops, I had a baby in the interim. 

Another thing - Natalie's accomplishment was so amazing - she put so much hard work into this degree. We are infinitely proud of her and so lucky to have her in our family.

Photo by Melissa Burman

The bountiful food spread was colorful and delicious. We also had bbq courtesy of my dad. This table is worthy of Pee Wee Herman.

Photo by Melissa Burman

Natalie's fiance Jagger was the bartender. He made a to-die-for punch with gin, fresh strawberries and basil.

Photo by Melissa Burman

Jicama, mango, coconut milk, and lime salad - can you say "YUM"?!

Photo by Melissa Burman

Melissa's famous holiday olive balls, including cheese!

Photo by Melissa Burman

The party took place in a bungalow on the creek in Nichols Canyon, in Hollywood. The Beatles stayed at the house in the 1960s when it was owned by one of their producers. 

The party was a great success with guests from as far as Oregon. It was the perfect beginning to my sister's medical career, which, knowing her, will be full of laughter and triumphs.

Tea Plus Booze Equals Brilliant - Portland, Oregon

Double Airstream action at Aunt Elaine's

Dallas, Oregon: My aunt and her family live on a dirt road outside of tiny Dallas, Oregon. In February, I travelled with my mom, sister and my grandmother to visit with my aunt and sister (who was up there on a medical school rotation) for a late holiday gathering. The area is lovely, wet and green. My sister Melissa and I took photos in and around the house. 

Madeline with Oregonian fish friend

Photo by Melissa Burman

Rainbow in Dallas

Mini pies made by cousin Lena for
February holiday festivities 
Photo by Melissa Burman

Jake the Dog

We also visited some local sites... 

Jensen Arctic Museum: Gut Parkas and Scrimshaw: Arctic scrimshaw, taxidermy bears, and dolls made of seal skin await visitors at the Jensen Arctic Museum. Located on the sleepy Western Oregon University Campus in Monmouth, Oregon, the museum features the astounding Alaskan collection of former WOU professor Paul Jensen, collected over 30 years of travels to the Arctic as an education consultant. The cases and drawers overflow with Arctic artifacts in this hidden treasure trove of a museum.

Madeline with bear pal at the Jensen Arctic Museum

Seal gut jacket doll at Jensen Arctic Museum

Snow Owls at Jensen Arctic Museum

Eskimo string game at Jensen Arctic Museum 

Walrus carved out of whale vertebrae 

Overcast but cute Portland

Tea Plus Booze Equals Brilliant at the Hazel Room, Portland:

The Hazel Room on Hawthorne Street in Portland serves coffee, tea, brunch, and most amazingly, a large selection of tea cocktails. How would you fancy a "hot nurse," with tea, honey, ginger, bourbon, and cayenne?

The teatotaler's Creme de la Earl Grey with Lavendar ice tea was so creamy, bright and delicious, I had to buy some loose tea to bring home with me to California. The waitress told me that blue mallow flowers give it a creamy flavor.

I was tickled to find giant rainbow cookies, a staple of Italian bakeries on the east coast, but little known in the west. Apricot, almond and chocolate flavors are all wrapped up in these bright little cake/cookie hybrids.

The dark victorian decor in the Hazel Room makes for the perfect setting to get blotto, caffeinated, or both on a drizzly Portland afternoon.

Rainbow Cake at the Hazel Room

Links:

Jensen Arctic Museum: http://www.oregonlink.com/arctic/index.html#arctic_visitor_info 
Western Oregon University, 590 E. Church Street, Monmouth, Oregon 97361 
Call 503-838-8468 to set up a tour.

The Hazel Room: http://thehazelroom.com
3279 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR 97214
tel. (503)756-7125

Pomeranians and a Polar Bear in Port Costa, CA

Canyon Lake Drive, Port Costa, CA

We follow a winding road, descending through golden hills, sparkling in the sunshine, behind a biker, his mama, and two Pomeranians in the basket on the back. We reach a stretch of homes in dappled sunshine, shaded by large Oaks and Willows - the beginning of the tiny town of Port Costa, CA.

Artist Wendy Addison's Studio, Theatre of Dreams, open Saturdays only

Next we reach the time and weather-beaten Victorian-era commercial strip, leading to the water of the Carquinez Straight. A whimsical assortment of tenants fill the wood, brick and cement buildings. Dusty windows offer a glimpse inside to artist's studios, vintage stores, the swanky Bully Valley Roadhouse, and the crooked yellow paint peeling Victorian Burlington Hotel  (once a brothel).

The Burlington Hotel, Port Costa

The Warehouse Cafe anchors the end of the strip in a hulking cement warehouse built in 1886. The Port Costa Post Office looks as if it belongs in 1886 and shares the main street-facing portion of the building. The Warehouse Cafe patio reaches towards the water. A band sets up outside. Bikers in leather, a few with Pomeranian dogs stand on the patio, in the dirt parking lot and in the street. They might look tough if it weren't for their foo foo doggies. 

The Warehouse Cafe Building, Port Costa

Inside, the Warehouse Cafe holds a cabinet of curiosities, ready to be explored, mason jar of beer in hand. A massive stuffed polar bear towers over drinkers from his plexiglass case, a stuffed headless seal at his feet. Giant crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, draped in red and white striped circus fabric. A wood and glass theater box office sits in the middle of the space. The restaurant offers burgers and hot dogs from a counter that looks like it was once held a smorgasbord. 

Polar bear inside The Warehouse Cafe, possibly
Port Costa's most famous resident

An oddities shop that feels more like a head shop sits in the corner of the Warehouse Cafe, only accessible through the bar. The bathrooms are down a shoddily built wooden hallway. The two stalls in the ladies’ room don’t have doors. Somehow, this just adds to the charm of the Warehouse Cafe.


This is the kind of place you can get lost in. You could choose to sit at the bar or on the patio with other customers, or you could find yourself a dark hidden corner to hunker down in. Alternatively, you could walk through the dirt parking lot, over the railroad tracks, to the rocks on the shore of the Carquinez Strait and have yourself a picnic looking over the water towards Benicia. 

Railroad tracks between Port Costa and the Carquinez Strait

Port Costa is a short 25 miles from Oakland, but if feels a world away, in both time and space. In other words, it's the perfect day trip from crowded San Francisco or Oakland. Explore the links below for more information on Port Costa's quirky businesses. 

Links:

Warehouse Cafe Yelp Page  

New York Times Article on the Warehouse Cafe 

The Burlington Hotel 

Bull Valley Roadhouse 

Theatre of Dreams

Photo Tour of Historic Monterey

Memory Garden: This beautiful garden behind the Pacific House Museum features white archways 

with red tile roofs, beautiful plants, and a fountain.

Photo by Madeline Horn

Monterey’s Spanish and Mexican past are palpable in its many Spanish and Mexican adobes. I think I saw the ghost of a Californio woman lingering in the garden of the Casa del Oro out of the corner of my eye. She wore a scarf over her head, pulled demurely across her face. 

Photo by Madeline Horn

I spent a couple of days wandering the streets of Historic Monterey, using a map I picked up from Monterey State Historic Park and my cell phone for a free audio tour called “Explore Monterey.” Historic buildings are everywhere in downtown Monterey and many of them are still in use, by lawyers, shops, and restaurants.

Photo by Madeline Horn

Colorful gardens in bloom double the sensory pleasures of touring around old Monterey – with the smell of lavender and rosemary and the sight of bright dahlias, lilies, and hibiscus.

Whale vertebrae sidewalk
Photo by Madeline Horn

Old Whaling Station: Outside the whaling station sits a sidewalk made of whale vertebrae! Whale vertebrae are diamond shaped. They bones have held up amazingly well for being placed in the ground in the mid-1800s.

Photo by Madeline Horn

Golden State Theatre
Photo by Madeline Horn

Hibiscus at Cooper Molera Adobe
Photo by Madeline Horn

Cooper Molera Adobe: A volunteer manned an old timey general store that led to the historic compound, with a garden of vegetables and fruit as well as colorful flowers. 

Wagon at Cooper Molera Adobe
Photo by Madeline Horn

Restaurant 1833, located in a historic 1833 adobe
Photo by Madeline Horn

1833 Restaurant: 1833 is a luxurious restaurant located in a historic adobe – the ideal way to wrap up a day in the adobes! If you can afford it that is… My mom and I opted for appetizers and cocktails at the bar, allowing us to try a few items and to chat up the bar tender, who gave us a sample of a lemon balm gin he’s been infusing behind the bar with fresh lemon balm from his friend's garden. 

Space Redwood!
Photo by Madeline Horn

Old Jail
Photo by Madeline Horn

Well
Photo by Madeline Horn

Monterey Harbor
Photo by Madeline Horn

Peinados Masculine
Photo by Madeline Horn

Links:
Monterey State Historic Park website
Restaurant 1833 website