Soon after arriving in Viet Nam, another family in our group who had been in country previously and were familiar with the area, took us down to Hoan Kiem Lake (also known as Turtle Lake). After this first trip, we wound up choosing to go down by the lake frequently and became quite familiar with the area. You can try every kind of cuisine, find all kinds of shopping and even take in a water puppet show in this area of Hanoi.

That first day at the lake we walked the perimeter and I spotted a small group of artists working on their renderings of the lake and the surrounding area. I love that in this photo the lake is the focus. The artists actually appear to be in the shadows, and... more

My time spent in Viet Nam was life changing. Not only did I meet my daughter, but I was able to experience her amazing country. I would like to share a view of Viet Nam with you each week. If you've already been to Viet Nam, I hope these views bring back happy memories. If you're waiting to travel, I hope they make you feel more connected to the country you'll soon be experiencing for yourself!

The exchange rate and dealing with Vietnamese dong took a little getting used to. Good think my husband is a quick thinking, good with numbers kind of a guy! When we were there $1 US converted to approximately 15,000 dong. When we converted large amounts of US dollars for even larger amounts... more