Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 1:56PM 
Of all the wonderful things to experience at Thay Pagoda (see Thay Pagoda), the most sublime of all may be the view from the summit looking back to Hanoi. The karst formations appear magically from the surrounding ricefields. [NOTE: Thay Pagoda, also known as Thien Phuc (Heavenly Blessing), is dedicated to the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama].
Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 9:12AM 
The main entrance to the first hall at Tay Phuong pagoda (see Main Hall at Tay Phuong and Bodhisattvas at Chua Tay Phuong) contains this imposing fellow. A calm countenance, but with the sword, armor, and painted lips, clearly not someone you want to mess with. [NOTE: I was told that the beautiful bell to the right dates from the 8th century].
Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 1:38PM It seems I always take photos of street vendors during my trips to Vietnam. The beautiful colors. The grace of balancing two loaded baskets on a shoulder pole. The smiles. The cacophony of sounds. The traffic (see Scenes from the Old Quarter). Here are a few of my favorites:
Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 7:15AM 
The last two posts have both contained references to "the dog". Probably best to fomally introduce this important family member. Nikki's the one on the right. She's an American Eskie, or miniature Spitz, and we got her from a shelter in New Jersey. We think she's about 6 years old. Great dog (and a great hiker).
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 3:09PM The trailhead into the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Area was walking distance from our campsite at Paradox Lake. This was too good to pass up. We hiked for almost 7 miles. Sorry of the bumpiness of the video clip. It's hard to walk and film. [NOTE: We took the dog. She kept running back and forth between the fastest hiker (Luke) and the slowest hiker (me). She probably did 10 miles].
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 1:51PM 
Spent the last three days camping with the family in the Adirondacks at Paradox Lake. We took the dog. The magical little island in the center of the lake was a favorite canoeing destination. Time slowed to a crawl. Truly a wonderful way to end the summer.
