Don't sweat it

 “The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – Rudyard Kipling

Let me start this post from the end. Tonight I went to the night market, and on the way passed a block or so of spice vendors. It was an aromatic experience. This and other smells -- exhaust, unwashed bodies, pungent durian, steaming rain, street kitchens, blooming flowers -- are teaching me Vietnam.

We set off on a sightseeing adventure today. First stop, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum... or so we thought. We accidentally went to the museum instead of the mausoleum. Still, it was the most unique, unusual museum I have ever been in. Exhibits were more like walk-in dioramas, often very symbolic rather than literal, and all captioned in Vietnamese, French, and English. I have also never seen a museum so densely packed with people. The gentle AC was no match for the blistering body heat. After visiting the museum we went to the One-Pillar Pagoda, designed to resemble a lotus flower blossoming on a stem. Having heard so much about it, it was a little underwhelming, but nonetheless beautiful. It seems that most significant historical sites in Vietnam are replicas or reconstructions of the originals, and some of them feel more tourist-oriented and disneyland-esque than centuries old holy ground. Our next stop was a temple, and its large enclosed courtyard with huge aged trees was unexpectedly serene, given that just outside its gates was a major thoroughfare.

We reached the West Lake district and, by this time, we were all experiencing sweat levels heretofore unimaginable, so we were ready for lunch. The group split in two, some opting for a burger place and others sticking with street food. Can you guess what group I was in? This dining spot offered a plate of rice piled with an assortment of the day's options, doled out by the cook. I was treated to a plate of rice with morning glory shoots, pork, beef, onion, cabbage that tasted like horseradish, tofu, and what we came to call 'mystery larvae'. The cook did not give everyone everything, or even the same selection of things, and I counted myself lucky to receive the bugs in my mix. It was exciting to try something totally new. Though the texture of the larvae was not the most enjoyable, they were very flavorful and quite tasty*, and the texture was fine when eaten with rice. The morning glory shoots were also really delectable*. Andrea bought a kilo of rambutan, which made the perfect dessert for all of us.

We visited another temple in West Lake and then walked to the Temple of Literature. It was a little hard to confidently cross the street after seeing our first traffic collision (a truck sideswiped a motorcyclist) but we made it across in one piece. Though impressive and beautiful overall, the Fourth Courtyard of the Temple of Literature had been transformed almost entirely into gift shops, so this felt like another Disney to me. I almost didn't notice that there was a Fifth Courtyard, but I'm glad I did, as it was one of my favorites. I'd give more details about the history of the Temple, but I think Wikipedia can explain it better than I can.

After spending a good while at the Temple of Literature we came back to the hotel to rest and de-sweat. In the evening we went to the night market, grabbing some bánh mỳ on the way. Judging from the number of people there, the market seemed like the place to be. Pick-pockets also know that this is the place to be, so I didn't bring my camera. There were a lot of cute clothes, but most of them seemed designed for tiny hipless women. I tried on some cute shoes but was not convinced, but I did buy a dress. Tomorrow I will make my second attempt at visiting the mausoleum.

*Today's synonyms for delicious was provided by my erudite mother. And below, a taste of home, even here.