Tram Chim

It is still very weird being out of the world news circuit. I'm getting anxious being in this bubble. I can get a few snippets from the NYT, but not enough to feel 'global'. Ian, keep a detailed report for me. We will have to pretend like I've been in a coma.


I may have helped Tram Chim to solve a park management problem. There is a large melaluca stand that has been permanently inundated with water held back by the dikes. The trees aren't normally flooded year round, and they need to drain the stand eventually, but the leaves collecting on the floor each year would cause a huge fire if allowed to burn all at once. I think that if we build temporary dikes that section off the stand, we could drain the sections one by one, reducing the risk of a huge fire. The park manager likes the idea and will take it to the board for consideration. Check back in 15 years...

Riding in boats, swimming in canals, eating rat (so delicious), and partying with the army. Photos below.

NOTE: running out of an internet cafe now, more captions to come, and Google the Sarus crane for yourself. We saw them but they were too far away - binoculars helped a bunch. They are gorgeous and rare.

Sting and ca phe sua da. Breakfast of champions. You get the slow drip Vietnamese coffee poured into sweetened condensed milk, which you stir and pour over ice... Wowzers.

Water buffalo poo.

It's the Circle of Life....

Another 'try to top the last one' hammock shot.

Permanently inundated melaluca forest - the roots grow up and help fires to jump into the canopy.

I will never get over houses on the rivers - life is hanging on the back porch.

A 'Mom' shot - pretty lotus flowers! Makes for good tea.

The boat driver didn't understand why the Americans were so interested in the buffalo. Well, we killed all of ours, so...

Vegetable-heavy lunch on the tarp - peaceful eating style. We had snake head fish here, too - utterly fantastic. Like swordfish, nice and steak-like. It is the most expensive fish you can buy here, and the invasive cousin currently overtaking Maryland, USA is considered a pest... To any Maryland residents, try catching one and eating it next time it crawls out of the water and is crossing the street. Not pictured here is the rat - delicious as well. Tiny muscles and fatty back meat in a sweet sauce, goes great with honeyed rice wine.

Children, fishermen and the army, all on the dike. My camera doesn't work at night, so I didn't get pictures from the 'cultural exchange' (i.e. heavy drinking and song), but we partied with the Vietnamese army. Every dude was cool, handsome and cut. The ladies on our trip were happy.

Right before I jumped in.