One of the things I've enjoyed the most about Vietnam is how different it is from my everyday life. I've traveled to some interesting places, and seen some crazy places, and some cool markets (especially in Italy and central America) but no place I've visited can compare to the markets I visited in Vietnam. I'm not talented enough to capture the experience with words. Too many smells and emotions and 360 degree movement. And all of the sights, smells, sounds, tastes and touches change SO damn fast. You'll be looking at an 8' live python while breathing in motorbike exhaust while smelling dried squid and durian while getting bumped into by some fast moving 80 year old woman with a bag of frogs while hearing some woman trying to sell you a shirt, and then everything changes the very next second. I can't bring you the sounds and smells and bumps, but I do have a few pictures just to show how different.
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| Snake wine - I tried it. Not as terrible as it looks. Reminded me of vodka only sharper. Way too much alcohol for anything to live in, so it's not going to make anyone sick. |
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| Yum. Squid and octopus. |
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| A bag of frogs for you to take home. |
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| All sorts of pig parts. I especially like the pig snouts in this picture. I'm sure I ate some at one point during the week. I had no idea what I was eating half the time, but it sure was good. |
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| Take home a dried croc. |
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| Pig head with skull. |
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| Pig head without. Looks like someone popped him. |
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| Never realized you could buy so many types of eggs. The fertilized ones with a fetus already growing is a real delicacy here. I never got to try one, but others said they were great once you got past the idea of what you were eating. |
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| Sprinkled in between fish, pig, and vegetables you could find lots of fabric. |
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| Despite all the dead animals I've shown, this is a paradise for vegetarians. Karen and I have never had dishes that tasted so fresh and lively. The way they use veggies and spices here is really an art form. It's worth visiting here just to eat, but there is soooo much more. |
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| Veggies and motorbikes. Everywhere. |
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| A little jackfruit to start your day. |
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| Just a monkey hanging out. I don't think he was for sale, but I suspect everything has its price in these markets. |
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| Just about everyone treated us with a smile. She wouldn't let me leave until I took a picture of her. |
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Dried shrimp, fish, squid, octopus and who knows what else. And some of it finds its way to my belly.
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