DAILY PHOTO: Tháp Rùa by Night

Taken on December 26, 2015 in Hanoi

Taken on December 26, 2015 in Hanoi

 

Tháp Rùa is the Turtle Tower in the middle of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, which is the “Lake of the Returned Sword” or–more simply–“Sword Lake.” The lake is in the heart of modern-day Hanoi, and is sacred in Vietnamese folklore.

 

As the story goes, a Turtle god surfaced on this lake to ask a King named Lê Lợi to give up his sword. The sword was called “Heaven’s Will” (i.e. Thuận Thiên) and was said to have been given to the King by a local deity called the Dragon King (i.e. Long Vương.) Apparently, the Vietnamese King took a “the gods giveth, and the gods taketh away stance,” turning the sword over to the Turtle deity.

What it looks like in daylight

What it looks like in daylight

DAILY PHOTO: Thiên Mụ Pagoda

Taken on December 25, 2015 at Hue

Taken on December 25, 2015 at Hue

DAILY PHOTO: Saigon by Night

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Taken in December of 2015 in Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a. Saigon.)

DAILY PHOTO: Top 3 Things Hue Bike Rickshaws Carry

#3 Care packages; Taken December 24, 2015 in Hue

#3 Party Supplies; Taken December 24, 2015 in Hue

 

#2 Filing Cabinets; Taken December 25, 2015 in Hue

#2 Filing Cabinets; Taken December 25, 2015 in Hue

 

#1 Other Bicycles: Taken December 25, 2015

#1 Lesser Bicycles: Taken December 25, 2015

DAILY PHOTO: Hoi An by Night

Taken on December 23, 2015 in Hoi An

Taken on December 23, 2015 in Hoi An

 

Street food

Street food

 

Floating lanterns

Floating lanterns

DAILY PHOTO: How’d You Like to be a Crocodile Dentist?

Taken on December 21, 2015 in the Mekong Delta

Taken on December 21, 2015 in the Mekong Delta

 

Being able to see the color of a crocodile’s tongue, but not the color of its eyes, isn’t comforting.

But could someone get in there and floss the green gunk out of this fella’s teeth.

DAILY PHOTO: Saigon Central Post Office

Taken on December 20, 2015 in Ho Chi Minh City (i.e. Saigon)

Taken on December 20, 2015 in Ho Chi Minh City (i.e. Saigon)

 

I had concerns about the Main Branch of the Post Office being one of Saigon’s top 10 sights on TripAdvisor. I mean, what’s it say about a city whose post office is a tourist destination? (A field trip for ten-year olds, maybe, but a must-see tourist destination?) However, both the post office and Saigon wowed me.

 

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DAILY PHOTO: Away in a Manger

Taken in December of 2014 in Budapest

Taken in December of 2014 in Budapest

 

This will likely be my last post of the year. Tonight we leave to holiday in Vietnam. So, I figured I’d make it Christmasy.

DAILY PHOTO: Water Buffalo in Khajuraho

Taken in October of 2015 in Khajuraho

Taken in October of 2015 in Khajuraho

2015 Top 10: Highlights From the Year That Was

These aren’t necessarily in any order.

 

1.) Trekking the Great Himalayan National Park [June]:

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2.) Teaching kids at KAMMS and Socare [September & October]: I finished my RCYT course in April and have been teaching kids when I have a chance:

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3.) Completing Level I Examination at the Muay Thai Institute [September]:

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4.) Riding camels at Pushkar and Jaipur [November]:

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5.) Boating on the Ganges in Varanasi [October]:

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6.) Wandering around a coffee plantation near Chikmaglur [April]:

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7.) Completing the Level III and IV reviews in Kalaripayattu [February & August]:

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8.) Touring the Glenloch tea factory in Sri Lanka [May]:

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9.) 108 Surya Namaskara Against Child Trafficking [March]:

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10.) Junk boat tour of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam [December]: This may be jinxing us to put it on the list,  before we’ve been (we leave tomorrow) but I’m optimistic that our three weeks in Vietnam will be awesome, and I’m told Ha Long

 

 

What to expect in 2016? Lilla and I will be moving back to the States around mid-year. (To where, exactly, remains a mystery.) In January and February I’ll be doing an RYT-300 course to round out my 500 hour yoga teacher certification. I plan to make at least one more trip to Thailand to MTI for Level II. I’d also like to complete the 10-day Vipassana meditation course before returning. Lilla and I are thinking about another Himalaya trek for the summer.

I’ll also be continuing to work on press handstand progression, as that’s been a focus for me of late and I still have a ways to go.

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