with puppets.
On Christmas morning we took the opportunity to sleep in a bit. Someone (me) was feeling a bit grumpy and homesick so the day got off to a rough start. Anyone else get caught off guard by homesickness? You think you’re doing fine and then suddenly realize where all the sourness is coming from? Fortunately, the rest of the day was much more pleasant.
We stopped into a nearby bakery for a few Christmas treats. I had the chocolate pie I had been craving the night before and Mike had his first of many gingerbread men. Then we were off to the water puppet show.
Water puppet shows are a very popular attraction in Hanoi. The practice originated in the 11th century in villages around northern Vietnam. The puppets are controlled by long sticks under water with the puppeteers hidden behind a screen. To the audience it appears as if the puppets are moving over the water independently.
The puppeteers came out for applause.
Tickets need to be purchased at least a day in advance and are available in first or second class seating arrangements. The show is relatively short, about an hour, and worth the $5 admission.
Big chunks of our day and evening were spent tracking down a suitable internet set up to web chat with our families. It took forever to find a computer with Skype, a camera, and a microphone. Plus, our families are in different time zones so we required multiple visits to the internet “cafe” (just three computers on a landing). Of course, all the fuss was definitely worth getting to see and talk to loved ones.
We also visited the night market where we entered a little booth to make this holiday greeting.
(Don’t get too excited. “Marry” is just a misspelling. We’ve no big news to share.)
xo, jill
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