Snake

7 km North East of Hanoi lies the ancient village of Le Mat. The locals have been catching and breeding snakes, making snake wines and cooking tasty snake dishes for some 900 years.

Whilst the many restaurants have mouthwatering menus (including snake spring rolls, ground snake bones, snake soup, snake skin crisps) a trip to the village is for the whole experience, not just the food. After selecting a snake, it is killed at the table and its blood and bile are mixed with snake penis wine for a powerful appetizer. The heart is then removed and for one lucky diner they have the honour of swallowing it while it is still beating.

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Karaoke

There is a huge difference between Karaoke in Europe and Asia.

In the West it takes the format of untalented wannabes belting out cheesy songs in a tacky pub to people who don't really want to listen.

In the East it takes the format of a group of untalented friends belting out cheesy songs in a tacky private room to people who cant listen because they are already singing at the top of their voices.

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Cabin Fever

view from the house....

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TĂªt-Trung-Thu

The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, honors the Moon which is at its brightest at this time of the year.

In a Vietnamese folklore, parents were working so hard to prepare for the harvest that they left the children playing by themselves. To make up for lost time, parents would use the Mid-Autumn festival as an opportunity to show their love and appreciation for their children.

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Do Son

Two hours East of Hanoi, Do Son Beach is located between the Lach Tray and Van Uc Rivers. Whilst many people come here to sunbathe, relax, and hike - the town is more notorious for it's casino, hookers and buffalo fighting.

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Hoi Choi Trau

The Buffalo Fight in Do Son is officially held every year on the 9th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.

We didnt see a lot of fighting as the beer tent was between the main enterance and the stadium; however the buffalo often simply end up chasing each other (and occassionly the crowd). After a good days fighting the bufflao are doused in water, attatched to the mains electric, butchered and sold as prime meat.

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