Rainy Day in Hanoi

To say that it rains here is an understatement to say the least. I am sure that the down pours we had here today were a direct result of the typhoon that has hit the central coast near Danang. That said, I think we are fortunate to "just" have a lot of rain. Because it rained so hard we reschedualed our sightseeing trip until tomorrow and had a quiet day in the hotel.

We all slept in this morning and then found a great spot for breakfast. It closely resembled a starbucks, except in addition to great coffees, they also had full breakfast fare. Sarah liked it too. We stayed there for an hour because she ate and ate and ate. She had a glass of juice, an order of scrambled eggs, several pieces of french bread and two pads of butter (okay, I know it's not healthly but she could use a little fat).

Later, we went to the hotels playroom. She was able to run and play and it was fun to see her interact with other children. She seemed to hit it off with a Japanese boy. They talked up a storm together and the differences in their languages did not seem to bother either of them or hamper their play.

After a nap for Sarah and Dave, we went for a short walk until the rain started again. Then it was more like a mad dash back to the hotel.

We ate an authentic vietnamese dinner at the hotel buffet. We stuck to the items we could clearly identify and steered clear of the more exotic foods (sea cucumber, fish with all its parts still intact, and all of the raw meats.) Next time I will be careful of sauces that "look" like soysauce. I got a hold of one that was VERY hot!

It was a very good day! We continued to bond with our little girl and are beginning to understand each other. She has also learned a few English words and signs. (Mommy Daddy, light, more, hot, sit, dog, cat, etc.) Progress is good!