Hanoi, Vietnam

 The timing could not have been more perfect: I arrived 15 minutes before

Hanoi's Military History Museum was set to close for the day, and ran 

into a military unit taking pictures on a captured U.S. Army tank. 

I jumped at the opportunity to join in for a photo shoot.

In April 2014, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a week in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a country that doesn't have the best connotation in America's history. Thankfully, our countries reestablished diplomatic relations during the Clinton administration, making it much easier to visit as an American tourist.

 Getting anywhere in Hanoi might require you to cross notoriously-busy

streets, an endless amount of motorbikes, and even, the occasional railtrack.

As with every country I visit, my fondest memories are those that I share with people I meet: fellow travelers, local shop workers, and tour guides. Vietnam was no exception. I spent every day talk talk talking with Norwegians, Americans, British, and Vietnamese alike. Everyone has a story to tell, experiences to share, and friendship to give. My last full day in Vietnam was the only one I had to myself, which gave me the perfect opportunity to see what I had originally came to see: the Hanoi Hilton, where John McCain was held prisoner after his plane was shot down, and the Flag Tower of Hanoi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site marked by an impressive 100+ foot tower with their beautiful flag on top. Luckily, because of it's size, it wasn't hard to find, which made up for my horrible map-reading skills.

 My objective is to get there, that way yonder.

 On the way, I saw a group of locals enjoying a game

in the park...too bad I couldn't see what it was.

Directly across the street from Hanoi's Military History Museum, little girls on their adorable pink motorized cars and boys on their skateboards ride around with Lenin on overwatch.

 There it is, the museum I came to see. This guard told me they would be closing

in 15 minutes (seriously, who closes a museum at 4:30???), but he graciously

allowed me to enter without paying for a ticket!

Sometimes, you have to travel abroad to gain other perspectives. 

I don't know many places in the States where you can find captured military equipment.

I couldn't blame this man for not knowing a word of English, as

I don't know any Vietnamese. Thankfully, a smile is universal. 

The Hanoi Hilton.

John McCain's flight suite.

 If you ever stop by, this quiant restaurant near the Tower has the 

absolute best smoothies. I think I ordered like five.

As always, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the pictures and videos!

Josh

Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam

Maybe it's because 2014 is coming to a close, but I feel like there is no better time than to share pictures from my travels this year (well...six months ago would have been best). Anyway, here's a few pictures from my trip to Ha Long Bay, northern Vietnam, in April. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and where they filmed the James Bong flicks Tomorrow Never Dies and The Man with the Golden Gun. Enjoy! 

We started our adventure in Ha Long Bay off with

a four-hour bus ride from Hanoi. On the way back, I'm happy to say

I spent the entire time turned around chatting with fellow travelers from 

Norway and the UK. My sore neck was absolutely worth it.

Our fearless captain.

None of my blog entries are complete without

a picture of a flag.

We were shown how the locals fish for oysters,

and eventually turn them into jewelry!

I spent one night on the first house - bungalow - on the left. 

I ran out of water for the evening before I finished my shower. Woops.

When I think about the places I visit, the people I met

always come to mind first. Enjoying lunch with fellow travelers

from France and the United States.

Cat Ba Island

Not the greatest electrical work I've seen,

but I guess it gets the job done. 

I wouldn't spend the night here.

Propaganda fascinates me.

Not something you see every day on the side of a busy street.

I don't know why kindergarten-sized plastic chairs are 

so ubiquitous, but I saw these everywhere in Hanoi and Ha Long Bay.

As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the pictures! 

Auschwitz

As I updated my last blog post, I realized I still have a ton pictures from other places I've visited in 2014 that I still haven't posted, including Ukraine, Poland, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cuba. I try to share my best photographs to take you there. Traveling is a lot of fun, but it certainly comes with headaches: long flights, expensive tickets, travel sickness...my goal is to make you feel like you were there yourself, minus the headaches. I hope I can capture the emotion and history that each location has to offer.

This post features pictures from a place that needs no introduction.

Double electrified fences. 

This is where they decided who lived and died: left or right. 

My guide said she once gave a tour to someone who recognized his suitcase.

So many faces. Too many faces.

These canisters contained the gas.

Looking up at where the Nazis dropped the gas canisters.