Pokémon...Gotta Catch Them All!

Japan! Cruz's #1 destination and Kaia's #2 choice.

As a mega Pokémon fan, it was no surprise that Cruz wished to go to Japan. In second grade, their school hosts a “Living Museum” of inventors (past or present). He wrote a report about Satoshi Tajiri and dressed up as the creator of Pokémon. 

Cruz as Satoshi Tajiri in 2nd Grade

(With his best bud as a Wright Brother)

The first thing Kaia and Cruz wanted to do in Tokyo was go to the Pokémon Cafe. It was conveniently located next to the largest Pokémon Center in Japan. 

I had no idea that it was an almost impossible task to get reservations at the first ever Pokémon Café. There are only two in the world (both are in Japan).

Reservations open up 31 days prior at 6pm, Japan time. Like a crazy mom, I logged on 31 days before  the day we wanted to visit at 6pm (while we were in Vietnam). Every spot was taken immediately. The site  crashes every day at 6pm as people from Japan and around the world try to make their reservations.

Pokémon Eats

After going down the internet rabbit hole of how to get into this mystical café, I came to the conclusion that our best bet was to take two trains, navigate through a mega mall, and get in line hoping to snag a no-show spot. There was a roped off section for very hopeful families (and adults!) waiting in line for a cancelation. We prepared Cruz for the possible disappointment but after an hour of waiting, we got in!

The café was a Pokémon fanatic's dream. Everything was 100%  detailed in Pokémon, from decor to placemats to every food item. We all tried a different dish and every thing was either shaped as a character or decorated to the tiniest detail. The food was okay but ridiculously adorable.

 

Happy Cruz!

Shortly after we were sat, all service stopped as Pikachu came out to greet everyone.  The employees led the dancing and singing. We had no idea that it was such a big deal to get into this café. Parker and I are not part of  "Pokémon fandom" but sharing this experience with our kids and witnessing other children (and adults) in the café share in the excitement about this global phenomenon was special. Seeing Cruz so happy (even his pre-teen sis was amused) was worth the craziness.

Hanoi: Goodbye, Vietnam!

Capital - Hanoi

Vietnam was the perfect country to ring in the 2025 Lunar New Year. Our two months there started off slow by the beach but then it flew by as we headed north. Instead of hopping around to different countries in mainland Southeast Asia, Parker and I decided to focus our time in one country. We felt that would be a more positive and enjoyable experience for our kids as opposed to constantly moving. 

We spent our two months in the top half of Vietnam, from central (Da Nang/Hoi An) to northern (Ninh Binh/Hanoi), spanning about 800 kilometers. I'm glad we got to see the contrast between the the modern city of Da Nang with its gorgeous beaches and the remoteness of the beautiful northern landscape.

Local Lunch in the Old Quarter

After Ninh Binh, we headed to Hanoi for our last week. The nation's capital is over 1,000 years old. With a population of over eight million people and an estimation of over six million motor bikes, it is very loud and full of energy. A mix of old and modern: Ancient buildings are next to skyscrapers and street food vendors next to fancy French cafes. We loved both.

Our hotel was in the famous Old Quarter, right in the middle of the madness. I loved the chaos. The area is comprised of about forty narrow streets jam packed with hotels, cafes, restaurants, street vendors, street food stalls, and shops selling everything you could imagine.

Flower Vendor

One of the most interesting things about the old quarter is that most of the streets are named after what they sell: Clothing, shoes, fruit/vegetables, electronics, etc. I had a slight obsession with the bicycle venders selling flowers and took a photo of everyone I saw. 

Vietnam is also known for its knock off luxury brands (Louis Vuitton, Dior, etc) and fake gear (North Face, Nike, etc). Many of these brands have factories here so maybe some of them are real. Most of the fakes look near perfect for the fraction of the price.

We love both local and interantional eats!

In less than 24 hours, we found our favorite breakfast cafe, pho restaurant, bahn mi stand, crepe stand, and our go-to bicycle fruit vendor. If we all decide we love a place, we kept going to the same spot. We do a mix of mostly local food and some international (usually when the kids or Parker are craving pizza, burgers, etc). 

Hanoi is a food hub, if we saw locals eating somewhere it was a no brainer. The food was delicious, quick, and inexpensive. We saw the most "food tours" here. Usually a couple of foreigners (sometimes a group) with a guide that were bouncing from café to food stall or their favorite street vendor.  

*****

Train Street Hanoi: tourist doing tourist things!

The famous "train street" was an experience. It is a famous street in Hanoi known for the cafes right next to the tracks in the heart of the Old Quarter. It was hard to miss with tourists and vendors on and off the train tracks. Even though we were quite early, we were very lucky to find chairs for all of us. We had snacks and apps while we waited for the train.

Train Street

It was entertaining to watch everyone take their photos on the tracks before the train came. The workers started blowing their whistle and started yelling at everyone to get off the track and back up when the train was approaching. 

Some tourist were not listening until one worker said, "get off the track if you don't want to die"!

After much anticipation, the train finally came and it was really exciting! We were only a couple feet away. It was so loud and you could feel the train fly by. Kaia was understandably a bit hesitant and stayed back a little. Cruz was on the edge with us and took it all in. He said it was fun but crazy! 

When the excitement died down, the workers started yelling and blowing their whistles again. Another train was coming through. It was fun to get to experience that twice. Sometimes, the "must-do" tourist things are worth the hype.

*****

Vietnam was a great choice for our family. We loved the culture, the food, and it was easy to navigate. We joined a world schooling group and met many families also doing long-term traveling. That was good for the kids to see. We all made great friends and wonderful memories.

500 Steps to a Dragon for my Birthday!

Ngo Dong River Valley

Another trip around the sun for me! We celebrated exactly the way I wanted, by being outdoors. We biked through rice fields and climbed 500 steps to a dragon on top of a sketchy mountain top. 

But first, we had to make our way up to Northern Vietnam via an epic 16 hour sleeper bus.

*****

 

Prepared with comfy clothes, all the snacks, downloaded books, and fully charged electronics, we loaded the bus. We've been on various modes of transportation on this trip but never a sleeper bus.  Obviously Parker wouldn't be able to fully extend but he was up for trying it out. The beds were wide, reclined when needed, and were comfortable. 

At 4am, we were abruptly woken up when the bus stopped at an undesignated location. The bright lights blinded us as the driver tried to rush everyone off. I had read on a travel site that this sometimes happens on this particular bus route. When I pulled up the map we were actually closer to our lodging than our previously planned drop-off location. Parker and I made the quick decision to not fight it and get off the bus.

Our manic bus driver got us to the Tam Coc "bus stop" two hours early. Even if we had told him to take us further to our actual drop-off location (16k away), we knew the taxi I had arranged for at 6am wouldn't be there. This is not our first rodeo with middle of the night transport chaos.

The situation was a little frantic. But we remained calm as we woke up our kids and explained to them our plan: we had to walk a little over a kilometer in the dark to our lodging. Cruz said, "It's like the Camino." (We would often start our walk early in the mornings through random small villages). We were happy to hear this, because one of the reasons we started our trip on the Camino in Spain was to be in a variety of travel scenarios and walk anywhere if  necessary.

After Spain, walking one kilometer in the dark at 4am, in the middle of nowhere just wasn't that big of a deal. We knew where we were and knew where we needed to go. It was a great opportunity to teach our kids how to assess and handle unexpected travel situations. They didn't sweat it. We were proud of them for being so adaptable.

In the morning, we woke up to one of my favorite lodgings in our travels. Photos do not do it justice. We woke up surrounded by limestone cliffs with a slight mist and birds chirping. Our lodge was on the edge of a small "lake" with an adorable bridge leading to pool creating a peninsula in the middle of the property.

*****

I knew exactly where I wanted to be for my birthday, Ninh Binh. Ever since I saw a photo of this region's landscape, I knew we had to see this part of Vietnam.

Mua Caves is a popular destination for international and Vietnamese tourists. Its' popularity was no surprise once we entered the park. It was more beautiful than I had imagined. The main attraction is the temple/dragon on top of the limestone mountain/cliffs. Fields of rice paddies on one side and a narrow slow-moving river on the other side provide a stark contrast to the cliffs.

The park was beautiful with several caves, koi ponds, a waterfall, and a network of wooden planks throughout the rice paddies and lotus ponds. The weather was overcast and cool, mid 70s, perfect for a climb. We let the kids lead and they easily made it to the two main viewpoints. 

Climbing Up to the Dragon with the Pagoda in the Background

The first point was a small pagoda over looking a fantastic view of the fields. After a quick water break, we continued on to the top of the mountain to the temple and the dragon. The steps were a little tall but not overly challenging. The stairway was wide for the most part so even though it was crowded, there was enough room for everyone.

Dragon Slayers

Behind the small temple on top was the dragon on a thin, weathered and jagged rocky ledge. That’s were we hit the photo-shoot traffic jam. Everyone was trying to take their “summit” photo. Most people were respectful and only took a minute or so. The “influencers” were seriously annoying. We were all balancing on legitimately sharp and jagged rocks as a line formed behind them while they were taking their time doing their ridiculous poses. Most of us were quick with our photos and then moved on to enjoy the view somewhere safer. It was sketchy up there, but fun. The kids did a great job. 

I've always imagined biking through rice fields in Vietnam, it is an amazing way to see the country side. This day totally delivered with the views and the weather. I feel so lucky to have spent it in this beautiful country with my family.

Magical Hoi An, Vietnam

Celebrating 25 Years Together!

Hoi An was our second destination in Vietnam and was a short thirty minutes south of Da Nang. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and our home for two weeks.

We were ready to see more of the countryside of Vietnam. I found a wonderful two bedroom villa that was in between the beach and the town center. Our stay included a delicious breakfast as well as access to free bicycles. The beach or town was a short ride away.

Being outside of the city center was nice and quiet, yet we still had a ton of restaurants and stores to choose from. Quickly, we settled into our normal routine of a slow wake up, breakfast, school, then exploring the country side.

We looked forward to our daily bike rides once school was over. Behind our villa were rice fields and a small network of narrow roads that we enjoyed wandering and getting lost in. 

*****

Charming does not begin to describe the ancient city of Hoi An. It is known as the "Yellow City" because that is the color most of the buildings are painted. The endless hues of yellow are especially striking as the light and tones change throughout the day. This well preserved jewel of Vietnam with its ancient architecture, cobbled streets, and colorful lanterns emits history and romance.

An intricate system of canals through town offers tourist an optional view for a small fee. It was once a major trading port dating back to the 15th century. Today, tourism is its major trade and thousands of us visit daily. 

We did the obligatory tourist boat ride in the evening. The boat ride was surprisingly peaceful even though we were surrounded by many other boats. Each boat had a lantern and it was indeed a beautiful way to see the city. The night market in Hoi An was the busiest we've visited on this trip, with all the people and lanterns, it was high energy. 

Hoi An is well known for it's custom tailors, colorful lanterns, unique art, and beautiful leather work. We all decided to get something custom made out of leather. Parker sketched and design a leather apron made out of buffalo hide. I designed a purse that could be converted to a clutch.  Kaia found a backpack she loved and got to choose the leather. Cruz found his first big boy wallet. 

This is a big year for us, Parker and I met 25 years ago and have been together ever since. Later this year is our 20th wedding anniversary. These years have flown by!

It was special to celebrate this milestone with our kids. Parker surprised me with a ring made at the Silver House. He had made for me a replica of the ring we gave Kaia for her 12th birthday, that symbolized the Camino, our walk in Spain. These are all special mementos that will remind us of our time in Vietnam and our trip.

It was overwhelming at times to walk through hoards of people on the streets. Each building had café, restaurant, or a shop mostly offering an array of souvenirs. Day or night, everywhere you looked were tourist from around the world taking selfies or in the middle of a photo shoot. Also at every turn, we would have to navigate around a giant tour group. 

Perhaps it’s always been that way even before it was a tourist trap since it was once a bustling trading port. But when you do get a glimpse of the city, Hoi An is magical. 

*****

After Hoi An, we decided to go back to Da Nang for a couple of weeks before making our way to north Vietnam. We preferred the beach in Da Nang, the ease of the city life with our homeschooling schedule, and hanging out with our friends.

One day we took a little "field trip" with our friends to the Marble Mountain. Marble mountain is a cluster of five mountains made of marble and limestone, each named after one of the five elements: Thuy (Water), Moc (Wood), Hoa (Fire), Kim (Metal), and Tho (Earth).

One hundred and fifty-seven steps take you to  a landing where you can begin to explore. The Marble Mountains are rich in history and has cultural and spiritual significance. Throughout the mountains were Hindu and Buddhist sanctuaries, pagodas, temples, gardens, and caves. Trees and plants blended into the limestone cliffs and surrounding landscape.

It is difficult to explain the beauty of these Marble Mountain, it felt spiritual and sacred. We spent a couple of hours climbing and exploring. We made it to the top of Thuy by squeezing through a tiny opening and were rewarded with a panoramic view of Da Nang.