Put on a happy face!
This is what San Diego is famous for! And it’s a color of sky I have missed terribly for the past two years! THAT is blue sky!
Quite often in Vietnam I complained about the grey skies and awful weather. There are really only two seasons in Hanoi. For six months, the sky is grey and the temperatures are cool and cold and there is a wet winter humidity which actually makes the walls drip with moisture. In the summer time, it’s hotter than hot and the humidity will melt you. The sun does shine and the sky is sort-of blue, but there always seems to be a haze which lingers.
I often teased Kurt when he would say, “See, the sky is blue today.” I would jokingly reply, “That’s not San Diego blue.” He was well aware of San Diego’s reputation for fine weather, blue skies and warm sunshine.
When I first returned home, I was eager for all that sunshiny goodness. However, we had unusually cold weather and lots of rains which flooded parts of San Diego, like the Mission Valley area (I have not a lot of sympathy for those who develop communities in a river bed). I was disappointed in the miserable cold and longed to crank my head upward to soak up some rays.
Just before Christmas, the skies turned blue, the clouds went away and I could sit outside and enjoy what this city is famous for! I hope it lasts! It feels wonderful!
Tropical Rains
I just had to share this little video with you. Shortly after a lovely lunch with my dear Pete, the dark clouds rolled in and the skies just opened up. At first there was still some sunshine below the clouds. But as the storm blew in from the East, it got darker the the winds kicked up even more.
Pete and I both made it home in time not to get drenched, but I just had to get my camera and take some video and photos. It sure doesn’t rain like this in San Diego!!!
Sunrise, Sunset & Statues
As you know from previous posts, my job often allows me to travel for work. I just returned from Halong Bay where I was treated to a fine sunset and a mysterious sunrise. The weather was a bit rainy, and so I was hoping for dramatic scenes for both the going and coming of the sun…but that’s the beauty of Halong Bay; you never know what mood she will be in and what landscapes you’ll be treated to.
The drive to Halong Bay is just about three hours from Hanoi. The journey includes a rest stop in a pottery village. There are hundreds huge marble statues and thousands of vases and pots for sale. It always makes me wonder – how the heck would I get that home if I ever did desire the growling lion or the big fat Buddha?
Sunset
Sunrise
A (really) rainy day
Rainy seasons in South East Asia can be kind of cool sometimes. I returned from Kamu Lodge, 3 hours up river from Luang Prabang, eager to have lunch at JOMA, a great coffee shop and bakery – quite possibly my favorite in Asia. Just before ducking in the shop, the thunder started clapping and the dark gray clouds rolled in.
The rainy season storms are quite spectacular with lots of loud thunder, flashes of lightening and buckets and buckets of water dropping from the sky. In about 45 minutes, the storms pass and everyone goes back to their tasks for the day as if the storm had never been there. Me, on the other hand…well, I take pictures. This sunny San Diego chick is still impressed!
Escape to Halong Bay
As we all know by now, I have a chance to travel from time to time and certainly have the need to visit our properties on a regular basis. I was scheduled to go to Halong Bay this week to work on a book project for our boat. I always enjoy the chance to be far away from the honking horns of Hanoi. What I didn’t expect, though is how hot it would be on the Bay…I had hoped to escape the heat of Hanoi, as well.
Summer in Hanoi is usually hot. And the high humidity makes for really an unpleasant season. One can only hope for rain storms, which tend to cool things down a few degrees. The weather has been hovering around 100°F and humidity sitting at about 60%. Yuck. Soupy thick air and no breeze for relief!
Surprisingly, it was about the same at shore. The breeze didn’t kick in until we had been cruising for about an hour. And even then, many passengers opted to stay in their cabins and cool down, versus the usual activity of chillin’ on the sun deck. I tried like crazy to hang out on deck, but the heat got the best of me even and I retreated to my room to cool down and get some work done. This is really too bad, as the whole point of going to Halong is to take in the views and the boat’s Sun Deck is designed specifically for that.
Regardless of the persistent melty weather, I was thankful for the change of pace and environment. Always nice to get out of the office!
Skies of Hanoi
After my half day in the office, I returned home to do some more work, but also catch up with my journals and correspondence. The room got brighter and as I looked out the window I could see that the sun was “shining.” The yellow light reflected off the rooftops. I was drawn to the window for a peek and when I looked out an up, all I could think was “faker!” The sky remained a hazy grey.
During the “winter” months of Hanoi, the sky is never blue. It’s been a good 4 months now, and this photo shows the brightest the sky gets. Frankly, I find this rather depressing. This San Diego chicka needs her blue skies and bright, bright sunshine!!!
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