Hope all is well with you all. This is just a short note since I am again near a computer. Since the last email, I met up with my Halong Bay tour guide, Tien, on the streets of Hanoi. I went and drank beer with him and his buddy who is a computer professor at the University. He took me to get ice cream, which means that I did the same thing in Hanoi as I would do at home... hung out with computer geeks, drank beer and ate ice cream :) The next day, Tien drove me on his motorbike to Cuc Phung to hike and visit the Primate Reserve. Long ride (3 1/2 hours and 140 km each way). He won't let me pay for anything, so I will have to send him a package when I return home. 
Spent the last several days trekking through the mountains near China with the Hmong tribes and Red Zao. It was a nice break from the heat, as the weather is quite brisk up in the mountains. Kids from the various tribes ran along side of us and asked lots of questions (and wanted handouts -- which we were told by our guide not to give them, as then their parents won't keep them in school). Did a few homestays, sleeping on the floor of barns and houses. Visited the Bac Ha open market of the Flower Hmongs. Very colorful and beautiful. 
Once I returned to Hanoi, Tien came and picked me up. We went to his house to visit and I met his sister who is studying Japanese in the University. Went to snake village and had a 6 course meal of snake. I liked everything except the snake skin dish, which was too chewy. But the crushed snake bone on rice cakes was tasty and the lot leaves stuffed with snake meat was also good. Drank shots of the snake blood and bile after watching them drain it. And as the guest of honor, I did a shot with the still-beating snake heart. Lots of alcohol involved (lizard, snake gonad, and bee wine). Then went to the zoo. So far, no stomach problems! Said goodbye to Tien... he was sad and would like me to move here. I said I would probably be back one day with my parents.
Took the night train to Hue. Visited Lam's mom (Lam is the man who did the paperwork and was the Vietnamese contact to get me adopted to the States) and dropped the digital camera off next door. Went with the neighbor to see some sites, but I am trying to figure out what to do, since there is a typhoon headed to the Central area where I am (and had planned to be for the next week or so). Keep getting mixed stories on where I should try to be, but if it hits, they say all transportation will be shut down for a while. Can't understand the news too well, since I haven't really picked up that much Vietnamese. So, just trying to get people to explain what is best to do. Most say to get out of the area by the 2nd, although something on Google news says it may touch done on Saturday? So, my itinerary is looking like tonight in Hue, tomorrow the bus to Hoi An and stay overnight there and catch the early morning bus off to the Central Highlands area of Da Lat or Bahnar villages in Kontum to get away from the coast line.Mom and Dad - In case you talk to Lam, tell him I met his mom and she is very sweet, but I decided to stay in a hotel because I needed to book a bus ticket and leave early in the morning. That isn't really the full story, but I will fill you in when I get home. I am fine... just think this is for the best.
Got to go find something yummy on the streets to eat and walk along the Perfume River. I will email again after the typhoon touches down and as soon as I can find another computer.
Love,
Betsy
Just wanted to let everyone know that I arrived safely and am still in Hanoi. Hanoi is very loud and busy and I have heard from other travelers that Ho Chi Minh City is even worse. My first night here, I was exhausted and couldn't even figure out how to cross the street. I had to walk around the block until I could find someone else crossing and quickly walked with them (yes, I used an old lady as a body shield against traffic). Half of the population of Hanoi owns motorbikes and they drive within inches of each other. There are no traffic lights, so you just have to walk VERY slowly and they move around you. It is very hard not to stop or turn back, since they honk their horns at you. I have found that they are only honking to let you know where they are, so that you do not change the speed or direction of your walking. Then they can anticipate your direction and work around you. Unfortunately, when I hear honking, I instinctively stop. Luckily, I haven't been clipped yet.
On my second day, I went to Halong Bay and stayed overnight on a junk boat. Halong Bay is spectacular. The only other solo traveler on the tour was a creepy guy trying to find a wife in S.S. Asia and he was driving me nuts, so I just hung out with the tour guide, boat captain, and boat staff. The guide was really nice and we talked for hours about Vietnam and about my first visit. The day after that, we went kayaking around Halong Bay and then went to Cat Ba Island for a hike around the forest. The boat captain invited me to give over my passport to get permissions to stay on a few more nights for free, but I decided that I'd had enough boat time and there is too much else to see. So now I am back in Hanoi for my last night.
A bonus of jet lag is that I wake up around 5:00 AM every morning. I am getting lots done. My first morning in Hanoi, I walked around the lake. Tons of people exercising (tai chi, stretching, makeshift pull-up bars sticking out of tree trunks, etc). Met a guy with a motorbike that offered to take me on a tour of the city, but I really wanted to get out of the city for the day. So I convinced him to take me out of the city on the back of his bike. Drove through beautiful countryside and saw lots of farmers in rice paddies, brick makers, water buffalo, cows, chickens and other stuff that you only see in postcards (which I will eventually get in the mail to you, if you gave me your address before I left). 
There are separate villages for each craft. Saw the ceramics village where he took me into his friend's place where they handpaint pottery. The women let me try, but I was pretty bad at keeping my hand steady. Then went to the woodblock printing village and tried my hand at that, but I was too slow and not very good at it. Went to a cool temple and then off to lunch at his sister's house. Finished with the wood furniture village. My driver seems pretty safe, except sometimes when he starts talking about the government and turns to face me when he should be driving. When we got back to the city, my knuckles were white. We were swerving around within a few mere inches of horses carrying supplies, whole families of five on motorbikes, huge trucks, and buses. But all in all, it seemed pretty safe (and I secretly looked over my driver's bike before going to look for dings or scratches from accidents).