Autumn Moon Festival

A moon lover (and pastry lover) like myself truly appreciated the revelry of the full moon festival this weekend. It's a festival 1000's of years old and celebrated in lots of places in South East Asia, oh what fun!

I love festivals, this one is on the full moon in mid-autumn and called the Children's Festival.. lucky kiddies.

You couldn't miss the fact that something was happening in Hanoi... as always the first thing to go was the traffic, it disintegrates into chaos at the sniff of any major event!

Little star shaped lanterns covered in tinsel and glitter were being sold on the streets, delicious sweet basted mooncakes made from ground coloured beans bought as gifts, Chinese dancing dragons and a general feeling something was happening filled the air.

Most of the festivities centre around the 12 major lakes in Hanoi. They are scattered throughout the city, tree lined and green. Many of them are bomb crater lakes, pieces of tranquil beauty created and enjoyed enmasse by city dwellers long after the negative events that created them. Hundreds of families gathered where the usual aerobics ladies and old men in short shorts doing calisthenics usually congregate.

The weather has been perfect for it... still... a cool autumn... pfffft, I think not. Under a hot, muggy sky, sitting on my open rooftop I watched as hundreds of lanterns drifted up into the night sky lit by the light of a beautifully clear moon... and tried, oh how I tried, not to think of the litter and eventual post-festival journey to the sea... every lantern a visual prayer or heartfelt wish let off from a family's rooftop or at the lakes...

I figure it's got to be an auspicious way to start a new phase of my life in Vietnam, for better or worse we'll see... I'm looking after myself, healing after a slight chest infection... sick and feverish yes, though not as bad as that time I caught pneumonia in Nepal near the base of Mount Annapurna... a sign from the gods maybe... slow down... take it easier... look after myself for a while...

I'm also heading off to house-sit again next week... and look after Gus, the slightly damaged, small eared, traumatised but lovely little black dog (animal lovers beware, Vietnam is difficult in this regard, you may come back to Australia with a few strays)... it all makes me miss having my own little rag-tag ball o' fluff daughter around.


Geez, would you look at that wiggly nose...

I hope she misses me...

though probably not in the slightest :)