Helllllo Vietnam!

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Going into this trip all I really knew about Vietnam came from the broadway show Mis Saigon and from eating pho at home. After 12 days, I have learned and experienced much of this country. It has much beauty mixed with pain and the past is still very current in the ambiance of the cities and towns. You can see the toughness and strength etched on the people's faces.

Do: Go to Ho Chi Minh City the old southern capital of Saigon. It is very busy so don't stay too long. Go to the Vietnam War History Museum and some people also like the tunnels used during the war. Go to Hoi Ann and walk around the old town. People will try to make you buy a ticket but you can see most things with out one. Go to Na Trang and sit in a mud bath in the mountains. Go to Hanoi, Vietnam's current capital. Take a breather by the lake and visit the masoleum that holds Ho Chi Minhs body. Go the the Vietnam Women;s History Museum. Go to Halong Bay and take a boat ride through the water seeing caves and kissing rocks.

Eat: Pho, the well known noodle soup, eat on the street in small chairs, Try the spring rolls, claypots, vietnamese coffee, seafood at the many seaside cities, and the vietnamese pankcakes.

Know: There are not lights and motorbikes stop for no one so fix your eye on your destination and just walk across the street, if nothing else follow a local, 20000 dong=$1 so altough you may feel rich the first time you take out a million dollars from the atm you realize differently quickly. Instead of taxis there are many motorbikes but it is better to walk. The weather can change dramatically from the north to south so bring a jacket or sweatshirt. NEGOTIATE=No matter what the price quoted always negotiate sometimes as much as 80% off the price.

What left an impression on me in Vietnam was the deep history and toughness of the people. They have been through many wars and they can come across as an aggressive people. As an american i felt a bit guilty art times seeing the impact the war still has on the current generations.

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