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Published: June 16th 2006
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Dear all,
Well, since my last update I have managed to cram a lot of things in -- the usual touristy sightseeing, some moving from place to place, and, believe it or not, even a little beach time. I won't bore you with all of the details, but I'll mention a few of the more... ahem... action packed happenings!
To begin with, and also as a warning to any people who might be reading this blog prior to venturing into Vietnam, I'll start with the bus trips. In my experience, and as far as I can tell from other backpackers, in most peoples' experience, these are the worst parts about Vietnam. Picture a cross-Canada Greyhound bus. Now, make the seats smaller and more squished together, take away the toilet, make the aisle about half as wide as usual, and make the air conditioning shoddy at best. I am an adaptable person, and so far, I could handle all of that. The problem begins with being the only non-Vietnamese person on the bus. Because many Vietnamese families only own moped or motorbikes instead of cars, when they are going anywhere that is a decent distance away, they take these buses.
And as soon as something goes wrong (ie. the bus being overbooked - which, by the way, ALWAYS happens,) you are automatically targeted, being the only tourist. For some reason, when the bus is overbooked, and there are not enough seats for everyone, people assume that being the tourist, even after having paid for the seat I'm sitting in, I should be the one either getting off the bus, or remaining seatless!!! I'm not kidding when I tell you that I was woken up at 2:00am on a night bus from Saigon by an angry Vietnamese women, demanding that I get off the bus and take the train the rest of the way!
Ah well... you live and you learn, right? There have been some very trying experiences, but there have also been some amazing ones. Before leaving the Saigon area I was lucky enough to do some day trips: one to a CaoDai Temple and the CuChi Tunnels, and another to the Mekong Delta.
CaoDaism is a very interesting religion, and is actually an amalgamation of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confuscionism, Daoism, and Catholicism. I don't really understand much about it, but I was fortunate enough to be able
Caged Monkey in Saigon
The sad thing is that a lot of places in Vietnam keep animals like this caged up for amusement... the sad look in this little guy's face broke my heart. to stand in for one of their daily services, and from what I could understand, it really doesn't resemble much of any of those religions!
The CuChi tunnels were really amazing -- a series of underground tunnels and bunkers in Southern Vietnam used by the VietCom during the Vietnam war. I was actually able to crawl through some of the tunnels - widened of course for tourist purposes! The original tunnels were apparently only about 15 inches high... only big enough for the soldiers to snake through on their stomachs!
The Mekong Delta was by far my favorite part of Southern Vietnam. It reminded me so much of the Nile River in Egypt... muddied, swirling water, lush vegetation lining the banks, boats and fishermen everywhere. The islands in the middle of the Mekong Delta are like a culture unto themselves, with coconut candy factories (which, by the way, are delicious,) honey farms, local musicians... a very laid back and friendly way of life.
I am now staying just outside of a small city called Phan Thiet - about 4 hours north of Saigon. I really can't complain about the location, seeing as I am a stone's throw
from a little beach town called Mui Ne, which looks like something off a postcard!!! I managed to stumble across a beautiful place with a stretch of completely quiet white sand beach, so on days when I have nothing to do, I can hop on my moped and head straight for the beach!
If I had to compare Thailand and Vietnam, I would rank Thailand higher, even though it is often overrun with tourists. Although I consider myself versatile and easy going, it is a lot to handle when you are alone, no one speaks english, and the culture is so different to anything you are used to. The presence of so many tourists in Thailand has made it so that you at least know that in times of trouble, someone will understand enough english to help you out.
I am still taking a lot in, wide-eyed as I have been since arriving in Asia almost 2 months ago, but I think that as the end of my trip draws near, I am also feeling ready to go home. I miss my family, and my regular surroundings more than I ever thought I would - especially after a
Cham Towers near Saigon
The Cham towers were once Hindu worship temples... now more of a tourist attraction, but still a majestic sight. year away being self-sufficient (or so I thought) at school. This trip has really given me a new respect for the life of the backpacker, and for those people that just pick up and move away from everything they've ever known to start new.
I hope that everyone is enjoying their summers, and making the most of their time away from school and work. Most of all I hope that you are all safe, healthy, and happy... because really, those are the most important things in life, no matter which continent you're on.
You are all in my thoughts.
With great love,
~Lisa~
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NORMAN
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whatup
LISA! it sounds like youre having a great time, except for the busses, that sounds brutal. not sure if you know, but david is in india this summer, i catch up with him rarely, but hopefully when you and him get back we can all get together and brag about our trips! were headed to europe again this summer, this time im going for 6 weeks! i cant wait. anwyas just saying howdy, and let me know when youre back in the western hemisphere, if you stop in etown we should do some catching up!