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Published: March 10th 2006
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coconut jungle
Here is Lai and his Uncle taking us through the Coconut Jungle on their family boat. This is near Hoi An. Hello Everyone,
We made it back to Seattle safe and sound. Of course we had a different kind of weather greeting than when we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City. For this final blog we wanted to cover a few highlights, send a few more pictures and give you an overall picture of Vietnam and its people.
On the plane back I asked Michelle what the highlight of the trip was for her. I wasn't surprised to learn that it was the same as mine, the boat trip through the water coconut jungle with Lai our waiter from the Hoi An Beach Resort. Just getting into an area that very few tourists see and spending quality time getting to know him and meeting his family was truly special.
A few more highlights included getting to meet Michelle's family in HCM City. Even though they spoke very little English, they treated me in a very warm and caring fashion. One of my favorite moments was chatting with a cousin at a coffee bar about favorite American authors such as Steinbeck and Hemingway.
We cannot forget the traffic here. You have to see it to believe it. Seeing 4
The Citadel in Hue
The Citadel is the only capital of the Vietnamese monarchy that still exists. It covers over 10,000 meters. people on a single scooter with one being a 1 or two year old child standing in front of the driver just became so common that it was no longer worth a comment. There is nothing that cannot be carried on a scooter. I've seen pigs, roosters, water buffalos, ladders, panes of glass, multiple big screen televisions, turtles, so many eggs that I couldn't see the driver and vegetables of every kind. Crossing a street with no real crosswalks, no stoplights, and a wall of scooters, cars, and bicycles coming from both directions was an adventure in itself.
We both enjoyed Sapa though I know Michelle hopes they build an airport as the overnight train ride and then a 2 1/2 hour harrowing drive on narrow foggy and winding roads was a bit too much for her. We both remember the first night was very foggy and walking the street we could only see the silhouettes of other people with none of the scooter noise we had experienced thus far. One of my favorite "minutes" also happened in Sapa. We were trying to send a blog out from a medicore Internet Cafe when one of the Vietnamese men there
started swearing at us. They were quite shocked when Michelle let them have it back in Vietnamese with "both barrels". Things got pretty quite after that.
Other favorites included Halong Bay with it's Mountains in the ocean, Nha Trang with the solitude of our seaside resort and for me also the Mekong Delta.
I know Michelle enjoyed the shopping. It was also poignant to be with her when she saw the school she was attending when she fled during the fall of Saigon. I enjoyed the food and the fact that the most I paid for a beer anywhere was 22,000 dong about $1.30 U.S. Most of the time beer was 12 -15k dong, which is less than a dollar.
I'm not sure what I expected when I started planning this trip. What I learned was that as soon as I got off the plane in HCM City and stepped outside to the sweltering heat and humidity, noise from so many different sources and the smells I knew I was in for an adventure I would never forget.
Vietnam is absolutely a developing country. It has a long way to go to develop their infrastructure and
Bac Ha Sunday Market
This is the Sunday Market where the Flower Hmong go to sell their products and then barter for their own needs. Note the color of their clothes. This is actually what they wear, not a costume. This is a couple of hours away from Sapa. develop their own industries. Virtually all the farming we saw was done either by hand or using water buffalos. I probably saw only 3 or 4 farm tractors that were about the size of a backyard rototiller. I read a newspaper article that said there will be clean drinking water in all parts of the country by 2010. When we did see industrial complexes most were foreign owned using Vietnamese workers. Most of the local industries we did see were of the cottage variety or larger clothing, handbags wood and marble carvings etc.
The industry Vietnam is investing heavily in is tourism. We saw large numbers of Western tourists everywhere we went though not many Americans. There are hotels being refurbished or built everywhere for every class of traveller.
While Vietnam is indeed a developing country, Michelle and I can't figure out why cell phone reception is so good there. At no time, whether we were in the Mekong Delta, in the mountains around Sapa, or the beaches around Nha Trang did we have nothing less than perfect cell phone reception. Why can't they do that in America?
Vietnam maybe a Communist country but except for the
Rice Terraces
These are man made terraces used in cultivating rice. pictures of "Uncle Ho" the occasional hammer and cycle, and propaganda posters it was tough to tell. Capitalism reigns. While the dong is the official monetary system the dollar is the unofficial one. It would have been very easy to complete the entire trip using only the American dollar, though it would have meant a couple of pretty expensive bathroom trips.
I found the people on the whole to be kind and friendly. Never did I feel unsafe (except crossing the street) or threatened. I saw no evidence of crime of any type except when I read about it in the paper. One thing that particularly struck me was how clean the homes were from the outside. Regardless of whether the porch was hardpan dirt or tile, I never saw one that wasn't swept spotless.
On average it is a hard life in Vietnam. Salaries are very low. We heard of monthly salaries from $70.00 - $250.00. Many we met work long hard days often in more than one job. Everyone is trying to earn money somehow someway. It is impossible to be anywhere close to a sidewalk and not be approached by someone selling food, lottery tickets,
Our beach in Nha Trang
Looking this direction is the typical "crowd" on this portion of the beach. shoe shines, sun glasses, old paper backs and more. On every corner xe om (scooter drivers for hire ) and cyclo drivers sit ready to "help" you. How they can spot you from almost a block away is beyond me.
The Vietnam War is a distant memory. More than 50% of the population is younger than 30, consequently they did not experience the war. I can only speak from my own experience but what I saw was that Americans are appreciated if for no other reason but the money they bring. I found those that could speak English were curious about America and wanted to learn more. Never did I experience hostility of any kind.
Michelle and I
I would encourage all of you that can, to visit. The country is beautiful, the people are friendly, and traveling here is cheap compared to other places I have traveled.
So that was our trip. We have tons of pictures and memorys of a lifetime.
Before I signoff for good I have to leave you with one more Rule of the Road:
Rule " 45 If two people do something really stupid at the same time
Michelle in front of her old High School
Looking this direction is the typical \\\"crowd\\\" on this portion of the beach. they usually avoid an accident; it takes about five people doing something stupid at the same time before there is an accident.
So Long,
Tom and Michelle
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