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Published: January 11th 2010
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Vietnam is a country that is very hard to explain. When I first made the choice to go there, I honestly thought that I would be far off the tourist beaten path. I was wrong. Tourism is booming in Vietnam, and it appears to be quickly becoming the same old song and dance.
Vietnam war past is unspeakable. The Chinese, the French, the Americans and the list can go on have all tried to take control of this country. The war history is complex and so heart breaking that I am not sure I have the faintest grasp on what really has happened. I was expecting as an American to get a lot of grief but in all honestly, no one really talks about any of the wars unless you specifically ask about it.
What I can say about Vietnam is that the traffic from north to south is absolutely insane. Everyone drives motorbikes. To be in or to ride in traffic feels like there a thousand bees all around you. I can never really explain it. The trick to crossing the street is just to step out and walk slow and steady. What someone said to me, and I
feel is so true, was that some countries drive on the right side of the street, some on the left side of the street; in Vietnam they drive on both sides of the street.
I only had 12 days to experience Vietnam and it really is not enough. I arrived in on November 25th in Hanoi, the largest city in the north. There are warnings all over the place about corrupt tourism with the locals, and I am sad to report that I ran in to difficulty with this. I took a mini bus shuttle to my hotel from the airport and it was not until after being harassed by a number of hotel owners and me repeatedly telling them that I already paid for a room at another hostel that I was finally taken to my place.
On my first day I went to Perfume Pagoda, which a place of worship for Buddhist. This pagoda can only be reached by boat. There are these little Vietnamese ladies that do all the manual labor in the countryside so of course they are the ones that rowed us up the river. To get to the Pagoda at the top
of this hill I took a cable car, which honestly was the highlight of this whole day. There was this dog that just jumped into the cable car with me to ride to the top. It was very cute. When the car got to the top he just stayed on to ride it down.
The next day I went to Halong Bay, a must do for any traveler in North Vietnam. I opted to take the party boat the hostel I was staying in sponsored and it was the right choice. We spent one day floating in the bay, where we also kayaked and climbed through a cave. That night we stayed on the boat and then we went to a private island, where I got the chance to rock climb and chill out on the beach and in the water. It was heaven.
I then headed south to the town of Hue, which in central Vietnam. The town itself was cute with a lot of history to see. I took a motorbike tour around the different historical sites and I saw their Citadel which was destroyed during a war.
The next day I decided to take
a motorbike from Hue to Hoi An. The ride was amazing. I went over this jungle mountain pass. I saw China Beach and Marble Mountain and had a few other stops along the way. I would have to say the highlight was getting off the bike. A full day on a motorbike is way too much.
I arrived in Hoi An, which is famous for having the clothes made for the cheapest price possible. Not really my thing, but I did get a pair of knee high black leather boots made for a very good price and the best part they fit my feet and my calves perfectly. They are the first heels that I have worn since April, can't say I am excited about giving up my flats for the city life high heels.
In addition to the shopping, I had two of my favorite experiences in Hoi An. The first and possible the highlight of Vietnam was eating dinner at this restaurant called Café Des Amis. There is no menu at this restaurant there is just the owner who prepares a new menu everyday and when you sit down he asks if you would like to
have vegetarian, meat, or seafood. I chose the meat and the five course meal that was presented to me was amazing! We had the honor of Mr. Kim (the owner) actually coming over to our table and preparing the prefect bite of each dish that was put on our table. The other cool thing about this restaurant is he has kept books filled with comments from his guest for the past decades. It is very enjoyable to read what people have had to say from all over the world.
The other very unexpected experience was on a day trip My Son we stopped at a little village where I had the pleasure of meeting a Vietnamese artist that spoke French. He invited me and the rest of the people I was with into his studio where we were able to enjoy his art work and listen to him play the guitar and sing songs in both French and Vietnamese.
From Hoi An I was off to Nha Trang where I continued to get my more dives toward my advance diving certification. The visibility was horrible but I saw my first sea turtle at 25 meters.
My final stop
in Vietnam was Saigon (which for the record is spelled wrong on all of my pictures, what a numb nuts!) Saigon is now known as Ho Chi Minh City, the capital city of motorbikes. The speed of this city was insane. In town, I saw the war museum a must for all visitors. It was very hard to see as an American and as a person, I never knew half the things that I learned while there. Other than that I went to a bar that has the largest sign in the world. Around Saigon, I went to the Chu Chi tunnels. Very fascinating to learn about the tunnel system and the way the Vietnamese used them during the war and about how the Americans bomb the hell out of the area; very sad but very informational. On my last day I went to the Mekong Delta for a day trip.
In total, to experience Vietnam I think any visitor should have a full month. I wish I had more time there.
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Sarah
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I miss you guys
Leah, I just got your most recent blog which appears to be from December of 2009...where are you and where have you been! Seeing you and Laurie together makes me miss you guys so much! I love you both and hope to see you again someday soon!