Coincidence? I think not.

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Saturday morning I was at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City waiting for my flight and noticed an older lady with fire engine red hair. I thought she was from Scotland and introduced myself. It turns out that she is from Kentucky and is also headed to Hanoi. She is an adventure traveler and has visited 77 countries. She is also going to Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and Antarctica later in the year. This meeting would have not made into this travel blog if it weren't for the fact that I ran into her the next day while touring Hanoi. Coincidence? I think not.

Before I left the U.S., I found an organization in Hanoi called Hanoi Kids. It is a volunteer organization consisting of university students who volunteer their time giving tours around Hanoi in exchange for conversing in English. I would have never thought the English language would become a form of currency. My guide was a young girl (22) with the same birthday as my son (Dec. 29) and same age as my stepson. Coincidence? I think not. She was wonderful. We walked around Hanoi touring the local sights and she told me all about their history. We walked from 9:30am- 4pm and the only cost to me was the entry fees for both of us into the museums and lunch. I tried to tip her at the end of the tour and she would not accept.

That evening I boarded an overnight train destined for Lao Cai, a Chinese border town. Surprisingly, I slept well on the train. Arrived in Lao Cai at 6am and took a van to my hotel in Sa Pa. It still astonishes me how friendly and gracious all of the Vietnamese people I have met. I also found Dat, a local guide, while researching my trip over the last year. He took me and two other Americans, Marla and Tom from Orange County, California, on a tour of the mountain side. We did a short hike to a nearby waterfall. Tomorrow all three of us are trekking into some nearby villages.

It turns out that the world's best travel agent, my Mom, has succeeded in getting her son home early. Due to the earthquake in Japan I am having to cut my trip short and will miss out on the Halong Bay section. I am now flying from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday and headed home on Friday. It's quite amazing how lonely it can be half-way around the world. Though I am thoroughly enjoying myself, I can't wait to get back home to my family.

If anyone has a skype account and would like to help keep me company, please contact me. My skype account is brianclem72.

Brian

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Comments

[Tommy]

Adventure
'as we grow older we are more inclined to do things we would not do in our youth. Good example Mrs. Fireengine hair. sorry for my typing, i just burned the fire out of my left hand, so ice cube in my left i write. never in my life would consider veitnam as place to visit, but now that brian has introduced us to it, i think it might be a place to go, don't no if i ever will, but given the opportunity "yes" Funny how in other places seem more beautiful than home, but home always calls us. Brian I guess you feel like the guy that got a hole in one playing solo. Go back! share it tommy

[jimmy cartner]

following your trail
Hey there Brian we have been following your trail over there and it looks like you are having a great time and in a beautiful part of the world, I have a few friends from work who have been there and they still rave about the country and the people. Take care and I will attempt to get a skype account and get a catch up that way Jimmy & Sadie