Xin Chao ba doi! That's Vietnamese for 'Hello my friends!'
I've been in Vietnam for 6 days now and I love it more every day! I'm really glad Intrepid didn't take into consideration the fact that I didnt really want to come here, because now I'm really glad I did! I don't know what it is about these Southeast Asian countries that gets under my skin and into my heart and brain, but I love it, and I'll tell you why...
Top 8 Reasons I Love Vietnam: (if you only read one, read #6)
1. They've got the best coffee in all of Asia! I'm truly beginning to revere Vietnamese coffee, especially when they serve it with sweetened condesned milk.... :-)
2. Skinny houses! Housing taxes are paid solely on the width of the house, not the length or height, so the result are the most hilariously skinny, tall houses all in a row! Often they're not more than one door or window wide. And they're very colorful too, purples and greens, oh my.
3. They don't SPIT! Well maybe a little bit, but not 1/100th of what they do in China.
4. Vietnam is very colorful. In addition to the houses, there are flower shops everywhere, beautiful vibrant art galleries, huge bunches of balloons. To me it seems that if they have time to appreciate beauty and art and color, they are doing well enough that they're not just trying to survive like the Chinese.
5. Riding Motorbikes! This is the best way to get around Vietnam, and the most fun! Although I will say it's quite a bit different going around a tropical island on one than navigating big city traffic in Hanoi...
6. Captain Khoi at Hospital Cave! This guy is fantastic. We took the motorbikes around Cat Ba island and stopped for a tour of Hospital Cave (or Hero Cave). The cave is a concrete bunker that was built far into the mountain during the Vietnam War (which consiquently they call the American War). The cave was used as a hospital and gunning tower. There is an old Army Captain named Vu Dinh Khoi who showed us through the many rooms. At one point we stopped in a room that had particularly good acoustics (being entirely concrete) and the old Captain sang us a traditional Vietnamese song! He had a great voice, and he was such a performer! :D It was completely surreal, to be halfway under a mountain with a 74 yr old Army Captain in uniform singing "karaoke" for us, hehehe.
7. Vietnamese food is great. I was nervous about bringing groups here and not knowing what to order, but not only is nearly everything good, they also have English menus in most places - hurray! My only hesitation is that they eat a lot of squiggly things... with tenticles... I'm trying to avoid those.
8. And lastly, the Vietnamese understand chocolate and pastries in a way the Chinese could never imagine, mmm. Gotta love that French influence ;-)
That's all from the road for now. Tomorrow's the big day, I start my own tour! :-)
Currently Reading: A Dangerous Dress
