Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

I arrived in Vietnam having no real preconceived ideas of the country. All I really knew about it was from watch "Apocalypse Now" and history class on the Vietnam War (which the vietnamese call "the american war.") So actually stepping foot in the country was completely new and exciting.

The first thing that hit me was the heat. Coming from Japan and China where I was bundled up in my green winter jacket, it was certainly a shock to immediately start sweat bullets. The heat was not helped by all of the vehicles whizzing by on the streets emitting exhaust. It was stressful to watch a wall of motorcycles as I contemplated crossing... its not like crossing a normal street- except maybe at UVA where we tend to think we own the roads and cross wherever we want- but Vietnam streets are worse. No stoplights, no street signs, and rules of the road are more like "guidelines". Every time I crossed the street I pretty much feared for my life and danced around the motorcyclists as they artfully dodged me.

Shopping in Vietnam was unfortunately just as stressful. Although it makes many of the goods sold in the United States, it is a fairly poor country. DVDs and silk scarves are cheap for us to buy there, but each dollar they earn from our purchases is a meal. Walking through the markets it was hot, crowded, and too much stuff. Everyone touched me trying to get me to buy something and at one point I was literally dragged into a stall that I really didn't want to buy boys boxer briefs. It was so different from China where they cajoled me into buying something by complimenting me, as opposed to shoving products in my face. It seems that personal space is not an issue.

Less stressful, was the food! Oh, the food was delicious! One of the most common dishes to find was pho. It's basically thin noodles in a soup with whatever you want in it- chicken, beef, pork, etc.. a lot of people even bought shirts that said "I LOVE PHO!" because it was so good. Drinks were a fun thing to try as well. Exotic juices such as watermelon, dragonfruit, lichii were all squeezed fresh and their banana milk shakes were to die for! It was like drinking a crushed up banana, no sugar, nothing else added. Of course, trying local beer was interesting. Tiger Beer was a favorite- very light- but I stayed away from 333 that had formaldehyde in it.

My favorite part of Vietnam (other than the cuisine) was the people. Although they were a little pushy with selling things, they were incredibly relaxed and nice! Vietnam was a good switch from the constant movement and business of China to a slower, but no less exciting experience. Perhaps it was the heat that slowed everyone down though. I felt like I developed a case of narcolepsy because every few hours I would want to fall asleep just from the lulling sound of the street and perfect weather in shade.

Sadly I only got to spend 2 1/2 days in Vietnam because I was fortunate enough to go to Cambodia. But I loved my time tehre and I hope to go back in the future!