Home Sweet Vietnam
I had planned on keeping up with this blog when I got home. Not only was I surprised and touched by how many people seemed to really like reading about my adventures, but Bonnie inspired me to want to blog about the stories that I either didn't have time for…
Day 14: Cu Chi Tunnels; Good Night, Saigon
Another place I've been super curious about since I read about it when I was 16 is Cu Chi and its famous tunnel system built by the Viet Cong. Imagine living underground in a tiny space for 20 years! Mind boggling. I paid extra for a boat tour instead of…
Day 13 In-Depth: Saigon
So, why do I love Saigon? Mostly, I love that Saigon has managed to integrate a Western cosmopolitan atmosphere while making it its own and still staying charmingly Vietnamese. The combination speaks to me somehow on a visceral level. Nothing specific happened, I didn't see anything specifically to make me…
Day 13: Best. Day. Ever.
I've had some pretty incredible days in Vietnam, but this was my favorite. And Chicago's 22-year run as my favorite city in the world ended today. It's now Saigon. Hanoi is number three but very close to Chicago. And considering that in the last 22 years I've visited over 100…
Day 12: Happy Vietnam Beach Birthday to Me!
Not much to report on today. I hung out at the beach. I walked around Nha Trang a little and watched the surf roll in on the true Nha Trang Beach, I ate yummy Vietnamese food, and I had a peaceful, relaxing birthday as I had planned. Then I hopped…
Day 11: Diep Son Island
I was adopted by two lovely Vietnamese friends and their families today! Turns out, the hotel booked me in a "Vietnamese-only" tour of Diep Son (which I found out near the end of the day when one of my fellow adventurers asked me how I managed to be booked in…
Day 10: Happy as a Pig in Mud
Or a water buffalo in ravine water! ;) Nha Trang was once known as the Cannes of the Orient, and since I spent part of my birthday in the actual Cannes last year (along with Monaco), I thought it'd be a nice synchronicity to spend it in the Cannes of…
Day 9: China Beach and My New Friend, Mai
The only reason I was in Danang was to spend time on the fabled China Beach, where American GIs landed at the start of their tour and took their R&R. I was on the beach by 7:30 am, and the sun was already pretty intense. I walked down the beach…
Day 8: Disaster Strikes in the Rice Paddy: The Trilogy
Okay, this "disaster" was hilarious! After a delicious French (lemon crepes) and Vietnamese (spring rolls and tropical fruit) breakfast courtesy of my hotel, my latest tour guide, Turtle, showed up to take me on a bicycle ride around the Hoi An area that would focus on traditional Vietnamese life, with…
Day 7: Disaster Strikes in the Rice Paddy: The Sequel
Okay, I'm being a little melodramatic, but more on that later. When I went down to breakfast, an older British couple was already there and asked if I'd done the cooking tour yet. I told them that's what I was doing that morning. Turns out, they were on my tour.…