The Thailand Adventure: Vietnam: Deadly Traffic, Pretty Flowers, Beach Scenes, Clapping Men and Jesus!

Following our New Year's Bash in the village, it was back to Mae Sa Luang to do laundry, get a bus ticket to Bangkok and jump on a plane.

I met my friend Shelley from the APU program who teaches in China. Then we were off to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam to travel before classes. We spent about five days traveling around the City and took a ferry trip.

We felt like TOURISTS! It might not have been as terrible a feeling had we not just completed a course on culture and language learning. We knew just snippet about the culture and NONE of the language (we did attempt to learn a few phrases and failed due to our Thai and Chinese). We felt so helpless. Many people in Vietnam know English and are trying to make a buck anywhere they can. It is a pretty touristy area so we had no problem getting around, we just wished we could have been more literate.

I'm not sure how to describe the culture of Vietnam other than hardworking. They didn't seem as friendly to me as the people from Thailand, but then again I may be a bit biased. :) I am always happy to get back "home" to Thailand after traveling. There's just something about being here that is very different from the surrounding countries in South East Asia. Having said that, it was a fun place to visit and it was nice on the pocket book once you get there.

Enough talking I know... you want to see photos! :)

The first few photos are from our meandering the first day there

A photo I found out later I wasn't supposed to take. We're not sure why maybe to keep from obstructing traffic.

Some flowers...

We went to the War Remnants Museum. It was very sobering and thought provoking. It was amazing to be where the war that I was taught about in high school took place. I think history class should take place while traveling the world.

One thing Vietnam is known for is it's incredible traffic. By incredible, I mean awful, terrible, scary and quite possibly deadly. So I had to take a couple photos to share with you what you cannot even fathom unless you visit. (Though I must say it is more organized than Cambodia's traffic.)

There are millions of motorbikes! It was NUTS!

Photo Credit: Shelley

See all that happens: bikes, motorbikes, cars, people and even balloons

Photo Credit: Shelley

I think this photo is great depiction of what I think about when I think of Vietnamese traffic.

They have taxis in Vietnam, but they also have motorbikes with a driver who will take wherever you wish to go for a small fee. Their tactic to get people's attention has quite the opposite affect at least on me. To my guy friends, here's what not to do to get a girl's attention. They would kind of squat down a little like you would when you are calling a dog or pet. Then they would clap their hands as if somehow this would make them more appealing for us to take a taxi ride from them. Needless to say the clapping at got old, but it is quite a funny memory especially of Shelley and I looking at each other the first time it happened and asking if it was really happening.

Photo Credit: Shelley

I think this photo is amazing and I thought I'd share

Photo Credit: Shelley

Vietnamese BBQ... It was fun and very delicious. We ate so many vegetables and meats for a total of $15. It would have probably been over $100 in the US.

I did mention we were traveling before classes. We had assignments due our first day so we spent on day doing homework sitting in a coffee shop. Lame I know, but really sitting in the coffee shop allowed me to see a different side of Vietnamese culture as I watched from a window while I was doing homework. I didn't finish all of it so I had a chapter to read the next day so on our ferry ride. Shelley caught me in the act.

We headed to Vaung Tau, Vietnam on the ferry. It was this really neat, little, quiet city. I loved it. No traffic quite the contrast from Saigon.

This was quite possibly one of the coolest boats I've ever seen.

Boats!

Photo Credit: Shelley

The view

Photo Credit: Shelley

Our guest house was just to the left of the street.

Photo Credit: Shelley

I love their hats!

Photo Credit: Shelley

This made me laugh! They even swim in their hats!

Shelley finding treasures.

This is about as close as I got to the water. I was glad when I found...

This! It's a raw sewage. Gross!! Shelley and I were shocked! Plus people were swimming out there. Really?!

Pretty

Shelley's treasures

As my title says, Jesus. We found Jesus. On the hillside they have a statue of, "Jesus" and another one of Mary. I found this so funny especially when they refer to it as Jesus when giving directions.

Photo Credit: Shelley

Here's Jesus

We walked up to the top of a hill for the sunset. Everyone we met were walking for exercise. It was cool. It was a pretty good little walk. We only saw one other tourist and they were in a cab. It was so pretty. I'm not sure why one would take a cab as opposed to walking, but that's just me.

Photo Credit: Shelley

I like this photo. I think it looks like something out of, "Prince Caspian."

Of course there would be a lamp post. :)

We walked back down as the sun was setting to find some PHO the Vietnamese noodles. They are tasty. The next day it was back to school, Mae Sa Luang to do laundry again and get ready for classes.