March 19-23, 2011

Vietnam… nothing like I had expected.
Why do we expect things anyway?  So we can be proven wrong?  So we have a good feeling about what’s to come?  Beside the point…
I started my Vietnam experience with nothing planned at all, and subsequently achieved far more things than I would have if I had planned every minute of it.  Once again, best way to travel is with no plans.  Can’t stress that enough. 
As soon as the ship was cleared for the students to get off, I headed straight for the city without a plan, map, nor idea where in the hell I was going.  The sights were incredible in Ho Chi Minh City and the people were entirely too nice.  Mopeds.  More mopeds and motorcycles than I had ever even thought existed. 
Ho Chi Minh City population: roughly 10 million people
City’s Moped population: upwards of 4.5 million
Population of people divided by the moped population=absurd.
Next, I headed off the next day to the Cu Chi Tunnels, the major site of the Vietnam War.  It was very eye opening to see the war from another perspective rather than the one we are forced to gaze upon.  After seeing the way the Vietnam were far more intelligent in the war, it should interesting to hear about these issues back at home, from the one-sided point of view.  
After the tunnels, I explored the city some more, including shopping through one of the busiest/most stressful marketplaces I’ve ever witnessed. 
The next day I took part in a Semester at Sea led service visit for the majority of the day.  We visited a school for the deaf and an orphanage for the disabled.  Not only was it fun and interesting to see this side of the country, but also it was a great learning experience. 
My next day in Vietnam consisted of a trip to a Buddhist temple and a daylong visit to the Mekong Delta.  Happy Buddha… he was huge.  With the amount of food and fruit we were fed, you’d think they thought that we had an eating disorder.  I’ve never eaten that much food before, but it was all so good. 
My last day in Vietnam was quite a sobering one to say the least.  We visited the Vietnam War Remnants Museum, and what a sight to see.  The images and words portrayed many emotions that completely changed my viewpoint on the war.  I’m super glad I got to visit this museum, and I hope that we never have to experience a tragic war like this again. 
Following the museum, I got more shopping done in downtown Saigon and enjoyed a 90 minute hot stone and oil massage… for only 13 dollars.  What a deal. Only if massages back home cost that cheap…
Overall, Vietnam was nothing I had expected, but phenomenal at the same time.  I hope to come back someday and spend more time here. 
Now, I’m sitting in my bed and we are en route to Hong Kong, China.  This might the first time that the seas are really rough.  We had to close the hatch to our cabin window, and secure everything we had out in our room.  It’s going to be hard to sleep tonight.  Waves are huge, and this storm seems like it’s not letting up any time soon.   Wish me luck!