Vietnam

So….Vietnam was incredible. I know that I have constantly been saying that the locals are so nice in each country…but really, the Vietnamese beats them all. They are seriously the nicest people I have met which is mind boggling to me, since the American/ Vietnam War only ended about 35 years ago.

Our ship sailed through the Saigon river early in the morning of the 27th of March in order to get to our port. It was just cool to stand outside and watch us sail down the same exact river that our American soldiers sailed through in 1965. As we were porting, there was still quite a bit of our own American naval equipment in the junk yards of the port. That must have been some of the equipment that we left once we finally pulled out. Once our ship finally ported, I was off to the Cu Chi Tunnels. After a two hour bus ride and a fantastic Vietnamese lunch we arrived to see the 200-kilometer network of the underground tunnels, used by the Viet Cong forces during wars with both the French and the Americans. Our tour guide first spoke to us about the war and the Viet Cong’s clever booby traps that an American/ French soldier would accidentally step upon. They showed us about 10 different deadly traps filled with large sharp spikes that would pierce the flesh of an American and/or French soldier’s feet and body. It was pretty intense.
Once we saw the traps and heard a little more about the war and more clever tactics, we went into the tunnels. Most of the tunnels were only about two feet wide and five feet high. We crawled through one tunnel which stretched as long as a football field underground. It was pitch black and there were also random drop offs in certain places. It was so cool to crawl through the tunnels that the Viet Cong used in the wars. I don’t know how anyone could live down there for all the time though…I think I would go crazy because it’s so dark and small. Oh and one of the best parts of the trip was shooting an MC60 and AK47. Yea I know Scott and Steve….you are jealous. Haha…but seriously it was so awesome, especially the MC60. I felt like Rambo…the girl version I guess?

The second day was a girl’s day…and was so much fun! My friends Lauren, Kendal and I got on the motorcycle taxis to the Ben Thang market. Let’s just say that those motorcycle taxis are crazy! I was scared for my life…but don’t worry mom I’m safe, wounded free and fine. Once we got to the market we stopped by a dress shop to get a dress made for me. The owner of the shop was so nice and brought me to the fabric sections of the market. I picked out my own fabric and told her exactly what I wanted. We got back to the shop, she measured me and told me to pick it up on Sunday. After that we were off to the spa. I ended up getting a 75 minute hot oil stone massage with Kendal for only 7 dollars! It was amazing! I have never had a massage before but loved it. It was a little awkward though because the masseuses’ kept smiling and laughing at us. They also kept pointing to my eyes, probably because they are green and not brown…but still they kept smiling and laughing. Once I got my massage, I then paid for a pedicure and manicure for only 4 dollars total, and they did a fantastic job! After the spa it was getting later and we got some pho. Pho is an authentic, classic Vietnamese dish. It is a beef stew filled with noodles, beef, and herbs. Oh my goodness…sooo good!

The third day Ryan and I hung out and went to a really good lunch. I got pho again and Ryan got a really good meat and macaroni dish. We took the motorcycles again to the War Remnants Museum. This was the most intense museum I’ve ever been to. It actually made me sick to my stomach being an American in that museum. Outside the museum was US military equipment but once you stepped inside the museum, there were 100’s of pictures of naked children running from Napalm, deformed men and women suffering from Agent Orange, Americans dragging Vietnamese men, women and children from the back of tanks and more. It was really really sad to see. We also saw the tiger cages where they kept stubborn prisoners and beat them for no apparent reason. Most likely John McCain, being a prisoner of war, was in a cell similar to the one we saw. There was also a part of the museum about the protests in America towards the war, such as the Kent University incident. It was a really intense museum…much more than any museum that I have been in. After that we just explored more of the city and grabbed something to eat.

On Sunday I was off to the Mekong Delta. This trip was one of the best SAS day trips I’ve been on so far. Before we got to the Mekong Delta we went to a Buddhist Temple. We saw a massive statue of Buddha and a service happening within the Temple. Oh and I went to the bathroom in the squatter toilet. I haven’t mentioned anything about the squatters yet but they are interesting, because there are no toilets anywhere…only holes in the ground. It’s always an experience going to the bathroom…haha. Anyways, we finally got to the Mekong Delta. The Mekong Delta is a canal network where inhabitants make a living from cultivating rice, fish, soybeans, maize, peanuts, tobacco and melons. It’s really hard to describe but I felt as if I was on the jungle ride at Disneyland. It was sooo beautiful. It was nice to get out of the city life of Saigon and see how the real Vietnamese inhabitants live. On the trip, we took boat rides from place to place. Our first stop was a small hut where we tried some coconut candy and watched them make it. We then took a carriage ride to our second stop. At the second stop we had about 5 different types of fruit; and were serenaded by some locals playing music and singing. We then headed on our small boat ride which held only 4 students through the narrow rivers. We were surrounded by green forest marshland. It was so peaceful, quiet and just plain beautiful. I can’t really describe how cool it was. We then ended with an authentic meal which was quite interesting but so good!

The final day was a relaxing day. I went with a few semester at sea kids to explore the town. We went back to the market, bought a few things and ate some more pho. I also got my hair cut that day in Vietnam because my hair was getting so long. It was the best hair cut I’ve ever gotten. They massage your head and basically give you a facial when they wash your hair…it was amazing. The haircut was only about 4 dollars and it looks super cute. Just a little trim but it looks great! After the haircut I picked up my dress. It turned out perfect and fits great! I really can’t believe how cute it is. I’m going to wear it to Stephen’s graduation…mom you’ll love how cute it is.
So that was Vietnam. I think it is my favorite port so far…and also thank you Mom and Dad for the letter…I love hearing from you! I love you and now I’m going to be in Hong Kong in the morning and get to see some panda’s tomorrow! I can’t wait! Love you all..