Good Morning Vietnam!

I had high hopes for Vietnam (sometimes spelt Viet Nam...) It was one of the ports that truly made me choose SAS and after spending just 5 days here, I can tell you it met and surpassed every expectation I had. I spent the first day wandering the city of Ho Chi Minh, formerly Siagon, getting measured for handmade dresses, finding wonderful souvenirs for my family and friends and dodging the intense markets whenever possible. With everything being just one or two US dollars, it was easy to support the Vietnam economy.

Day two Abby and I set out for our history lesson. We left the ship at 7:00am and drove two hours to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels. The area had mock up tool making, cooking, housing and other various sites that resembled what it looked like during the war. We saw the now over grown locations of where bombs had exploded and destroyed both the land and people. It was hard to believe it wasn’t that long ago that soldiers were crawling in and out of the tunnels trying to save themselves. They were so clever; they stole American soldier soap so that their smell wouldn’t appear foreign and only cooked in the morning when the fog was low so that smoke wouldn’t linger over the tunnels. We had the chance to crawl through one of the tunnels- the first level because as you got lower they were so small that not even our legs could fit. We were crawling and hunched over just to make it through the winding, narrow path. After we left the tunnels, Abby and I took a motorcycle ride to the War Remnants Museum on the other side of Ho Chi Minh. It was blazing, boiling hot, the humidity reached far beyond anything I have ever experience but as I walked through the museum and read disappointing quotes and viewed the horrifying images, my body got the chills. To be honest, I never knew much about the Vietnam War it was interesting to learn about it from the other side. I can’t imagine the protests that took place back in the states or the people that came to Vietnam to fight. It left me feeling out of place and worried about what the future generations will do about the current situation the US is in.

On our third day, Abby and I left around 6:30am for our SAS trip to Cat Tien National Park, just a 5 hour bus ride away. We took a small boat across the Dong Nai River and into the park headquarters. Our accommodations were a lot like camping and reminded me of being up at the shack in Montana. There was no warm water, our mattresses were concrete, the electricity only turned on during certain portions of the day and the bugs and animals were not shy to pop out at any given time. On our first day, we took a ride through the park looking at the lush vegetation from our open roofed truck. We took a small boat back along the river and saw various birds and learned about the flora and fauna in the area. Riding in the boat brought me instantly to memories of summertime out on Lexi’s boat with her family. Just cruising in the open water, the air so hot you can’t breathe but really getting away from it all. A few of us lay in wicker hammocks and listened to the obnoxiously loud yet calming noises of the wildlife close by. By dusk, we were fortunate to experience a few rain showers and we all danced in the paths celebrating the cool off we were dying for. After dinner, we took another ride out into the park to view the wild deer, boar and nocturnal animals. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the stars- it was so clear and it seemed every star in the galaxy was just popping out. Not even the feasting mosquitoes could ruin the perfect atmosphere.

We spent the next day hiking throughout the rain forest and into Crocodile Lake. Since it had rained a little, we were worried about the leaches so we had to wear these big, sock-like protectors over our legs and rub sticky ointment over them. On our hike, our guide Trong showed us the various species that rest inside and we were surrounded by the insect noises and fluttering of butterflies. The 10K hike seemed to go by fast since it was so hot- my mind just went into a daze and I couldn’t even feel my legs moving. By the time we reached the lake, our clothes were drenched in sweat but we were greeted with a freshly-cooked Vietnamese meal that served the best pineapple I’ve ever had. We sat on the floor of the wooden deck that over looked the lake and enjoyed veggies, noodles, lots of tofu and hot tea. Our hike back seemed quicker yet hotter- the humidity reached 86% and the temperature was over 100*F. I just lost myself in memories of hiking in Montana or the smells of a humid night on Noni and Papa’s deck in Tapatio. I just pictured myself there and in my heated daze it actually felt like I was. We returned to the headquarters and chugged water to replenish ourselves.

On our last day, we started the morning off with a hike into the bamboo thickets to Ben Cu rapids. Again memories of Montana filled my mind- just sitting by the river listening to the rustling sound and losing yourself in complete peace. On our hike back, we stopped beneath the trees where locals were cutting and working with the bamboo. I stood in awe just admiring their hand work; they worked like machines and their hands had such a consistent, constant flow. It was beautiful and reminded me how much we can do just with our hands. Before lunch, we had free time to roam the park. I stumbled upon a bear rehabilitation area- there were 19 bears that had been rescued and were being training to be put back into the wild. Some of the bears had been so thrown out of nature that they were afraid of fish. I met a Scottish woman who had just moved there in January to volunteer and help assist the bears. She was honored the park had asked her to stay longer as the bears worked towards being released. I hope that when I’m older I have that drive and that passion for something. That I can just pick up my life, move, volunteer and do something for the good of the world. Whether it’s with bears, humans, nature or what- I just hope I’m open for all that comes my way.

We arrived back into Ho Chi Minh City by dusk and had a BBQ dinner on the ship (yes hotdogs!) We had the night free and didn’t set sail until early this morning. Sailing through the Siagon River is unlike anything I’ve seen; it is extremely narrow and there are rice mounds, small boats, big boats and just people paddling though. They waved as our huge MV Explorer made wakes and pushed through to head back out into the South China Sea.

Vietnam was definitely one of my favorite ports that we have visited- I loved being out in the wild even though it was deathly hot and I didn’t shower for 3 days… I ate the best food, traveled lightly and experienced everything that came my way. Although it was dangerous, driving through the city on the back of a motorcycle flying through the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh was a blast- my hair flew in the wind and I felt like I was absorbing it all in. It was emotional visiting the war cites and important to keep in mind how both American and Vietnamese were being portrayed but it has struck my curiosity to keep learning- similar to Thailand.

Someone told me recently that they can tell I’m growing up. It was the best compliment I’ve gotten in a long time and I actually agree with him. Somewhere between this voyage once described as a cruise and the academics once considered minimal- I’m actually growing up and changing more than I ever thought.