Vietnam

You can't come to Vietnam (especially as an American) and not come face to face with the lingering effects of the Vietnam War. What surprised me was how welcoming the Vietnamese were, especially to us Americans. After all, that war did ravage their country and there are war-wounded everywhere. But it seemed like all was forgiven and they were happy to have us as tourists this time, not invaders.

Saigon, Vietnam. The spoils of war. You don't have to look far to see reminders of the bad times here: war trophies, propaganda pieces, and plenty of unsettling documentation of a war everyone could've done without. I was too young to be drafted into this war - thank God - but I'm old enough to remember it well from tv. Night after night after night....

Saigon, Vietnam. There are plenty of not-so-subtle reminders of the grizzlier aspects of the war here in the War Memorial Museum in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). Some of the displays are hard to take and hard to believe - whether these displays show propaganda or actual atrocities, this place will make you wonder. But they say history is written by the winners, and in that war it wasn't us. A touching scene that played out over and over was the sight of American veterans of that war returning to Vietnam, many to come to terms with their past. Like this guy.

Cantho, Vietnam. The Vietnam War was a big part of this country's recent past, but it isn't too difficult to get away from it when you've had your fill. The country is loaded with natural beauty, from the steamy swamps way down south to the cool crisp air of the mountains in the north. We did this trip generally from south to north, starting in the Mekong Delta city of Cantho. We came here mainly to experience the Mekong Delta, and the sleepy little town of Cantho makes a fine base of operations for that. A word of warning to those that might follow : It's HOT !! And humid. And buggy. And a little stinky in places...

Cantho, Vietnam. Mother and daughter (or so I presumed) on their way down the Mekong River to the floating market. I think this may be where the idea of stand-up paddle boarding came from.

Cantho Floating Market, Vietnam. What a great way to get your stuff to market. But I'm not sure I'd eat anything that fell into that river...

Saigon, Vietnam. This is what crossing the road (any road) looks like in Vietnam. If you wait for traffic to stop you'll be there forever. So you do what the locals do: look straight ahead, walk steadily out into traffic without hesitating, do not change your pace or direction for any reason. It's an act of faith - the mopeds flying past you might come within inches but they always miss somehow. It's almost better to do this with your eyes closed.

Nha Trang, Vietnam. It turns out Vietnam has some pretty nice beaches - and good diving offshore, too.

Nha Trang, Vietnam. Rub a dub dub, two men in a tub. The Vietnamese are ingenious at coming up with unique solutions to problems. Here are two fishermen paddling their dingy / basket out to their fishing boat. I've noticed that in most communist countries (Cuba might be the best local example) people get very creative with solutions to problems using whatever resources are available, which usually isn't much. They seem to be able to make anything out of something else. As a Cuban once told me, "On this island, everybody is an engineer". I'd say this applies to Vietnam too.

Halong Bay, Vietnam. Taking a multi-day cruise through this surreal karst landscape should be on everyone's Vietnam to-do list. Warning: Do not climb on these rocks. They are razor sharp!!!

Hanoi, Vietnam. Classic Asian scenery right in the heart of downtown Hanoi.