Message 1: March 24th
clean. The owners are friendly and helpful, and they seem to like us. They gave us drinks when we arrived, and have told us about some places that we shouldn’t miss. We plan to stay here in Ho Chi Minh City for a few days and visit temples in the city, then travel to the north.
Message 2: March 27th
Hi everybody,
Vietnam is fantastic! The pagodas are fabulous, and the different Buddha statues are wonderful to look at. We visited a market in Cholon, and saw an amazing variety of fruits and vegetables. Everything was so colorful, and we took hundreds of photographs! Later today we take the train north. We’ll stay in Hanoi for two days, then catch a bus to Sapa. We’re going to go trekking in the mountains.
Message 3: April 4th Hi everybody,
Greetings from Vietnam! We arrived here tied, but excited. This is our first trip to Asia and the friendliness of the people is amazing. All the different sight and smells make us curious to try the food. We are looking forward to eating Vietnamese food for dinner tonight. Our hotel is cheap, but very
Hi everybody,
Now we’re in the old capital city of Hue. After hiking around the mountains, It’s nice to have accommodation with electricity and shower! Our trip to Sapa was long and exhausting. From there, we took a van to small village in mountains, and we went hiking for three days. The hill tribe people in Vietnam live basic life—no electricity or telephone. They don’t have many possessions, but they are the kindest, friendliest people I’ve ever met. Everyone smiles and says “hello.” Kathy and I can only speak a few words of Vietnamese, so smiling is the best way of communicating. This afternoon, we’re taking a walking tour in Hue. We’re going to visit the Forbidden Purple City, where the emperor lived.
Message 4: April 6th
Hi everybody,
Hue is really a unique city with lots to see. I would love to stay longer, but we’re both ready for the beach. Tomorrow we’ll take there train back to the south, and the we’re going to a town called Vung Tau. It has several beaches, and it’s famous for seashell crafts. Vietnam is an amazing country, with so much variety—big modern cities and small traditional towns, mountains, jungles, and seashore. Three weeks here just isn’t enough.
Love,
Jan