Our First Day in Vietnam

We've arrived in Vietnam at a very interesting time..........it's the Lunar New Year. Though this makes traveling difficult, we are being treated to special events and sites. Tonight, less than 24 hours after completing our 19 hour journey from home, we ventured out with our guide named Hau. Given the choice of a popular tourist restaurant or his local favorite, we went with Hau's recommendation. On our way to a meal of sausage rolled in rice paper with banana, cucumber and various local leaves, we marveled at the streets packed with people doing their last minute shopping for food, drink and flowers. The streets are decorated with lights, flags and bright colors. Tomorrow is the last day of the year, the year of the snake will begin on Sunday.

Our bike ride around Ho Chi Min City this morning allowed us to see the various influences on Vietnamese culture. French architecture as well as the rich 4000 year old history of this nation were evident. Other areas of the city reminded me of things I had seen on the news as a child in a war that seemed so far away.

We spent the afternoon biking in the Mekong Delta along roads that were only as big as what we would call a sidewalk. These were the main roads though, and at times we pushed as far to the side as possible to allow motor bikes to squeeze past as people rushed to complete their preparations for their New Years parties. We were rewarded with a rest stop during which we ate local mango and drank a drink that was flavored with citrus, but made mostly from sugarcane. People seem to truly enjoy the wide range of flavors that are available to them and our guide likes to discuss the healing properties of the various local fruits and leaves. It seems he will keep us healthy, if not well fed.

Tomorrow we rise very early to visit the Floating Market. It will close early due to the holiday. I'm hoping our jet lag will soon fade, there is so much to process here.