Saigon, Vietnam

What an incredible place. Vietnam is a country with an obvious rich history, generally wonderful people, and an extreme diversity in things to do, see, and enjoy. Whether it was flying around the city on one of the million motor bikes for rent, learning about the history of the war, or even taking a riverboat ride down the famous Mekong River, I had a blast in this port and it definitely ranks in the top three places that I have been on this trip. I feel as though all of this was so unexpected from Vietnam and I am so glad that I got to experience all of it.

The Explorer pulled into Saigon on March 26 on an absolutely beautiful morning. After spending a few days in Thailand, my mom came to meet me in Saigon with the SAS parent trip. As we were pulling in I was looking for her all over the pier and she was no where to be found. We later found out that the ship pulled in early and the parents were unaware that we were docked. There were close 50 parents and family members that came all the way across the world to see us. I was pretty impressed. The parents finally made it to the dock and boarded the ship. The reunion with my mom was wonderful and it was so great to finally see her after all of the anticipation.

On the first day that we were in Saigon my mom and I met up with a few of my friends and we all walked around and explored the local market, had some local Vietnamese food, and just took in everything that is Saigon. I was amazed at how incredibly modern most everything is and I just kept thinking to myself how much the city reminded me of NYC. There were obviously many differences that were all around, but for the most part the city is very similar to a bustling metropolis that you would find in the states. We did go shopping in the local market where the electricity was not turned on that day. It was interesting to watch as you walked down the many isles of clothing, shoes, luggage, and other items for sale how little portable lights would magically turn on and merchants would invite you to look at the things they had for sale. I have never seen so many kinds of knock-off Nikes, Prada Purses, North Face backpacks, and Ralph Lauren Polos in my life. I almost left like I was on Canal Street in New York City. It was fun for a while. The marketplace was quite intense though and after a few hours of “Madam, Madam, I have many colors” and “I will find your size” I had to get out of there. It is interesting to tell a sales person that you are looking for a black polo in a size Medium and they pull out a red polo in a size Triple Extra Large and expect you to like it. The saying “Same, Same” meaning what the merchant is showing you is the same thing that you are asking for (which is never is) is VERY popular here. Its rather frustrating to be continuously sold things that you are not interested in. Oh well its all a fun experience!

The second day in Vietnam I went on a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels. These tunnels were originally built by the Vietnamese people as they rebelled against French. They were later used by the North Vietnamese army as a major strategic war tactic against the Americans and the South Vietnamese. It was truly fascinating to see how these tunnels worked, but at the same time was very sobering to think of the death and destruction that these tunnels helped to create.

Also while in Vietnam I took a day trip the famous Mekong River. This river acts as a major transportation system for the people that live along it and also provides a very interesting area for tourists to get a view of Vietnam outside the glitz and glam of Saigon. On the tour of the river I don’t know if I have ever been in and out of so many different types of boats in such a short period of time. It was starting to become a joke between my mom and I as to how many different kinds of river vessels we would be in over the course of the day. The tour took us to various villages and small businesses along the river and showed us how the rural population of Vietnam actually lives. It was a really great day and something that I’m glad I got to do to see another side of Vietnam.

There is so much more that I would write about regarding Vietnam and my words simply cannot do this interesting and exciting country any amount of justice that it deserves. I am unfortunately cutting this blog entry short because we are pulling into Hong Kong in less than 12 hours and I told myself that I would have this posted before we arrived. I know I say this all the time, but I simply cannot believe how fast this trip has been going. I can remember sitting in my apartment last fall just dreaming of seeing the Taj Mahal, and now it has been nearly 4 weeks since I watched the sun rise over the amazing structure. I remember dreaming about what it was going to be like to climb the Great Wall and now I am going to be walking on it in less than two days! This trip has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to travel and see the world as I have been able to do. One of my friends here on the ship said to me the other day that her motto for life is “If you aren’t living on the edge you are taking up space.” I’m starting to like that way of life…”

As always, thanks for your love and support. Keep your wonderful e-mails coming.

Love always,
Leah