Happy 2009! I'm back from two weeks in crazy Vietnam. My impressions of the country are varied... I loved the mesmerizing sea of motorbikes, especially in Saigon, where I learned to play Frogger with traffic and was thrilled with the adrenaline rush, as opposed to Hanoi, where it's a miracle I survived the aggressive streets. The food was great, especially the quintessential breakfast of pho bo and sweet iced coffee. Halong Bay was as beautiful as I'd hoped, and I felt so thankful to have the opportunity to relax in it's green waters. It was great to see Karinna and Michael and the crazy life they have in Saigon. We travelled north with Karinna's mom, on her first trip outside the U.S. Traveling in a developing country can be exciting and depressing, I find. After the high prices of Japan it is nice to feel rich, but when confronted with poverty or swamped with poor souvenir-salesladies, I felt sad and frustrated. The people of Vietnam seem determined to forget the horrors of the past, but evidence of the long war remains in the missing limbs and all-new gaudy concrete development. Having studied and taught the "American War", as it is known in Vietnam, I was especially interested to travel there, yet found myself feeling melancholy as I wondered how Vietnam might be today if we had supported Ho Chi Minh's declaration of independence in 1945. Overall, I'm glad I could visit this beautiful country, and wish I'd had more time to explore.
This is one of my favorite pictures, taken while sitting on the street in a miniature plastic chair waiting for this woman to make my fresh spring rolls. The motorbikes never stopped rolling by, the spring rolls were delicious, and the stomach bug didn't hit for another two days...
This was my introduction to Saigon street traffic, on a busy Saturday night in the downtown Dong Khoi area. Once I figured out how to cross through the motorbikes, it was fun! Basically you just walk slowly and the bikes and cars all drive around you.
I took a day trip to the Mekong Delta and enjoyed my favorite fruit, soursop, at a street market. For more details on the Mekong and other spots on my trip, check out my other blog posts.
For the full slideshow of my Vietnam photos, see below or click on it to head to picasa.
Here is our group visiting the Champa ruins at My Son, about an hour away from Hoi An in central Vietnam. The Champa kingdom controlled this part of SE Asia for a millenium and I'd barely heard of it! Who knew that Indians came to presen-day Vietnam and established a Hindu kingdom? These ruins are about a thousand years old. The Vietnamese eventually moved in and the Champa kingdom ended, but there are still a few descendants living in Vietnam today, who have mostly converted to Islam. Most Vietnamese, of course, practice a blend of Buddhism and ancestor-worship. There are a few Christians and an interesting sect called Cao Dai, which blends the world religions and has wonderfully colorful temples. Fascinating! 
