On this trip when taking pictures with Vietnamese friends it is normal to hear the words, "one more, one more." So one more time some parting words and pictures from Viet Nam and the City by the Han River. Above you see Victor and Tri as we said chao tam biet (goodbye) Sunday morning April 15th. Tri is a Da Nang resident who loves to meet new American students, make new friends, and help them feel at home in his city. Tri is a lot of fun to hang out with and is one of the many friends I will miss in Viet Nam.
Vietnamese women are beautiful and Nhu is a perfect example. She is also brilliant, funny, and full of mischief. She has a command of English to the point where she can say something perfectly innocent and yet loaded with double meaning, on purpose. If Nhu and Tri are around then you have the makings for a great party.
No these two are not a couple, but they are very much fun to hang out with. Nhu loved the idea of learning a little bit of sign language.
If I have got my data right Viet Nam is the 5th largest rice producing country in the world. On our trip south the harvest was in full swing and the farmers were very busy. Farther south some of the fields already had their second crop planted. Rice, it is not just for breakfast any more.
On US interstates there are rest stops. On the NY State thruway and the Pennsylvania turnpike there are service areas. Well Viet Nam is no different...okay well maybe a little different. This is a road side rest stop on AH1. Here you can get food drinks and grab a nap in a hammock in the cool shade of the trees. We don't have hammocks at US rest stops. What's up with that?
Above you see a group of Cham Musicians in Nha Trang. The Champa Kingdom was in south central Viet Nam until they were assimilated by the Viet. The Champ people are now one of Viet Nam's ethnic groups and the only people to name a kingdom after a flower, the Campa which you see in bloom just above.
It was apparently too early in the morning for the Harley dealer to be open but on motorbike ally in Ho Chi Minh city there it was. I did spot two of them in HCMC traffic...they tend to stand out among the little motorbikes. Last but not least below is a video of traffic in HCMC. It made me really appreciate Da Nang traffic.
This video was taken about 9:15 in the morning about two blocks from our hotel. I wanted to include it just to give you a parting glimpse of the busyness of Ho Chi Minh city compared to an early entry of traffic in Da Nang
I will continue entries to this blog as the return/reentry to the US and the culture shock of coming home becomes reality.
Next vacation visit beautiful Viet Nam...but do not drive a motorbike.
Hen gap lai
An
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