Catching up again
Trip Start
Jun 09, 2008
1
8
10
Trip End
Jul 31, 2008
Hoi An,
Vietnam
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
On the 25th of june I crossed the border from Cambodia to Vietnam, a day later they cancelled the e-visa for exit out of cambodia so I would have been up a creek had I not left when I did. (things are very different an unorganized here)
In the morning to get across the border we tok a 5 hour speed boat. A relative term in Cambodia and had to get off the boat two times to both exit and enter at the custom sites. There are only 5 true communist countries in the world, Vietnam, Laos, china, North Korea and Cuba. Two of which I will be visted but both of which are fairly safe for western travel. I learned in vietnam that the war is called the American War because they see it as they beat the Americans who wanted to occupy their lands. Because it is communist country they do take your passport every night at the hotel which is weird but at least I have a few photo copies. However that does mean there is no hiding that I am an American. but like I said I have not had too many problems over here.
Another thing I noticed about vietnam is their straight honesty. they will stare at you for hours because you look so different than they do and they are not shy about staring.
Upon arrival in Chau Doc Vietnam I found a nice yung vietnamese man to take me on his motorbike up Sam Mountain. It scared me half to death because they drive crazy and I think I had a death grip around the poor lad. But the view at the top of the mountain was well worth the fear. You could see Cambodia, Vietnam and the Mekng Delta. I saw men working in the rice fields and women preparing supper over the fire. On our way down the mountain (even more scary) we stopped at an intereesting temple which has a mix of chinese taoism, hindu, isamic and buddist culture. The children in vietnam are very different as well from cambodia. They do not bed as much bu love to high five westerners and play tag. They also have an interesting game similar to hacky sack but more like a bad miten ball with wings. The children love playing it wih me on the streets throughout the town and I have to say it is a lot of fun. It is an interesting mix of work and play these children face daily, but to see a westerner even stop and smile at tem brightens their face in a way that words can not elequently or factually describe.
