Thinking of Viet Nam

The last time I wrote @ my trip to Viet Nam I thought it would be my last time because I was thinking these posts would be boring to anyone but me but I then I decided if no one else wants to read this it would be just fine because what I really need to do is record my trip to this amazing place and how fortunate I was to be able to feel it, smell it, experience it, eat its food and just simply live it. If you are interested in these blog posts, enjoy. If they are not it might be because of my writing style and I am going to work on that during this post( I read the previous ones and some parts are a little boring).When Angie & I planned our trip I really didn't care if I went or not, actually I really wasn't interested in going at

all. So what happened? What changed my mind? Nothing really! I just got caught up in the planning and then all of a sudden it was time for us to go. I guess I thought Angie wanted to go considering she had been talking about this for 4 years, Yes, 4 Years but then if you know Angie, not being able to make decisions is part of her charm.

Well August '10 came along and we bought our tickets. We found someone in Viet Nam to help us with our reservations and I have to say at that point I became more interested in

going but really, I didn't care so much. It was just something to do and some place to go.

Even the night we left I wasn't that excited about the trip. I wasn't sure about going considering it was so far and I really didn't have the passion for it but as it turne

d out what this trip did

for me was to give me the passion for traveling to places off the 'beaten path'. Places where only adventurous travelers would go. I figure that I only have a certain amount of time to travel this way - throw my sh.. in

a carry on bag, only use public transportation or walk when we get to where

we are going an

d never, ever

travel with a group of old white people ( at least at this point in my life).

With all of this in mind we had a wonderful time and are now talking about going

to Thailand or Egypt in the Fall.

So what are some of the highlights in my trip?

Actually standing in

the line(s) at the international terminal in L.A. I know that sound

s weird but it was a

real awakening into the numbrs of peo

ple we would be traveling with from L.A to Taipei and some of them on to

Saigon.

Arriving in Saigon - the trip to our hotel(notice the Buddhist icon on the dash of the taxi?) and seeing not only the motor bikes but the way people live now and how this has not

changed for years, Hurray.

We were able to visit the largest Buddhist temple in Saigon - it is amazing, See photos.

Well, it is time for me to go to bed

but I will write more tomorrow, enjoy!