Communist?Socialist?Capitalist?  It really does not matter because this country is beautiful, friendly and cheap!!!

Well from being here for an extended amount of time, one thing is certain and that is this place is one of the most friendliest countries I have ever been too in my life. Long forgotten are the days of the Vietnam War . This new era has brought in a feeling of tranquility, serenity, and hospitality for tourists and locals alike.

The cities are hectic, jammed with cars and motorbikes with impatient honking, but it is not the same as other big cities as there is not a feeling of hostility or anger. The honks are simply to let people know to be careful or to move a little faster.   People sit outside shops and enjoy each others company while having some coffee or tea and a bowl of noodles.   Some people refer to this country as “The Street Food Capital of the World.”

The countryside is teemed with green vegetation as far as the eyes can see. Shacks offer food for people passing by for less than a dollar for a giant bowl of duck or foul soup.   Some people may think it is dirty to have animals run around in the streets or around public places , but this is the sustenance that people live off of. Would you want your chicken locked up in a cage or running freely? Cows roaming freely on the side of the highway? No problem, they don’t need to be kept in a pen or cage….

The countryside is similar to what it probably was hundreds of years ago, with villagers out in the rice fields all day long. Many houses have chickens, ducks, cows, water buffalo’s and pigs running around them all day long. There is always a certain feeling of a more relaxed lifestyle of these villagers, but as technology creeps in, so will the problems in the future…..

1. Hanoi
2. Mai Chau
3. Ha Long Bay
4. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
5. Viet Cong Cu Chi Tunnels
6. Hue
7. DMZ and HCM trail by motorbike
8. Hoi An
9. The Vietnamese Motorbike Diaries and people
10. The food

Examples of what you will see: