Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Brian didn’t mention that our Vietnamese guide said this to me as I tried to get my passport from her before we crossed the border into Cambodia. When I got on the phone, the guy on the other end would say hello, and I would say hello back, and we’d go on and on saying hello and he never told me what he wanted. Only when I put the Vietnamese guide back on the phone did I understand that I would have to pay $10 or they would take my visa away. Of course we relented and I had no problems after that. It was our official welcome into the country. After my experience in …

Sitting in the Danang Airport I saw a tourist sign that said, “Vietnam- The Hidden Charm.” I thought to myself, “It’s so hidden I have yet to find it.” As Brian has already mentioned, I thoroughly disliked Vietnam. After our experience in Halong Bay, and all the trash and pollution everywhere, and especially getting ripped off by the train guy, I was not a happy camper. Nothing was as I expected. And I was actually really excited about going to Vietnam, but the reality was not the same as my dreams. I think I’m very tolerant, but not as tolerant as Brian. And I was just barely tolerating Vietnam.

After about a week of …