We just returned from spring break in Vietnam.  Vietnam has always had a certain mystique for me, since our history includes a lengthy and controversial war with them.  Interestingly they call the war, “The American War,”- just that slight change gave me great insight on how different your views are based on which side you’re on.

We spent a few days in Hanoi enjoying historical sights including the “Temple of Literature” and Ho Chi Minh Masoleum.  A fellow traveler called it Disneyland for Vietnam.  People of all ages line up for an hour to shuffle past Ho Chi Min’s preserved body for a few minutes.  We skipped the viewing of his body but enjoyed the grounds. 

We travelled by rickshaw through the market streets where the streets are named after the items they are known for.  We also enjoyed a water puppet show.  I have never seen this done anywhere else and it was amazing.  The puppets are on long poles and people, standing up to their waist in water, maneuver the puppets in front of them.  It’s hard to describe so take a look at the pictures.  The kids really enjoyed this.

We then travelled by overnight train about 9 hours to the north to see how ethnic minority tribes live.  It was a bumpy ride in a very small space, but the kids were giddy with the adventure of it all. 

We visited people that are so poor.  They have only had electricity for 2 years.  They have no running water and sanitary conditions are grim.  They work hard and live off the land, growing their own crops (mainly rice), making their own clothes, etc.  It was both beautiful and heartbreaking. 

I knew that trip was making an impression when Jonathan said, “They work so hard…rice should be a lot more expensive.”  These people only grow enough rice to sustain themselves, but all over Vietnam are rice fields filled with laborers stooped over in the fields.  Vietnam is the 3^rd largest exporter of rice.  The next time you pick up a bag take a look at where it is from.

We spent one night in a hotel near Sapa and then travelled back by overnight train, which had lost much of it’s glamour the 2^nd time around.  

From there we travelled to Halong Bay.  An UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.  We spent the night on a boat with side trips to caves, hiking, and some beach play.  It was the perfect way to end a vacation.  We travelled back to Hanoi for the night and returned home the following morning.