Why Vietnam?

It started with an article in the travel section of the local newspaper.  A man had travelled Vietnam by himself, mostly by train, stopping to see the local sights.  It looked beautiful, and easy to make our own arrangements, which we prefer.   It also referred to a website, the Man in Seat 61, which reviews train travel around the world.  The videos and other info there also piqued our interest.

We had never been to Southeast Asia, though Ellen had a stopover in Bangkok on the way to Nepal many years ago.  Though asked many times during the trip, I had not gone to Vietnam during the war; I was in school after a medical deferment.  Most men of a certain age visiting Vietnam were veterans, going to see the country they’d been in 40 years ago.  

We talked to friends who had visited recently as travelers and got some tips.  I also started looking at tour websites to see what was available, and what to expect.  We planned what we wanted to see.   The Mekong Delta, with its rivers, jungles, and abundant food;  Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City, the city best known by Americans (the locals call it Ho Chi Minh); Hue, the ancient capital city; Hanoi, the new capital and center of the north; Halong Bay, a scenic marvel on the coast east of Hanoi;  the northern mountain town of Sapa, a center of Hmong minority culture (Ellen has many Hmong friends from work).

We got the Lonely Planet guide and went to work.  The trip would take three weeks on the ground, and include hiking, biking, kayaking.  The plan was to get to Saigon (called HCMC from here on) make transportation plans with local travel agents, and do a series of guided tours in the different localities.  This way we could stay flexible, but use guides and local transport for the actual site visits.

The only thing we booked in advance was the flight, and the first two nights in HCMC.  We have a large Vietnamese community in Portland and so I figured a local travel agent would have a lot of experience with these trips, and local connections.  Sure enough,  Falcon Travel was busy booking flights for Vietnamese planning to visit home for Christmas, and had great deals.  He got flights, and Vietnam visa service, for less than I’d found online.  He also had a new hotel in HCMC with a good rate, and could pick us up at the airport (we had an11PM arrival).

We booked the flights, and were on our way.