Good morning, Viet Nam!

If your thoughts of Viet Nam are like mine, well, we need to drop our antiquated view of the country and acknowledge that it is a vibrant, bustling country with large, modern cities! While holding on to its past, it has burst out and moved forward!

The day began early. We met at 6:30 am with our first tour group and began to exit the ship to connect with our guide, Hong/James. Unfortunately, we lost one of the Golden Girls before we made it to the elevator. After some time, we reconnected and were whisked off to the Mekong Delta. Most passengers spent the day in Ho Chi Ming (old Saigon) but we opted for the countryside. We saw the outskirts of Saigon, still called that by the locals, and were surprised at how large and developed the city has become. We also drove by many acres of rice patties. Most farms were still cared for by men and their water buffalo. We were surprised to see burial grounds in the middle of the rice fields. James told us that was an old tradition to keep the family united with ancestors. James also told us stories of the past. It seems that Viet Nam has been in way more battles than those involving American troops. His grandfather was buried alive in the 40s when the Communist party was taking land. The party wanted to equalize everyone so those refusing to give up their land were killed. The rest of his family escaped to Saigon.

Traffic was atrocious but we soon left that behind as we drove to the Mekong. There we boarded a long boat for a ride down the Mekong. We visited a honey bee farm, an orchid plantation and a chocolate production facility. Although cacao trees have been in the area for years, Vietnamese only ate the fruit and didn’t begin chocolate production until recently when taught and encouraged by a tourist passing through. George had an opportunity to play with a python and we were entertained by some local performers dancing traditional Vietnamese dances. The highlight of the day for me was the Sampan ride through a narrow canal. Two expert paddlers guided us down the narrow passage while both paddles exclusively on the right side of the boat. It was easy to imagine Old Vietnam on the river. The Golden Girls didn’t enjoy the sampan ride so much. Dorothy didn’t even attempt the trip. Rose stepped in the water and soaked her tennis shoes. Poor Blanche freaked out, put her head outside the narrow boat, kept telling us she was scared and stayed in that position for the entire ride. Another highlight was lunch. We were served so much food we couldn’t keep up. There were spring rolls, chicken skewers, soup, corn pastries, and whole fried fish torn apart at the table for us and made into fish rolls. Dorothy, another Golden Girl, kept asking why we were eating the cellophane. It was rice paper. Actually, we’ll keep telling the stories but, in reality, we’ve become quite fond of the girls! There is never a dull moment. Rose was certain we were going to miss the boat and we’d all be stranded in Saigon. We did make it to port just in time to see the dragon dance performance on the pier. Everybody is psyching up for Chinese New Year!

Nha Trang, a city I knew nothing about before this trip is a vibrant beach resort full of American and European hotel chains with a beautiful beach sporting beach chair, umbrellas, and all the amenities. We divided our time between the beach, the coffee shop, and the old market. Two stories come to mind. I ordered a Hong Kong Milk Tea. George ordered a Vietnamese coffee that he says is the strongest he’s ever had. My tea was delicious until…..omg. I got to the bottom of the glass and started chowing down on these delicious, plump THINGS that were sweet and tasty. Then, I looked closely. I almost lost it. Looked just like a cup full of big, juicy fishing worms. Now, mind you, I’d already eaten 2 or 3 mouthsful. I threw it in the trash and went to the sales clerk, who spoke no English, and we finally communicated. She says I was eating JellyGrass. Still, I’ll look before I drink, next time. Then, we discovered a new type of tut – tut. It’s a small little 3-wheeled bike where I had to practically sit in George’s lap. (You can see a pic on FB.) The driver stayed with us while we did some serious bargaining at the market!

Holland American still has some work to do on tender days. We stood in another long line, this time with sunny skies, and returned to the ship, just in time for an amazing sunset, a good dinner, and some fine entertainment.

We are spending a restful day at sea in our secret place! Looking forward to Hoi An, a world heritage site, tomorrow!

NOTE: It is difficult to upload pics here and impossible to get the pics from my phone here until we return home. Some of the best pics can be viewed on FaceBook.