Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Not exactly sure even where to start with our time in Vietnam! We flew from Chiang Mai to Ho Chi Minh City and were met by Trevor Edwards at the airport. (For those of you who don't know Trevor, he is a high school friend of Kyle's brother, Tyler. The first time I met Trevor was on my first trip to Stonemark about 7 years ago.) Trevor and his wife, Heather, have been living in HCMC for 3 years with their son Brenden who is 10 months. The Edwards family were kind enough to host Kyle and I for over a week. They live in a great development with plenty of amenities right beside the Saigon river. Kyle and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay with Heather, Trevor and Brenden and made good use of the outdoor pool and fitness centre!

Vietnam, being a communist country, was unlike anywhere I have ever been. I'm having trouble putting it into words...

We had some absolutely FANTASTIC meals - Vietnam knows good food! We learned quite a lot about the Vietnam war which, as with any conflict, was quite eye-opening. (It certainly makes me feel grateful that I live in a country that has not been torn apart by conflict.) In one of the photos below, you can see the high-rises of District 1 ("downtown") which were basically non-existent 3 years ago when Heather and Trevor arrived. HCMC is developing at a ridiculous rate!! It's sort of unfathomable. The traffic is unlike ANYTHING I have ever seen...so many motorbikes. It's total chaos! Crossing the street in itself is an experience. I'm very pleased that Heather and Trevor accompanied us on our first venture to show us the ropes! Basically, you just have to start walking...keep walking at a constant speed and watch using your peripheral vision only. It's quite the adventure!

The markets are another adventure! Completely overwhelming at first but fantastic once you are over the initial chaos!

After HCMC we took a 3-day bus/boat trip into the Mekong Delta region and into Cambodia. Before roadways were established, travel in the Mekong Delta region was conducted by boat on the Mekong river. There are still a floating markets in operation - fruits, veggies and fond drinks for sale in a multitude of boats! It's pretty neat.

Overall, our short stay in Vietnam was great. Looking forward to exploring other areas of the country in the future.

Here are just a few of the (mediocre) iphone photos of our time in Vietnam.

There are photos of the Reunification Palace in HCMC, the Saigon river near Heather and Trevor's, and a coconut on a coconut sheathing tool.

Enjoy!