And It's One, Two, Three, What are we Fighting for?

Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, next stop is Vietnam...

Maybe a US-Vietnam Ware era song is not the best way to introduce my current trip to Vietnam... but at least it is an anti-war anthem!

Having wrapped up my internship in Timor-Leste, I am now embarking on a brief holiday to Vietnam. Why Vietnam? Well, I asked many, many people about their suggestions for southeast Asian travel destinations... and each person had a different place I "had" to see. But, if it was not there first choice, most agreed that Vietnam is a top-three place to visit. Couple that with my history nerd-ism, and my development nerd-ism, and my love of rice... well, it just seemed like a perfect fit.

I am flying into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon). In between, I will spend about 8 days travelling throughout the country, with no real itinerary. I plan to see some cool mountains, bays, beaches, and rice fields (on the latter, I am connecting with some SRI practitioners for some hippie-organic farm talk). I hope to see some historical sights (Hue, Hanoi), some natural wonders (Halong Bay), and some more-recent-historical sights (DMZ, Cu Chi Tunnels). But no definite plans; I am equipped with a Lonely Planet chapter on Vietnam and the (so-far) excellent read on modern Vietnam, Vietnam: Rising Dragon. After reading a few chapters of Rising Dragon, I was convinced I made the right choice. How could I resist with lines like these:

Vietnam is proof that development can work; that a poor society can become better-off, and in a dramatically short period of time.

Life--not just rural life--depends upon rice.

Rice is such an integral part of Vietnamese culture that the word for it--com--can also be used to mean both 'meal' and 'wife.'

Should be a fun trip. More to follow...