We are coming to the end of our fourth day in Vietnam, and we’re getting into the groove of our new lifestyle.  We are really having a good time now, and I can tell that the change is sinking in and becoming comfortable because Bryan is more relaxed today, and he did a good job of bargaining today!

Since our last post was so short, I’ll give you some more detail about our experiences thus far. Friday, our first day, was absolutely exhausting. After our long walk from the airport, skipping a night in flight, and talking for a couple of hours with a crowd of locals, I laid down at 7:30pm to read my book and didn’t get as far as opening it. By the way, I NEVER fall asleep instantly. Ever. We got a good kick out of that the next day.

Saturday morning as we lazied around our hotel room, I was quite intrigued spying on the family two stories below our balcony in a tiny alley, who were all hard at work. On the floor of a tiled room that opened to the alley (open meaning without walls), a man, a woman, and assuming their adult daughter were cooking up something extravagant that took several hours. Wish I knew what it was, I would love to try it. Living spaces in this part of the city are about the size of my college dorm room, so I doubt they had anywhere but the floor to work off. A young man was busy in the alley folding laundry and washing just about everything else they owned, it seemed. Little kids were playing in the soapy water that covered the ground. It was cool to go unnoticed and watch how differently daily tasks are done.

We visited the War Remnants Museum on Saturday. The grounds contain many of the tools and machines used by the United States, from helicoptors to flame throwers. Prison walls still stand in their place, and these terrible barbed wire cages for holding captured still stick in my mind. Bryan caught some dates and numbers that didn’t quite add up, and the propoganda was a bit heavy, but all-in-all it was well worth the $.75 entry fee.

If that’s not a very good representation of our expenses, Saturday we spent a total of about $4.50 for the whole day on food and drinks.

On Sunday we took a day tour to the Mekong Delta area in Southern Vietnam. Although very touristy, we were really glad we did it because we would not have been able to see and do those things otherwise. The day included many boat rides, a bee and honey farm, seeing how coconut candy is made (much like carmel), and tasting local fruits and teas. We also enjoyed our company, including a just married couple (an American to a Vietnamese) and the family of the American groom. On our way back into the city we passed the restaurant owned by the family of the bride, and we promised we would try it out. We just so happened to arrive just as they did to have a big dinner with both of their families, and despite how busy they were with family, they took the time to introduce us to the traditional “Fire Pot” Vietnamese and showed us how to eat it. It’s a big metal pot they put in front of you on a burner, with vegetables and meat uncooked in a broth, and it cooks in front of you. Then you spoon it over rice noodles and enjoy. We also got a discount for knowing them!

Today we checked out the Cathedral, Buddist pagoda, walked past the American Consolate but couldn’t see it, and then ended up in the zoo. The zoo entry for both of us was about $.75. It wasn’t a very impressive zoo by any means, but it was relaxing.

Tomorrow we will check out a different area of the city, and then tomorrow night we will take a sleeper bus to Nha Trang. Our first sleeper bus experience; wish us luck!