Scenes from Vietnam

Heading into Vietnam, this was the view coming up the Saigon River into Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by many).

One of the first places we visited was the Rex Hotel, a popular hangout for Americans wishing to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city outside. Juan and I grabbed some Saigon Beer in the rooftop cafe and here's what we saw from our seats.

We had a staff dinner outing our first night in Vietnam with all 8 RD's; Linda, the Director of Student Life; Chase, our photographer; and Antonio, our computer guru. We each ordered something different and shared all, so we were all able to partake of spring rolls, frog legs, chicken, beef, clams, shrimp, pork, rice, soup, beers, and some other things--all for less than $4 apiece (I was going to order the Cobra, but it would have added about $3 more PER PERSON--yikes!).

In April of 1975, the Viet Cong army overtook the headquarters of the South Vietnam government. As this was the site of Vietnam's "reunification", the building is now called Reunification Palace.

One day Linda and I took a quick cyclo ride around the city. Cyclos are one of the main ways of getting around town, as a single ride costs less than a dollar. It's a fun way to see the hustle and bustle of downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

During my stay, I took a trip out to see the Mekong Delta. On the way out, we stopped to see a market, but I spent more time wandering the streets (left) than checking out the wares at the market. Later on, I took a short boat ride through one of the tributaries leading to the Mekong River

The Cu Chi tunnels were made famous during the American occupation of Vietnam (not surprisingly it is not called the Vietnam War in Vietnam). It is a vast network of over 200 kilometers of underground tunnels from which the Viet Cong were able to launch many a surprise attack. Here Julie peeks up from down below.

Near the tunnels is this helicopter, and a firing range where you can pay a few bucks to shoot the guns left behind my the Americans after they left.