… and for my sins, they gave me one.

Well, Vietnam is now in the rear view mirror. I’ve been home for a few days now and have started the process of refining and sorting my memories, going through photos and unpacking and doing laundry.

So. Vietnam. I do eventually need to come up with prose describing the experience, and what it has meant to me, but suffice to say that I really fell for the country, and the people who live in it. In a theme that I will probably borrow from heavily, Buddhism discusses the concept of the “three gems”. Mainly, Buddha; his teachings; and the community. Vietnam, in my opinion, also possesses another set of gems.

The people, first of all. It is with absolute joy that I proclaim Vietnamese people to be among the nicest and most outgoing people I have ever met. They love their country, they are proud, friendly, and incredibly curious about you, and why you’ve visited. They want to know *everything*. Do something off the beaten track? They’ll laugh. They will tell their friends. And they will take photos. Make no mistake — they have cellphones with cameras and they use them. Participate in their culture and they will be delighted. I chewed betel nut with an elderly woman near Hue. It was the most bitter thing I have ever eaten. Younger Vietnamese kids don’t even touch the stuff. She was ecstatic that I did.

Second gem? The food. I can’t say I’ve eaten better. As a vegan, I knew that I was going to have an easy time finding food since Buddhist monks are vegetarian and I knew enough to look for “Chay” (vegetarian, in Vietnamese) restaurants, usually close to pagodas or temples. What I didn’t expect was for it to be so darn good. But vegetarianism aside, the street food in the larger cities, Hanoi and Saigon in particular, was incredible. Feeling peckish? Just look around. Vendors sell everything from fresh fruit, to bread right out of the oven, to delicious bowls of noodles. Want less effort? Wait a few minutes and someone with a cart, or someone on a bike will be by. Sliced pineapple, bananas, bundles of sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. It is all there, and it is all good.

The third gem has to be the country itself. There is simply so much history, so much scenery, that it is probably not possible to cover it all in one shot. There are too many temples, beaches, architectural wonders, or museums to really get it all in one go. I took thousands of photos and still feel as though I missed stuff. Reasons to go back.

Highlights for me? Probably the stay on the Mekong Delta. I spent time with a farmer and his family. Six generations worth of family, doing the same thing. Coconuts, star fruit, durian. Really something. The only way to reach his house was via river boat. I listened to them sing traditional folk songs while eating meals that the family had prepared. I asked questions through an interpreter, laughed, cried, and enjoyed my time immensely. And I think they did, too. When I left, Hai Chi, the elder of the family, gave me a hug and said “You’re number one.” Awesome.

Musical highlights. Hmmm. The trip certainly had a soundtrack. Not all of them were of my own doing, but that’s just the way it is. A few that stand out:

1. Here Comes the Rain Again, Eurythmics. Definitely appropriate while in the Mekong Delta.
2. Night Train, Guns ‘n Roses. Lots of train rides at night. Long ones. !3 hours from Hue to Hanoi. Small compartments with 4 people per compartment. Interacting with the locals was great.
3. All That She Wants, Ace of Base. Yeah. This one ended up stuck in my head when I was walking past an electronics store in Nha Trang. It was blasting out into the street.
4. Journey Unknown, by Insomnium. Just so you didn’t think my play list was getting mushy.