Vietnam- So Vietnam was nothing I’d thought it would be. It was so much better. It is weird thinking that it was only in 1991 that Americans were allowed to start visiting Vietnam, and only in 1995 that we started improving relations with them. I know people who were in the war, and even some of my professors were in involved in it. Just think of our involvement in Iraq…its sort of a similar situation. Can you imagine my kids going Iraq just to visit?? That won’t ever happen, or will it? Well, my first day out in Vietnam, like most other ports, was just a day of roaming around and getting to know the area. We shopped, of course!! Lots of cheap things (and fake things) to buy!! So we hit up the markets, internet café, and just explored. That night my friends and I along with lots of other SAS students went out to Apocalypse Now which was a pretty cool bar. NOTE: Mom, this is where you should stop reading. Haha. I know you won’t, so I apologize in advance. Sooo that night was my first motorcycle experience. The place was full of bikes!! There were 100 bikes (motorcycles, mopeds, etc) to every 1 car! And the few cars on the road were usually taxis. For the most part, we took motorcycles instead of a taxi cab. It cost a dollar and they took you wherever you wanted to go. My friends and I loved it! But I know my mommy hates motorcycles…but I am safe and that’s all that matters! It is just funny that my dad has had a motorcycle for like the last 6 years and I have yet to ride on it with him. I am sure he won’t be happy either that my first ride was not with him, but with a complete stranger haha. I will not describe my everyday in detail because I shopped A LOT of the time. What I will describe to you is what it was like there. Like I said, everything was cheap!! They sold polos for $3, dvds for $1, cheap north face book bags, and the list goes on. I bought about 30 dvds!! They also had cheap tailors and cheap massages!! I took advantage of both. I got lots of clothes there…wahooo! Other than it being cheap, it was beautiful!! I really loved Ho Chi Minh City. Lots to do and see. And a millliioon bikes everywhere. We were warned about crossing the street and warned about exhaust burns. Let me just tell you about crossing the street…looking both ways does nothing. You just pretty much have to cross even though there are bikes coming at you. Just set your eyes on your target and walk at a slow but steady pace. Seriously!! They just steer around you! Stoplights and stop signs didn’t exist. Welllll, very few. It was pointless to even wait for a clearing, you just had to walk slowly so they can judge where you are going then steer around you. There is more of a chance that you will get hit if you run. So scary!! I am going to be a pro at crossing the street. I didn’t believe anyone on the ship when they told us about crossing. I thought it was an exaggeration. Nope!! Also, motorcycle exhaust burns were not an exaggeration either. I didn’t get one but such a large number of students did. Actually, so many students were going to the ship health clinic (which is very small),that they had to have an exhaust burn gathering in the student union so they could all be taken care of! It seems like the new (and painful) trend…walking around with your calf bandaged up.Everyone was SO nice in Vietnam. So far, I would say they have the friendliest people. They were so amazingly nice and helpful. One lady even took my hand to help me cross the street…just things like that made me feel so welcomed.Day number three in Vietnam was my 21st birthday!! Wahooo! In celebration, Whitney, Savannah and I went for a spa day. They give very cheap massages everywhere, but we chose a place that was a little pricier. In comparison to the U.S. (or the ship’s spa), it wasn’t pricey at all!! But this spa was FABULOUS. They treated us like three princesses. Let me just brag for a moment. The package we bought cost $75 per person. When we first came in, they gave us tea and let us relax. Next, we got to go into the steam room and take a shower. The whole time they were there catering to us with water, towels, and anything we needed! We were the only ones there at first, so we got way more attention than we would back at home. We then had a 75 minute full body massage and a 60 minute facial. All three beds were in the same room, so we were together. Then, we went and got an hour long foot massages as they served us a light meal. The meal included tea, fresh squeezed lemonade, chicken and rice. Once again, we were all three together getting our foot massages. Lastly, we got a manicure and a pedicure. So in the end, 5 hours at the spa for $75 was an amazing deal! Especially since the spa was beautiful, not just some hole in the wall. And let me just tell you what my favorite part was…when we were getting our massages and looking down through the little hole in the table, they had a glass bowl of water with fresh flowers floating in it. Then I get back on the ship and pay $60 for a 60minute massage and have to stare at the ugly floor. I loved Vietnam.And since I am on the massage kick, let me just add a funny comparison between massages in the U.S. and Vietnam. Ok, well first of all my 5 girlfriends and I went and got a massage in some hotel two days later also. Both of these massages I got were not normal massages. They stand there and watch you get undressed and dressed. And just remember, I was in the room with my friends and their masseuses too. Definitely not normal in the U.S. When they begin to massage, they get on the table with you. Haha you know…like when I massage my sister or something I straddle her. Well, that’s what they do!! They hop up on the table and sit on your butt to massage you. Oh, and they massage your butt too. They do a lot of weird things when they massage you. One of them even got up and walked on my back and dug her toes into it. Then (at the hotel, not the nice spa), the lady watched me get dressed then asked me for her tip. Many people would do this. Not nicely ask, but demand a tip. And god forbid your friend give more than you, because then they get really mad at you. Well, this lady actually opened my bag to look inside and see how much money I had because she didn’t think I gave her enough! We would give them anywhere from 50-100% of a tip too (since they only cost like $7-10). Other than the spa on my b-day, we went out to eat and did some karaoke!! So much fun! Don’t worry, I had a good night. I didn’t get too crazy because I had plans for the next day!!On the last day in Vietnam I went on the Mekong Delta trip. We got in little boats and canoes and visited villages and the floating market. We got to try some different fruits and foods. I also stuck my finger in a honeycomb with bees all over it and ate some honey out of it! So yummy. But the markets were interesting…lots of nasty raw meat everywhere. Even wild dog!! Yeah...they eat wild dog there and sell it at the market. Doesn’t that sound delicious?? But that’s about it. Shopping, spa days, eating, lots of motorcycle rides, and exploring—that was Vietnam!! P.S. Now I want my own moped!! Seriously!! I hear they can be pretty cheap!