Vietnam

Vietnam has always sounded like an interesting place to visit.  It has a unique history of being a French colony once upon a time.  This was evidenced by the baguettes and french pastries often offered at breakfast. The food here was really good - and spicy, not a great combination in the tropical heat but that's okay - and really inexpensive. Road intersections were always a source of amusement if not drama.  And the variety and amount of things that the Vietnamese can carry on a motorbike? I thought I could have imagined but I was wrong - just incredible. The beaches were nice, but the sand not quite as white or fine as those in Thailand (getting spoiled now aren't we?), and prices were about comparable if not a little bit on the lower side. We did notice a good amount of trash in the water here, perhaps more so than in Thailand, especially up north (Cat-ba Islands).  That made us sad, because this is such a beautiful place we wish the locals would see that and preserve it. Vietnam Blog, Day 1.