INTERACTIONS WITH LOCALS—

                Although I have lived in Thailand for more than three years, I have actually done very little travel within Asia.  I went to Japan, I have been to Malaysia, and I have traveled and lived within Thailand.  Therefore, I pretty much compare all interactions with a new SE Asian people to my experience with Thais.

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LANDSCAPE—

                One thing I can say for Vietnam is that it is a gorgeous country.  Saigon being an exception.  As we were driving along the coast from Cam Ranh Airport to Nha Trang, I noted that the landscape very much reminded me of driving through New Mexico along Interstate 25 (other than having a shoreline).  Lots of mountains and scrub brush.

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So, to start… I realize that I actually haven’t written a travel journal entry in more than a year and a half.  For that, I am truly sorry.  Not that I haven’t traveled.   I have gone back to the States and done a bit of travel here and there in Thailand.  Also, I made trips down to Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia on a couple of occasions this year.  Just nothing that I felt was worthy, really, of a write-up.

It has occurred to me that living abroad can actually start to make casual travel a bit ho-hum.  For me, hopping on a van for a few hours and spending a weekend on a tropical island has become commonplace; flying up to Bangkok for a day or two as middle-of-the-road as driving to Denver (assuming you live an hour or so from Denver).  Unless I get a new stamp in my passport, it doesn’t really occur to me that anyone would be interested in reading about my travels.  I know, I sound like a snob.

I will now attempt to redeem myself by regaling you with tips and tales of my travels in Vietnam…

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