Mui Ne, Vietnam

While in Vietnam we split up our trip, part of the time we toured around Ho Chi Minh City, the rest we explored the beach town of Mui Ne. Some people say this place is over crowed and touresty, but it must have been the off season because I did not feel over run by outsiders. We stayed in a hostal right on the water, truly everything was on the water, restaurants, stores, and surfing schools. It was perfect for laying out in the sun watching all the kite and wind suffers either killing it with their amazing skills, or newbies biffing it as they learned. At really windy times of the day the sky would be filled with kites. 

^^ in the mornings we would go out and buy fresh fruit for breakfast^^

^^ the beach disappears at high tide^^

Sand dunes
One day we left the beach and took a jeep inland to the sand dunes. While there it was hard to remember we were in Vietnam. I never expected such a deserty place where I often think of jungle. We rented an ATV and drove that piece of crap (it stalled on us more than once) up and down the dunes. I am such a scaredy cat when Blake is behind the wheel of these kinda things. It was almost like free falling going down some of those hills.

Fairy Stream
We also took a "waterfall" walk down a random stream. We never did find the water fall though. It was a nice mix of everything Mui Ne had to offer, water, sand, and jungle.

Our last night in Vietnam (and Asia for that matter) we walked the streets buying fresh fruit smoothies, and ended our travels watching the sunset on the beach. 

 It was a perfect little Vietnam get away to end our trip in Asia. I could not have asked for a better start of the summer break. Truly this Spring Semester has been one I never could have dreamed of. I feel so lucky we had the opportunity to experience and travel so much. Thanks UF for giving us the opportunity of a life time along with our education. 

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

 

^^What you see coming at you while crossing the road^^

After spending time in Malaysia we headed over to Vietnam. Many people we met in our travels raved about Vietnam, how wonderful the food was, how amazing the scenery, some people went on and on about it. So we figured why not go see it for ourselves, and I'm glad we did. We truly enjoyed ourselves during our visit. The food was amazing, it was different from the other countries we had been to in South East Asia. The city seemed pretty modern in ways, but in others it still felt like going back in time. Women wore their traditional non la or leaf hats while doing daily chores. There were small cramped ally ways that houses, apartments, restaurants and hostels spilled out into. These small allies were small but the people used ever inch, some would be sitting out eating (we witnessed an elderly women eat balut or a developed duck embryo as she sat crouched on her front porch) or playing cards, then pickup and move for a motorbike to pass. As we walked through we had to keep our eyes and ear alert in order not to get hit. The only rule when it came to traffic was don't get hit. As a pedestrian you are to just walk out into on coming traffic without hesitation while cars, motorcycles, and buses swerve out of your way. It some how works, but don't hesitate because that is something the drivers don't anticipate.
Talking about transportation, we took a sleeper bus from Ho Chi Minh to Mui Ne. It was the size of a normal gray hound bus, but instead of seats there were two levels of beds. 

It was nice, but roads were so bad and slow that it took 5 hours, when in the US the same distance would have taken maybe 2. 
anyway...
While in Ho Chi Minh we visited the Cu Chi tunnels. We wanted to see the place we have learned so much about in history books. A place where so many laid down their life for the freedom of others. While there we got to hear history from the other side, and lets just say us American "devils" (their nickname US solders) are dragged through the mud pretty bad. The Vietnam War is not talked about in a good light in the states either, but The American War as they call is a victory they take great pride in. It was a little sickening to hear them brag about the number of Americans they killed. They took great pride in how they encouraged and honoured women and children to fight in the war, but then called Americans blood thirsty for the women and children they killed. It's no wonder so many solders came home messed up from that war. 
While there we crawled through some of the tunnels, and it was pretty miserable but cool. They had these "tourist tunnels" enlarged so more people could fit through. But I was still amazed Blake fit down that tinny entrance. I cannot believe people would live and "fight" down there.
We also went to the American War Crimes museum. Again not a very pro American atmosphere, and it made me glad to hear a Swed call it the biggest load of propaganda he had ever seen... I'm glad I was not the only one.
Please don't get me wrong, the people in Vietnam were great. Very happy, helpful, and kind. It was just a little uncomfortable being in a place that still has such animosity against your home country and people. The only true confrontation we had was while taking the sleeper bus to Mui Ne. While at a rest stop, I spotted an older man that seemed rather sketchy. I leaned over to Blake and mentioned that the man probably fought as a child in the war, how weird. Then a few minutes latter we crossed paths with him again, and in really poor English he ruffly asked where we were from. Without hesitation I told him Brasil and walked away, he then grabbed Blake by the arm and asked again. Nervous, Blake quickly lied and said Canada. He did not seem convinced then turned to some other men and went off talking in Vietnamese. We avoided him the rest of the trip.
Other than that Ho Chi Minh was amazing. We enjoyed walking around, window shopping (wish we had been there long enough to get some hand made cloths made), watching people play foot bad-mitten in the park, and weaving through traffic. 

Viper Temple in Penang, Malasia

^^ pictures could not capture the experience of ordering and eating noodles on the side of the road. It was not a side walk, it was like what a bike line would be here in the States. But instead of bikers, tons of street food vendors and tables for dinning. ^^

We spent a day in Penang Malaysia, which is an island with a strong and mixed culture. Here you can find Chinese, Indian, English and of course Malaysian food, art, and buildings everywhere. We took the bus around to different places of the island just relaxing and taking in the melting pot of cultures on this small island. After almost six months of playing tourist we did not pull out our camera for every little thing. 

However the viper temple was too interesting not to get some good shots. It is a Buddhist temple with venomous snakes freely hanging around everwhere. I was a little nervous walking around, not knowing where the next snake was going to be, but they seemed pretty calm.