Blah blah blah
Vietnam is fantastic! Ridiculously so. I have been having a great time
here. I am now back in Saigon. I was in the mountain town of Dalat for 3
days, then over to the coast to Phan Rang for a day, then down the coast to
an out of the way beach spot at Ca Na. This morning I took the 7 hour bus
ride back here, and tomorrow I am going down to the Mekong Delta.
Everything is going great. Really, really great. I almost don't want to
write it becasue I might jinx myself. I had no jet lag at all. The food
hasn't bothered me either. It's hard to think of anything that has gone
wrong.
How to describe Vietnam? I guess the best way is to say that it is almost
everything I liked about Africa, minus everything I didn't like about
Africa. It's that good.
John N., thank yo so much for hooking me up with your family. It was very
special to be able to hang out with "real" vietnamese. I ate breakfast and
dinner at your mom's house every day. Everyone was very nice to me (except
for the sassy neighbor woman who does the cooking). Dalat had everything I
could have asked for: Perfect weather, rolling hills, waterfalls, and
walks to get ice cream with the 17-year neighbor girl (with her friend as
chaperone, of course). :)
At Ca Na there is only a small town and a hotel. I stayed on the beach in
a bungalow. There was only one other guest. Guess where she was from?
Israel. She was a funky 62-year old woman from Tel Aviv (she doesn't know
you, Orit). She speaks 5 languages fluently and has been everywhere in the
world. She is very opinionated and is currently on a year sabbatical from
her country because she is upset with everything. Everything. EVERYTHING!
What is so good about Vietnam? The people. They are extremely friendly.
Even (especially) the women, which is something very new for me. I am used
to shy Muslem women. Not these (in a flirty, but chaste way, mind you).
They also find white skin very attractive, very. "Yes you can touch my
skin, but please stop pinching it to see it turn red." On the beach, on
the bus, at the restaurant; it is ridiculous.
Moment of enlightenment: Every so often I read the old Doonsbury cartoons.
In the ones about the war, there is a lot of talk about pyjamas. I never
understood that. One day I was talking with some Vietnamese, and I
realized, "Hey, these people are wearing pyjamas." It may not sound like
much, but it made my day.
I bought a paper tonight at dinner. Ha ha, I see that Monica L. and Iraq
are still in the news. I hadn't even thought about either of those two
subjects in the last week. And do you know what, I'm not going to think of
them again for the next week either. Ha ha.
I actually have a lot more to write, but it's getting late, and I need to
go do a few things so that I can leave very early tomorrow.
Your pal,
Mike
P.S. Fred, please forward to John N. and Chris P.
P.P.S. I finally bought postcards tonight. The chances of me actually
sending them: slim.