The Beautiful People of Viet Nam

We spent our two week Christmas break in Viet Nam, traveling the country from south to north. We landed on Dec 17 in Ho Chi Min City or, as the locals prefer to call it, Saigon, to spend a few days with Sheila and Errol. Then we flew to Dalat in the central highlands, then on to Da Nang and Hoi An where we met Sheila and Errol for the Christmas weekend. After that we headed north to Hanoi with stops along the way. Sheila says that we hit the 5 H's in Viet Nam: Ho Chi Min City, Hoi An, Hue, Halong Bay and Hanoi. I'll talk about them in later posts but for now, I want to introduce you to some of the beautiful people we met along the way.

Viet Namese people are so friendly and kind that they make you feel like you have known them for a long time. We met some characters that we won't soon forget.


These two guys, Nam and Joseph, toured us through the country side around Dalat on their Honda motor bikes. They showed us the coffee plantations, the silk factory, natural wonders like waterfalls and lakes, pagodas, monasteries, churches, and even arranged for us to do a mountain trek. They have been at this business since 1992 and are very knowledgeable about their country and the Dalat region.



This is Mrs. Dung (pronounced young) and her lovely grand-daughter. She runs the Dreams Hotel in Dalat, not to mention a butchering business, a farm and a market stall. She already has two hotels in Dalat and is making plans to open her third. She also serves the best breakfast in VN!



More motorcycle guides in Hue this time. The countryside around Hue is beautiful.



This little lady was the curator of an agricultural museum in a small village outside of Hue. She spoke no English but with acting, singing and smiles she told us the story of village life in Viet Nam. What a gem!



The Viet Namese know how to make a buck! This fisherman knew that we were interested in what he was doing with his fishing net, so he climbed aboard our boat and offered us the chance to throw his net. For a fee, of course.



This fun group of people shared our over night boat cruise of Halong Bay. The old folks are in the back row.



Every cruise needs someone to look after the food. I enjoyed watching this young fellow work. He always seemed to be concentrating so intently.



We had had very delicious peanuts in HCMC so wanted to buy some to take home with us. These two were selling roasted peanuts on one of the back streets of Hanoi.



And last but not least, in a park in Hanoi, we met this young woman who wanted to improve her English and asked me to help her with her lessons. We exchanged e-mail addresses and I hope that we will keep in touch. What a sweetie!

The people of Viet Nam have been through so much. Their history is one of occupation and war. They have grown hardy and self sufficient, so proud of their country and their independence. I am privileged to have had a chance to meet them.