Day 2- March 22, 2005     Brandon Frost                                                                              [Main]
It was a bright morning. We woke up early and ate our wonderful breakfast of American cuisine. I never expected a meal like this to be in Vietnam. When people in America think of Vietnam, they think of rice fields and barely any civilization. While this may be true in some areas, Saigon is very different. There are French Patisseries, Asian cuisine, and many different and unique shops. It also seems like a mini New York. But here, mopeds outnumber cars about 200 to 1.

On our way to the temple, two and a half hours outside of Saigon, we began to count the number of moped accidents. The roads are crazy, even in the countryside. Streets in the city and in the country are busy, with a combination of lots of people, construction work, and pedestrians dodging oncoming mopeds. There were points where we cringed while in the bus because we were about to get hit by a moped or another car.   But this is the life of millions of people. They don't seem to mind the congestion. In fact, many of us kind of like the hustle and bustle of Saigon. It is something different. I mean, where else would you see thousand of mopeds on one street? Where else would you see a traffic light the size of our forearms? Were else would you buy loaves of bread for 30 cents? Where else would you bargain an $8 bag for $4?   Nowhere else but Saigon.

The bus ride over to the temple and Cu Chi Tunnels was long, but we managed the time by sleeping, quoting ridiculous quotes from teachers, or even talking about Ms. Aaarhus' experience in other countries. We eagerly looked out the bus windows to witness some amazingly beautiful sights. Water bison, rice fields, brick factories and even school children riding home from school. We definitely saw a different perspective. Most of the people in the countryside are very nice. We wave to them and they wave back with a smile. Most of them wear hand me down clothes, some with American propaganda and American companies.

In fact, many walk around dirt paths bare-footed. Construction workers wear slippers to work, sometimes working on scaffolds made of bamboo four stories high. But it doesn't seem to bother them. People here make most of what they have.  The Cu Chi Tunnels were unbelievable. We learned so much about the Viet Cong and their tactics to fight the South during the war. As we walked down the tunnels and into the walkways, we were overcome by heat and the darkness sent jitters down our spines. How could people live in these tunnels for such a long time? The conditions were unbearable for just two minutes down there. We could only imagine the long months Viet Cong soldiers endured. A couple of us shot AK47s and other guns at the shooting range at the tunnels, while many of us gasped over the bottles of cobras and scorpions. It was definitely a sight we don't see everyday.

The day wrapped up with all of us getting face, back, arm, and head massages. In fact, some even got their hair washed, cut, or even a pedicure and a manicure for only about $5. I will admit, I got my first manicure today and it felt pretty good. Some of us want to get one right before we leave to go back home, so we need to find some time to fit that into our busy schedule.