Gooooooooooooooooooooood Morning Viet Nam!

Yes, it's a cliche but if the shoe fits . . . My time on the road is winding down a bit faster than originally planned and my thoughts recently have been towards what happens when I get back because the big question is "What happens when I get back? I'm cutting my trek a bit short and will have to leave my other planned stops for another trip. I'm out of energy for what would follow and if I stayed the course I would be completely out of funds. As it is, I think I'll have enough to get set up someplace but finding that place is where most of my concerns are these days. It's those thoughts which keep me from thoroughly enjoying where I am. I'm not completely preoccupied with what lies ahead and have been having a good time in the moment over here. These last few days have been spent in Ho Chi Minh City formerly Saigon. The tour group has changed leaders and members much like the trip through India. Yesterday we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. I started to venture down into the actual tunnels but suddenly had a case of claustrophobia. Later, we did a boat trip into the Mekong Delta. Supposedly some of the channels we rowed along were the same channels used in the filming of Apocalypse Now. The whole day was strange considering my only point of reference to this country is from the 60s and American movies. Televised coverage of the war and the protests. Now it's all a tourist attraction. Today put the exclamation point into that phrase after a visit to the War Remnants Museum. As part of the tour group the time to examine each of these places was limited. I haven't decide if that is good or bad.

I've been doing the local food for the most part. I did have dinner the other night in a Mexican restaurant, tho'. I think it's fair to try ethnic when you're away from the home version of ethnic. Besides, I was tired of slicing the heads off the shrimp in the seafood dishes I've been having lately!

Today we are leaving the city and going out into the countryside, my favorite part of each country so far. And the bus is getting ready to leave. See ya!