December 2007 - Two Weeks in Vietnam

For the past few years, leading up to this trip, I had done all my traveling alone. Perhaps it's because few of my friends are able to enjoy the luxury having so many vacation days off work, or maybe I just like exploring the world on my own - doing what I want to do, when I want to do it, how I want to do it. Admittedly, there have been times when loneliness creeps in and you long for a familiar face, but those feelings generally pass with the thrill of finding your own way in a foreign land. It's independent travel in the very truest sense of the word. (Of course, it's also possible that nobody likes me.)

So, when my life-long friend, Nathan Slater, suggested that we go on a trip together, I was torn. Indeed, I preferred to travel on my own. But, on the other hand, this was Nate, and surely the joy of sharing an experience with somebody I've known since I was two would be worth it a million times over. The question, then, became, not would I do it, but, to it, how would I do?

I had mentioned to Nathan that there were a few different places I'd like to visit - Vietnam being one of them. A history buff, this seemed to strike a particular chord with him, and we tossed around the possibility for a number of months. Finally, he was able to sort out his vacation situation at his job and all the talk became a reality. We purchased our tickets for December, appropriately flying out together from our home town in Phoenix, Arizona. Ever the opportunist, I figured if I tacked on a couple days at either end of the trip I could kill two birds with one stone - traveling in Vietnam with Nathan and spending some time with my folks in The Valley.

So, with Rough Guide in hand, we prepared to cross the globe in an adventure that, for me, would give some credence to the simple and profound journal thoughts of the late Alexander Supertramp: Happiness is only real when shared.

NOTE: Photos are up, but narrative is still being written.

Currency Exchange for Vietnamese Dong (as of Jan. 2008):
$1 = 16d
€1 = 23d
£1 = 31d

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