We were particularly were looking forward to Vietnam.  We love the cuisine, and as a college student in 1967-71, I was consumed with all things Vietnam.  We toured Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city), Nha Trang, Da Nang and Hanoi.  Not surprisingly, a couple of museums had a very different perspective on the war than what we were fed, especially the long history of birth defects from Agent Orange and horrors of Napalm – but there seemed to be no animosity towards Americans.  Life goes on and the focus seems to be on the future, not the past.

There did seem to be a distinctly different view of the role of central government and socialism in the South vs. the North, but it’s also clear that since 1987 capitalism has become widely accepted and helped the economy become one of the fastest growing in the world. 

All in all, it was a very interesting, enjoyable, and delicious couple of weeks.  We’d go back for sure.