The Parent Trip was a whirlwind starting in Bangkok with a cruise down the Chao Phraya River for arrival at our hotel. We met the parents and then proceeded to see all the Bangkok sights and enjoy the cuisine---Grand Palace a stunner. Off to Vietnam a few days later and all of us were counting down the minutes until the sighting of the MV Explorer and our little darlings. HCMC aka Saigon is a bustling, hot place with nearly 8 million people and 4 million motorcycles-and by the way, no stop lights. Our guide instructed us to cross the streets slowly and deliberately so the cycles could maneuver around us! Yikes
Finally met the ship and the kids and there was not a dry eye in the house. It was simply joyful. As Bob said, we treated a group of his friends to a fab dinner and got a chance to catch up on some of their adventures. We then headed up north to Hanoi and Halong Bay. Swimming in Halong bay and a leisurely boat ride among the limestone towers was about the only relaxation we had on the trip.then off to Hanoi which was my favorite---the city still has the French influence despite the war, and seems to be a place that attracts more of the cultural arts.
In summary, the Vietnamese people couldn't do enough for the American visitor. 65% of the population is under 30 which means that they weren't even around for the war. We loved our experience there and it wasn't bad to see the kid
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60% of the population under 30? Interested why? I had a guy working for me who got out on a raft with his family when he was 12 years old in about 1978... Like all totalitarian governments, Viet Nam broadly revises its own recent brutal history so the cultural stench does not overwhelm. Glad you saw it. Glad you're out. Stay safe. Jim Anderson
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