Hi David, I returned from Vietnam last Thur. I spent 7 weeks in Vietnam and 1 week in Cambodia. It was a trip full of great experiences and adventure. Language problems alone make independent travel an adventure in Vietnam. English is not widely spoken outside of the typical tourist paths. They say and act like they understand but when action follows words the two don't relate. Vietnam is very crowded, especially along the main highway and in the cities. Lots of truck traffic on the main highway and motorscooters in the cities. As a result the air is very polluted, the country is generally very dirty and smells bad. They use their horns instead of the brakes on the vehicles and so it is very noisey also. However, the people are very warm, friendly, honest and concerned that we, as Americans, come away with a good feeling towards them and their coutry. The rule of the road is the biggest vehicle has the right of way but, to their credit, it is not good sport to hit somebody from the rear. As a result they do not hesitate to move into the oncoming lane and challenge anybody coming at them. They like to play "chicken" even if there is no other traffic in the area. It is all in good fun as they have a big smile on their face as they swerve away at the last second. This was one of many things that made the bicycling trip interesting. Kids throwing little stones at you was another. None of these actions was anti-American. We were just different with our funny clothes and helmets and fancy multi-speed bicycles. There is a great deal of development in progress in the cities. Old buldings are being torn down and large business and hotel complexes are being built. The insides of the "Hanoi Hilton" has been torn down and a big hotel is being built. They have kept the wall surround- ing it and some of the structures just inside of the wall intact and this will become a museum. The tourism industry puts a lot of focus on the war. The week in Cambodia was great. Spent 2 days in Phnom Phen and 3 days at the Angkor ruins. Could have used 2 more days at the ruins. Now is the time to go as tourists are just starting to go there. If the peace holds it should become a very popular, thus very crowded, tourist destination. The ruins are spectacular. At this time it did not seem to have the infrastructue problems of Vietnam but the population density appeared to be much less than Vietnam. That is a bit of a macro look at that part of the world. I'm off next month for a swing thru the east and then down to New Orleans to start a bicyle trip up the Mississippi river; hopefully to the headwaters by the end of July. Hope you have a great summer. Ralph Isenberg
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