Following is an excerpt from a journal entry I made while visiting Vietnam a few years ago. Although my initial thoughts and experiences have had time to settle in and my perceptions have changed a bit, Vietnam was and is still one of my most memorable adventures.
My time spent in Vietnam was the most delightful and eye opening experience that I had had in a long time. I spent most of my stay in a rural village in the Mekong Delta where the homes were made of sticks and dried coconut tree leaves. These people had nothing; no running water, no toilet, and little food to eat. Every morning a government official would come over a loud speaker in the village and his voice could be heard for miles. He would give the village people news on what was happening outside of their village. If it weren’t for the loud speaker the village people (who rarely left their community) would have no idea what was happening in the outside world, because they do not own radios, TVs, or get daily newspapers. Despite their poor living conditions, the Vietnamese people were some of the happiest people I have ever met. The people of the village, although not use to foreign visitors, were eager and willing to share their culture.
Interesting Facts and Observations
- The average income in a Vietnamese village is $50-$70 USD per month.
- A high paying job in Saigon, would earn about $300 USD/month.
- Motorbikes are the main form of transportation. The streets are completely filled with thousands of motorbikes at all times of the day. Thirty-five traffic related deaths occur in Vietnam each day.
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