“Yellow Star”

Fifty Reasons to come to Vietnam

We have only been here for eleven days and we already know that we want to return to this wonderful country. Here are (almost) fifty reasons why you should come here too:

1. Random people saving your life by just grabbing your hand and leading you across busy rush hour Saigon roads
2. Brutally strong and deliciously sweet 45 cent coffee served with condensed milk that drip brews in front of you
3.  Big steaming bowls of hot Pho – that says it all…
4. Tours around the country in old US Army Jeeps
5. Hundreds of perfect spiral shells littering the beach 
6.  Deluxe suite hotel rooms for $14
7.  Smiles everywhere you look 
8.  Custom fitted and hand made dresses to your wishes for a fraction of the US price  
9. Delicious food you can eat without contracting some deadly disease
10. Handmade leather shoes – be the coolest dude in the office with your snake leather brogues (are you listening Phil Sexton?)
11. Strangers that come up to you in the street, pat your belly and say “Happy Buddha”
12. Toilets on the boat 
13. Cows with lumpy backs
14. Fruit sellers wearing woven pointy hats
15. Beautiful old houses
16. Boat rides with Captain Mien
17. Amazing markets full of just about everything
18. Fishermen
19. Foreigners wearing pointy woven hats 
20. Proper motorbikes for hire everywhere
21. A human powered Cyclo (psycho?) ride across town 
22. Street vendors with fake East London and Australian accents ……..“Ello darlin’/It’s a bonza deal mate”
23. Very questionable public electricity 
24. Everything you buy on the street is on “Happy Hour buy two get one free” sale
25. Affordable and efficient overnight train rides all over the country 
26. Stir fried morning glory greens with garlic
27. Hand tailored jacket with silk lining made in two days 
28. Getting your shoes shined on the street corner
29. Getting an old school haircut, razor shave and beard/eyebrow trim and rather scary ear cleaning for about $5 
30. Decent roads that don’t shake your body to bits
31. Millions and millions of motorbikes EVERYWHERE! (none of which “Uncle” Phil or any self respecting motorcyclist would consider powerful enough) 
32. Trash vans that play a little 8 bit Nintendo style tune to let you know they are coming down the street
33. Tracking down “Miss Forget-Me-Not” and getting her to make you and your friend a custom hand made silk kimono 
34. Stunning scenery
35. Beautiful temples decorated with broken beer bottles and cracked crockery 
36. Dried sweetened coconut shavings that taste divine
37. Lanterns in the streets at night 
38. People that are as cute as “Hello Kitty”
39. Workers in the rice paddies wearing woven pointy hats 
40. Fresh and fried spring rolls
41. Pineapple pancakes and hot banana fritters on the street 
42. Vietnam propaganda posters for sale
43. Overloaded motorbikes 
44. $4 manicure/pedicure
45. Photo oportunities on every street corner