OT - vacation pics

[peepers]

Hi,

I just got back from my first real vacation in 3 years. Here is a long slideshow of the trip. something like 150 photos... its a 160mb file if you want to right click and save as...

just thought i would share. most of the pics are schenery and people, not a lot of us two in there...

enjoy
http://retep.tv/trip/vietnam.mov

 

[green40]

Nice!
So what made you go there?
What did you think of the country, people , culture?
Looks like a great time!


Lane

 

[Sporin]

Ditto on all Lane's comments and questions, looks amazing, but I never would have though to go there myself.

 

[peepers]

this can be kind of long so bear with me. i have not been on a serious vacation, like checked out totally in 3 years...

so i was reading one of the Outside or Adventure magazines and they had an article on 10 of the best beaches you have never been to. One of them was on the island of phu quoc... that is the place where the pics are from at the end of the slide show.

then, since we were going all the way over there we decided to see more of the country. we missed the central and southern parts of the counrty but we simply didnt have enough time.

the culture was quite unique... communist 3rd world. for the most part the people ignore you unless you engage them to try to buy something, then its barter time and they are relentless.

the food is really good and really cheap. the hotels are really cheap too. everyone there gets around on motorbike and survives by specializing in a particular artisan skill or farming. then there are a ton of ex-pats that live in the french quarter that make a ton of money and dont really mingle in the heart of the city.

i think i was the largest person in the country. a big westerner. that felt a bit weird but only a few people mentioned it.

allin all it was an amazing trip. i am glad i got to experience a totally oldschool country as it is becoming more moderniazed daily.