Singapore & Vietnam

Hello Family and Friends!

We are currently working our way back into American waters; we will reach Hilo, Hawaii on Sunday. We are currently docked in Honolulu, but can’t get off the ship, we are merely refueling, such a tease! I am busy with tons of schoolwork, essays, journals and finals right around the corner! (I actually had my first final today!) I am also trying my best to post a few last blogs before making it to San Diego on the 24th. I realize that I have yet to blog about Singapore, Vietnam, all of China and Taiwan. So I will try to just highlight some of the best parts of the last month of traveling. I will start with Singapore and Vietnam and hopefully post a blurb about China and Taiwan a little later.

SINGAPORE:

Singapore we were only there for a day so it was hard to get an idea of the culture and city there. The city was extremely clean and once we walked off the ship you would look out on the skyline to see all of these amazing buildings and architecture.

We went to this lunch market where you go around to the different booths and buy noodles there, buy fresh exotic fruits somewhere else, and sautéed vegetables and chicken another place. Needless to say it was delicious and I really enjoyed the set up, being able to look at this wide variety of foods and pick one dish from each. This was in Chinatown, and after lunch we went to little India. After a little while in little India we went to the main downtown area and shopped. I was so happy because we happened to stroll upon a MEXICAN FOOD RESTURANT! We had dinner and a few Coronas there, nacho, guacamole, and burritos oh my!


VIETNAM:

I absolutely fell IN LOVE with Vietnam. The city was bustling with motorcycles, European backpackers, and beautiful Vietnamese citizens. Saigon (also known as Ho Chi Minh City) was extremely urban and had so much going on including an amazing market, delicious Pho, and the backpacker’s district. I bought more movies and TV series than I know what to do with, all for under $30!

I took a trip to Nha Trang through Semester at Sea, which was about an hour plane ride from Saigon. It is a beach community that has recently been discovered by big name hotels such as Marriott, there is one being build! Nha Trang was absolutely gorgeous, light colored sand, turquoise waters, kind people, and it didn’t hurt to have a brewery a few steps from our hotel! We went out snorkeling one of the days, to one of the many nearby islands strung across the coastline of Nha Trang. The coral reef was so amazing full of colorful fish and a wide variety of corals. Once our trip to Nha Trang came to an end we flew back to Saigon, after a delay of course. The last day we spent in Saigon we went on an SAS trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple. The Cu Chu Tunnels were what the Vietnamese used to fight against the US in the Vietnam War. It was fascinating to hear some history of the war from the Vietnamese point of view and learn about how they had to live and fight from underground dirt tunnels. It was an extremely eye-opening experience. The temple was really spectacular also. We were lucky enough to see be in the temple during a worshiping ceremony. I look forward to taking another trip to Vietnam sometime soon.

So that’s the short and sweet version of my time in Singapore and Vietnam. China and Taiwan still to come, but for now, I need to get ready for my LAST PORT ☹ Hawaii!