Donna and I had visited Vietnam 2 years ago. We felt then, and our present visit has reconfirmed, that the people of Vietnam are respectful, hospitable and remarkably warm and friendly. The population is very young and well educated. More than half the population is under 30 and have little or no association with the conflict with the U.S.. It is still a very poor country but the combination of its friendly people and its exotic nature has made it one of our favorite places in the world.

Donna with fellow guests Ruth and her mom Emmy out shopping on the pier.

Livestock wanders freely.

There is much roadwork being done.

Most of the main roads are about this width.

Here you can see that they are in the process of widening the highway.

We took a trip to a small village on the outskirts of Da Nang. Here is the village's entrance.

The entrance to the local kindergarten.

The teacher in white at center watches over her charges

The kids were adorable.

Rice is growing on every level lot not occupied by buildings

Most of the farms residences were modest.

Donna with the teacher.

Here we were invited to see the home of one of the farmers.

Here he is with his wife.

The Mrs. with one of her two children.

Our hosts set out some refreshments for our visit.

The beds are mats covered by mosquito netting. The said bedding would be impractical because it would be too warm with the high humidity and lack of air conditioning.

The kitchen area had a spare bed.

The children are beautiful.

Donna elbows her way into the picture.

The local seamstress had this hut right on the side of the road.

We were the object of some curiosity.

This little gal was riding by greeting everyone using quite good english and a twinkle in her eye.

A small temple. Here many of the wealthier families have their own temples.

We pass a small store on the side of the road.

Another small shop a few feet further on.

The villages community house sometimes serves as a temple also.

Irrigation canals are everywhere. The area is very fertile and well irrigated.

The village community house.

Even the macho guys stopped to see what all the fuss was about. The were all friendly and cute as could be.

Within the community house there was a religious alter for common use.

Adorable.

Looking back at the village's community house.

There are always men and women visible tending the fields. Truly backbreaking work.

The farmers still rely mostly on human labor.

Here she is again.

The local fish store.

The supermarket next door.

Normal midday traffic was busy and noisy. I don't think our driver used his brakes during the entire trip, but if his horn failed he would have to pull over to the side of the street.

Three high school girls in their beautiful traditional uniforms.

We went to China Beach which was the chief location for GI's getting R&R during the Vietnam War. The fish served in the restaurant is all fresh and available for inspection. We met a Brit. Harriet and her friend Brandon, a Kiwi. They were spending a month traveling through Vietnam. How cool !!!

The traffic was picking up as rush hour approached.

We then visited a another beach resort.

The beaches were wide, white, clean and beautiful.

The local arts included silk tapestries. Here is a young girl sewing in one of the shops at the resort. What was amazing was she was sewing this beautiful design without a pattern to follow.

The manager of the store with me. The girls are tiny. Donna felt right at home.

Although the resort was a "five star" resort and supposedly one of the top two resorts in Vietnam., it was not a luxury cruise ship.

Heading back to the ship in a sea of bicycles and motor bikes.

The main roads are in the process of being widened. Many buildings bordering the former narrow roadway have been demolished and new buildings erected along the sides of the proposed widened thoroughfare.