Finally in Vietnam!

We got here Sunday evening.  It was surprisingly easier and faster coming into Vietnam than leaving when we were going into Cambodia.  The lines were quicker and the system was smoother.

You could really notice the drastic difference in the roads and the trashy streets as we entered into Vietnam.  It is a lot more modern and advanced than Cambodia.  The streets seem to make more sense. There are divided one-way roads, one for cars and larger vehicles and one for motorcycles.  You will still see people driving on the sidewalks but not as much as Cambodia.  I haven't seen too many people driving up the wrong way of the street like they did in Cambodia, but I haven't traveled around the city much yet either.  And no tuk tuks!  That is kind of sad, those things are cool.

I started my student teaching yesterday.  I started with 60 mins with adults (18+) and today I taught small kids for 90 mins.  The kids were a bit chaotic.  I probably should have went with my gut and started class playing my guitar.  They just needed to chill out after a long day of school and then around 5:30PM they go get a free class of English with me.  I work with the group of adults I had on Monday for the rest of this week and the next.  Then I start interviewing and looking for a place to live.

I wish I could start exploring the city a bit more.  I'm just too busy during the day and I'm tired by the time I'm done with the school work.  But we were able to find a place to exchange money at the market close by.  The ladies selling watches were able to give us change in dong ($100 USD = 2,000,000 VND)  Pizza Hut cost me 93,000 VND (less than 5 dollars) for one regular sized pizza and a water mellon drink (it was also half off day so it's usually twice that much.   But we were able to find good places that sell Vietnamese food for around 45,000 VND (a little over two dollars).  But man!  I tried two scoops of ice cream yesterday and it cost me about $3.50 -- I thought that was a bit too much...but now that I look at $3.50 I think, that's about what I'd pay in the states.  It's been interesting to see the value of the dollar go way up here!  It's also been fun to bargain.  I like laughing at seller's initial price and working them down to a more reasonable price.

I think I'm going to have to buy a motorbike.  I'm looking forward to exploring Ho Chi Minh scooter style.

I'll post pics and other misc. details later.