This was definitely the most relaxing day that I’ve had since the semester at Pitt started. The resort in Vung Tao can only be described as paradise. This was the first time I’ve been able to swim in the Pacific ocean and the water felt amazing. The pool was also very refreshing. The resort was a great place to relax and enjoy ourselves in this beautiful and amazing country. The bus drive to the area was an interesting sight. The neighborhoods seemed a little poorer compared to where we have been in Ho Chi Minh. The houses were a little run down and had very little space per home. The people walking around were definitely confined by the significant influence of poverty. The towns, one after the other, were consistently following this pattern, all the way up to the resort its self. However, most of the street that surrounded the resort was inhabited by other resorts that seemed pretty similar. All of the business in Vung Tao seemed to be heavily reliant on tourism, and the minor population that can afford the luxuries of a resort as expensive as the Imperial Hotel. The fact that the hotel was the only wealthy part of the area seemed parallel to many other countries’ situations. Many vacation spots that I’ve been to, like Belize, are carried by the profits that tourism supplies to the area. The towns are similar to those here with a dominance of poverty and then areas with resorts, hotels, and other attractions. These countries are popular vacations spots so the economies are able to survive due to the profits gained through mostly foreigners. Although the Vung Tao region is struggling economically, everything I saw today was beautiful in its own unique and unforgettable way.