This weekend was packed with some of the best trips to date. We kicked off the weekend with a hike up a mountain in Vung Tang, which held plenty of beautiful views of the city, beaches, and the Pacific Ocean. The heat made me look as if I had just jumped into the ocean, but the views from the top of the Jesus statue were worth it. After descending the mountain, we spent some time in the sun, where I participated in a true cultural exchange – introducing my Vietnamese friend to American country music. The next day, we ventured to the Cu Chi Tunnels, where we squeezed through some narrow tunnels to get a sense of how the Viet Cong traveled during the Vietnam War. This trip was my favorite to date, as I was able to both see true war artifacts and learn about the Vietnam War from the perspective of the home country.

                One of the better parts of this weekend was finally getting to see what Vietnam was like outside of a major city. As with most places, the farther you get away from the city, the closer you get to the true culture and ancient practices of the nation – and Vietnam did not disappoint. While traveling on both days, we were able to see some rice fields, dense greenery, and villages settled in some extremely picturesque locations. At Cu Chi, we saw how rice was husked and filtered before it was cooked in a crepe-like fashion to produce rice paper. We were also able to try tapioca root, a staple of Vietnamese farmers, and a dish that one of my UEF friends said he ate for every single meal growing up. Finally, one of the most interesting parts of the trip was simply standing in the jungle, imagining what either side must have felt like 50 years ago battling in the dense jungle. The visits this weekend were a great time, and a great taste of what this week’s trips to the Mekong Delta, War Remnants Museum, and Ben Thanh Market will be like.