I am so happy to be in Vietnam! Hanoi is a great city for tourists, the food is great, there is no shortage of things to do, and the scenery is fantastic. After the bland food in the Philippines, I was ready for Vietnamese food!

Being in the Philippines is like living in a black-and-white world, and Vietnam is in full color. Other than almost everyone speaking English in the Philippines, Vietnam is better in every way.

I was in Hanoi in 2009, traveling with my girlfriend. We loved Vietnam, and I am happy to be back. Last time I was here for less than ten days, and this time I will be in Vietnam for a month minimum. I was still sick when I arrived and took it easy for the first few days, and then I finally went to see a doctor. He said my ear was still infected and gave me some antibiotics.

A cousin of a friend, of a friend, of a friend, took me around to look at motorbikes, but since I didn’t know what I wanted, I have no Vietnamese, and he had no English, not much was accomplished. I was invited back to meet the family and was surprised with lunch. I a couple of his sisters spoke English and we had a great afternoon. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had while traveling. The food was unfamiliar and intimidating, but it was all tasty. They even broke out the dried squid, which I understand is quite expensive. I’ve always been afraid to try it because of the strong fishy smell. It was tasty as hell.