After 8 days of delays due to visa issues and the typhoon, we have finally arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam! We will meet with our contact in the morning to learn more about what we will be doing this month, and we are all thrilled to finally get month three officially underway.
Since I can't share on Facebook this month, I wanted to give you a glimpse of my time in Vietnam so far here on my blog. Enjoy!
Lots of racers, lots of bags… itty bitty travel space. This was taken on the bus ride from the airport to our hotel in Ho Chi Min.
One of my favorite meals in Ho Chi Min, a "Koner Kabob." It had marinated pork, veggies, and some sort of delicious sauce. All for 28,000 Dong! (21,000 Dong = 1 US Dollar– Take a second to imagine what it's like to make that conversion in your head every time you need to purchase something!)
And here was my other favorite treat! There was a little lady who worked all day making delicious, fresh fruit smoothies for 25,000 dong a piece. You could pick from all sorts of fruits and she made them right in front of you!
Here it is! My favorite fruit smoothie stand! Check out that outfit. 🙂 Lots of the older women wear what appears to be pajamas all day long. I think they may be on to something!
Traffic in Ho Chi Minh is utter chaos. Cars and mopeds (so many mopeds!) never really stop. They just slow down a bit. When they do, you make your way across the street the best you can! Check out this video to see what I mean. 🙂
These vendors were a common sight. Vietnamese people may be little, but they are unbelievably strong!
Rachel got a chance to try her hand at carrying a little portable shop… and then got charged an arm and a leg for a coconut drink she didn't order. It's the first time I've heard of a scam where you charge people for carrying your stuff! Maybe I could work out something like that with my packs?
I took some time to visit the Vietnam War Museum. Here, it's called The US Aggressive War. I was reminded that war is horrific and confusing and terrible. Dear veterans, thank you for every minute of your life that you gave as you entered into those darkest places. I hope you felt honored and appreciated this Veteran's Day!
After spending some time in Ho Chi Minh waiting out Typhoon Haiyan, my team finally boarded this sleeper train last night to head to our contact in Da Nang. The storm actually changed paths and missed Da Nang all together, so we haven't seen any damage at all. Thank you for your prayers!
This isn't a high quality photo at all, but I wanted you to see how small the space was that we had to sleep in on the train. 17 hours and no room to sit up in bed! There were six bunks in a room the size of a small bathroom. Between the constant smoking, the lack of any English speakers, the roaches running across the walls, the dirty squatty potties, and the convict chained up one room over… this is a World Race experience I'll never forget!
The train was a rough ride… but look at the beauty that awaited us! This beach is only a 10 minute walk from our hotel, and the weather is absolutely perfect. Low to mid 80s with a gentle breeze. It's a bit easier to miss fall in South Carolina when this is right down the street from my home for the next three weeks!
Check out those palm trees! Da Nang is beautiful.
Check out #kaleighupsidedownallaround on Instagram to see photos of my handstands around the world!
Team Sozo (written in Greek above) is finally in Da Nang and ready to soak in every minute we can of month three in this beautiful city!
