VIETNAM, SCENE OF A WAR WE TRY TO FORGET, TURNS OUT TO BE A CAPTIVATING DESTINATION WITH SIGHTS YOU’LL LONG REMEMBER.
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BACHENDORF’S
By Lenae Guarna
For those of a certain generation, the idea of a holiday in Vietnam seems unimaginable at first. But once you get past our country’s troubled history with this Southeast Asian nation, you will find aquamarine coastlines, beautiful French colonial architecture, lush greenery and a stunning river town. The charming fishing villages, with their iconic boats and placid waters, are as captivating as the bright green rice paddies and the farmers who tend them. Vietnam is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and there is no end to its diverse offerings. In January 2020, just before the world would change in ways we could have never anticipated, my husband and I headed to Vietnam to join a bike tour to celebrate our anniversary. Biking allowed us to travel the less frequented paths deep into rural villages to see the culture up close. We were eagerly greeted by children and heard “hello” as often as we did “xin chào.” We also had the good fortune to visit during Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Beautiful flowers, especially yellow chrysanthemums as high as my shoulders, and kumquat trees with
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