A Re-Cap of Things I Learned In and About Viet Nam

1. The fanny pack is a lifesaver. I wore it everywhere. We were fortunate enough not to encounter any incidents of theft, but it's like they say: "Out of sight, out of mind."
2. Not toting your camera around makes you appear more like a native and, therefore, allows you to command more bargaining leverage.
3. Swimming a few times in the ocean gives you a good tan that makes you appear more like a native and, therefore, allows you to command more bargaining leverage.
4. $30,000 dong for a pack of postcards is a rip-off.
5. The taxi drivers sign to each other as they pass on opposite ends of the road. They have a system of alerting each other to the presence of cops, which tells them to buckle up or slow down.
6. "Mang cau xiem" are not edible without sugar. "Chuoi xiem" are the best bananas in the world. I could live off them for breakfast.
7. Phan Rang has good chicken rice meals.
8. Phan Thiet is known for producing dragon fruit and salt.
9. Can Giuoc is a great place to eat the "vu sua" fruit.
10. Nha Trang has awesome, fresh seafood, such as crab.
11. Da Lat has awesome weather and a great "historical village" called "Su Quan" that specializes in the making and sale of silk-screen embroidery.
12. Viet Nam has large "fire ants" that pack a mean bite. Their mosquitos aren't too shabby, either.
13. Viet Nam cockroaches are the size of beetles and can fly.
14. Viet Nam mice are the size of armadillos. They don't seem scared coming out at night and take their precious time moseying around. River rats are even bigger.
15. Snakes like to hang their skins on tree branches when they shed.
16. To mentally convert the exchange rate of approximately $17,000 Viet Nam dong to $1 U.S. dollar, it's best to divide by 20.
17. For three weeks, I got to be a millionnaire.
18. Viet Nam vans have musical tunes when put in reverse. This is apparently a popular add-on option when buying a mini-van.
19. In most open-air markets, there is no such thing as a "trash can." They'll laugh if you ask for one.
20. U.S. bills that are torn, have been written on, or have been folded across the president's face are de-valued. You get less dong for them when exchanging currency. Torn Vietnamese dong are not acceptable currency on the street.