My original trip plans did not include Vietnam.  In fact, after speaking to people who visited there, I was even more confident in my decision to forsake it for more time in Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand.  After all, Vietnam suffers from a bit of a reputation problem: overcharging, aggressive salespeople, harassing motobike drivers, and crazy, crowded roads made it far down on the list of my must-visit travel destinations.  Almost no one seems to have loved it - rather, for backpackers and even other bikers, tolerating Vietnam seems to be the name of the game. I added the destination on a whim and didn’t expect much, but it seemed a shame to go all the way out here and not see it.  Well, my confession:  I LOVED Vietnam! (more…)