Vietnam Top 10 things to do

* Crawl through the Cu Chi Tunnels This extensive network of nearly 500 km of Viet Cong tunnels used in the French Indochina and American wars. The tunnels have complete facilities, from kitchens to printing presses and even street signs, all of which were used to aid the NLF (National Liberation Front) military. Tours involve a description of the tunnels, after which tourists are allowed to crawl about the maze. Located in Tay Ninh a suburb it is 39km northwest of central Ho Chi Minh City. * Dalat is the place to be if you want to visit interesting tribal villages. Although most are located further out of town, you can visit the villages of some of the hill tribes, such as Lat Village and the Chicken Village (with a huge statue of a chicken) close to Dalat itself. Don't forget your camera as the photo opportunities are endless! * Ha Long Bay Ha Long Bay Paddle around Halong Bay in Quang Ninh which is similar to the islands found along the , this is one of Vietnam's most beautiful areas, Halong Bay has fascinating limestone formations, coves for night-time excursions, sheer cliffs, grottoes, arches and scores of small islets. There are plenty of activities such as Kayaking that are well worth taking time out for as this is one way to really appreciate the beauty of the area as well as a good way to see the fauna and flora without disturbing the nature around one. * Du Hang Pagoda Du Hang Pagoda Haiphong is known as the City of Flower-lined Streets, and is the third biggest city of Vietnam, in comparison with Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Here you can discover the Du Hang Pagoda which is one of the most ancient pagodas in this city and is one you need to take your camera for. It was built three centuries ago and the decoration on the pagoda is exquisite as well as housing many ancient furnishings that never fail to interest visitors. * Hanoi has lots to offer the tourist but if you are in the city you can't afford to miss the History Museum that includes artifacts from Vietnam's prehistory: proto-Vietnamese civilisations (1st and 2nd millennia BC), the Dong Son civilisation (7th century BC to 3rd century AD), the Oc-Eo (Funan) culture of the Mekong Delta (1st to 6th century AD); the Indianised kingdom of Champa (1st to 15th century), the Khmer kingdoms, various Vietnamese dynasties and their resistance to Chinese attempts at domination, the struggle against the French, and the history of the Communist Party. It gives the visitor an excellent understanding of Vietnam's past and a better understanding of the present. * Cuc Phuong National Park Cuc Phuong National Park Another Hanoi "must do", though a little out of town is the National Preserve of Cuc Phuong This national park is one of the last tropical primeval forest reserves on Earth. There are 64 species of fauna and thousands of species of flora, many of which are extinct everywhere else in the world. Bizarre and fascinating species of animals from flying lizards to monkeys dwell within the park's 61,000 acres. Caves and grottoes, where various artefacts have been discovered, can be located in the mountains within. It is located approximately 120km southwest of Hanoi. * Visit Hoi An. From the 16th to 18th centuries, Hoi An was a thriving international commercial port for Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese, Portuguese and Arab traders. These people came to trade primarily for the high-grade silk, which is still produced in the area, and ceramics. The area is now one of four world heritage listed sites in Vietnam and there are lots of interesting things to see and do in the area. * Meander along the Mekong on one of the many boat trips that are available taking you across the water or through the local canals on many interesting sightseeing excursions that definitely require a camera. Larger boats venture up the Mekong River and this is a definite MUST DO if you are in the area of Cantho or one of the other cities or villages that rely on this massive sourse of water for both transport and food. Climb Sam Mountain near Chau Doc if you want to see dozens of temples, pagodas and the like as it is well worth visiting. Located about 6 km from the city, temples abound and the trek to the top of the mountain is also popular...though one can go by motorised vehicle if you so desire. * Visit Phu Quoc Island the largest island in Vietnam that lies in the Gulf of Thailand, 45 km from Ha Tien and 15 km south of the coast of Cambodia. Phu Quoc Island, part of Kien Giang province, is also part of an archipelago consisting of 22 islands of all sizes. The island covers an area of 585 km2 and is 50 km long. It is also called the Emerald Island because of its natural treasures and infinite tourism potential.

Sapa - Halong bay - Hoi An

So, after we returned from Sapa, we travelled on the night train back to Hanoi. Once there, we went to Halong Bay for one night. This is a bay with over 1000 islands and islets, said to have been carved out by a dragon swooping to the earth! Well anyway it was very nice and we swam in the sea for a bit and slept on the boat. We also went to visit a cave called 'Surprise Cave' because it was aparently full of surprises (see photos)!After Halong bay, we got another night train from Hanoi to Denang in Central Vietnam. This train took 16 hours, man!!! When we arrived at Denang we got a 1 hour taxi to Hoi An. This was a lovely ltiile river side town with lots of cafes and bars. Unfortunately it is also full of children trying to sell bracelets and Tiger Balm (we gave in to one and bought 2 bracelets). Hoi An is famous for its Tailors. Every shop is a Tailors and so we had to get measured up for some stuff. I had a casual jacket made (copied from a photo in a fashion mag) and also a Suit made, just plain black, again copied from a photo in a mag. Aimee had a jacket made (a combination of 2 different jackets), and a very 'jazzy' skirt which would not look out of place at the pool bar! On the last day in Hoi An we went to My Son. This is a religious area for Hindu's (bit like Vietnams version of Ankor wat).We left the following day on guess what? Yes, another night train (16 more hours to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)!

Heading for Cambodia

On the 10th we pretty much had the day to ourselves so explored the local area and markets in more detail and to our dislike discovered just what a durian fruit smells like. Take our word for it, it is not very nice. In the evening we met our new tour guide for Cambodia and a new member of our group.On the morning of the 11th we headed off in a mini bus for a long drive to Chau Doc, a border town in Vietnam. After lunch at the floating restaurant at the back of our hotel (Although I think it was only just still floating) we headed off once more on the back of motorbikes. This time we headed up the mountain to the hammock bar where we enjoyed a cold Ankor beer and took our first look over the border into Cambodia. On the way back to our hotel in the early evening Charlie had a scare when her bike, and her and her driver, were almost crushed by a bus driver not paying attention. Luckily her driver was able to get out of the way but it is a pretty safe bet that the next words Charlie heard were all Vietnamese swear words being directed from several of the bike drivers at the bus.Nevertheless, we made it safely back and the next morning jumped on a boat at the back of the hotel to travel down the Mekong and into Cambodia.

Leaving Vietnam

My last week in Hue was a mixture of excitement to be going home and sadness that I was leaving everyone that I have met there. Especially the kids. I found it really upsetting. I had to say goodbye to my TX class and i knew that I would be upset but I hadnt expected such a reaction from them. The little girl Hien who had been quiet and distant in the beginning had gradually warmed to me. It was her 13th birthday (i think) while i was there and i threw a party for her. she hadnt had a party before. i got them all gifts, not just her, so they didnt feel left out and we had a great time. when i say i think she was thirteen it is because in vietnam when you are born sometimes you are 1. other times you are 0. its completely mental. she looks about ten. but she thinks she is 13. anyway, we had a great last lesson. when it cam time to say goodbye they were all really sweet and seemed sad that i was leaving. they gave me the prize red chilli that thye had grown in their vegatable garden. it doesnt sound much but it was a big deal as they treated this thing like a pet and carried it around everywhere and stuff. i think it was the best thing that had ever come out of their garden. i really liked the older ones who i felt i had got to know quite well because they were able to communicate better in english. it must be hard for them to have someone come into their life, just start to get to know them and then it is time to leave again and for the whole process to start again. hien was the only girl in the class and by the end was quite taken with me in the way that i used to be with older girls at school. she made me bracelets and tried to write my name n the board for me arriving and drew me pictures in her spare time. i miss them already. for the last lesson i taught them how to write letters and bought them envelopes and stamps. hopefully they will find a way of posting them.so then i left Hue.... although my ridiculous amount of excess baggage proved to be no problem...the actual journey to the airport was. the bus from hue to da nang that i had to get was super late and they had over sold tickets which caused a big fuss. poor vietnamese people doing the journey had to give up their seats for the westerners. although totally unfair, i was kind of relieved as someone would have had to physically remove me from the bus before i would have given up mine...even though i was sitting beside an incredibly smelly man!!! he was vile.once we eventually got going, half an hour late, we still stopped for a frigging 35min break at the cafe down the road that the bus company has a deal with.(it is only meant to be a 2 hour journey). but if they bring the bus to the restaurant they get a cut of what we spend, and the opportunity to make some more cash whether we were late or not meant we were stopping! all of this is done in the open, they dont even try to hide the fact that they are doing it because they get a cut. the vietnamese arent ashamed of living in tin huts and sleeping on rags. there is no shame in being poor. nor is there any shame in their desperately trying to milk every western tourist for all they can get! i have been ripped off right in front of my eyes every day for a month. its mildly irritating. but it seems to be the vietnamese way. and i guess i can afford it.anyway, by this point i was seriously agitated and freaked out that i would miss my plane. got off the bus and eventually got a taxi... why is it when u dont want one they stalk you by crawling along the curb beside you and when u do want one they are playing hard to get! anyway, got to the airport (more of an aircraft hanger really) at 5.40 (for 6.30 flight) although, as usual, there was no sense of urgency and it seemed i had been panicking for nothing. the flight was good. even aeroplanes seem luxurious to me now....table service...clean cutlery...chilled white wine...even a blanket! i think i must have been overtired as i got really sad on the plane. just thinking about the kids. and how the trip was over. and the general tragedy of vietnam. it seems so unfair that i can just fly in and out of their life and they are stuck there. the babies will be adopted but for the older kids they have no choice but to stay in that orphanage untill they are 18. then if they do well they will have a shop and scrape by. its a continuous struggle. no one wants the kids over 4. and kids that have any surviving relatives often cant be adopted. only the ones who have nobody. at TX last week some of the kids who did have distant relatives got to visit them for a couple of days. 4 of my kids stayed behind. they dont even have a cousin to go see. and when i asked them how they felt when the others go home they said 'even more lonely than usual'. the people across the aisle must have though i was mad as i sobbed my way to singapore.as soon as i arrived i felt almost awkward at how stark and clean everything and everyone was. came to the hotel, checked in my room and immediately ran a bath to soak off all the grime and dirt i feel like i have picked up. i swear to god i think this tan is probably half dirt! sickened myself by eating too much breakfast out of sheer greed and went to the city to explore. it was the weirdest sensation to be walking around a city, bustling with people and taxis and shops....gucci...prada...louis vuitton. its surreal that two hours away my kids are sleeping on mats. i dont mean for one second that it wasnt great to be there, in fact from first impressions i think singapore is absolutely amazing, its just bizzare to get your head round.i had better go as someone needs to use this computer but one quickother thing that is quite funny. last weekend in vietnam heather and i went to hanoi and toured ha long bay. it was brilliant. we stayed in a proper hotel in the city and turned out that jamaica were playing vietnam at football in the stadium round the corner. the players were staying in our hotel and we got chatting. they were really nice and offered to give heather and i tickets to the game. we couldnt go as we had to head home but it was nice to meet them. anyway, now i am in singapore and in my hotel is the oman team who are playing indonesia. i had to move rooms...it turns out to their floor, and this morning at breakfast they invited me to a lunch and to go and watch them play tomorrow night. isnt that weird that i meet two football teams in a week. do you have any idea how many girls in glasgow would love this!!!!! haha!

Ho Chi Mihn-ee Motorbikes

I am in Saigon which has been renamed Ho Chi Mihn after the Vietnam war, which they call the American War here by the way. I went to the war museum and the Cu Chi tunnels and it has taken me a little while to write about it. honestly i don't know how i feel. Granted both museums are strongly leaning on the Communist Vietmanese side, but still hard to see the pictures and the graphics. For a war I know so little about it is interesting to be here and see the other side of it.I don't feel much like writing my reflections on the museums, i am still working through them. On a happier note, there are many many ,many motorbikes here. So many that they don't obey the stop signs and you are better off crossing the street with your eyes closed. Oh! I got ran over by a motor bike. My new travelling partner - the nurse! - decided we should simultaneously and spontaneously turn back from our attempt to cross the street when WHAM! right into a slow moving (thank god) motor bike. She gave me 'you stupid tourist' look and i helped her pick up her oranges and we were all on our merry way. No bumps no bruises.Went to the Independence Palace and took silly pictures. The interior decorator for the palace was terrible flavor. I have eaten so much Pho I think I might turn into a noodle. Pho is the local delicacy - noodle soup with beef and spice. yum yum.

Vietnam Travel Information

Vietnam Information Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats.There are some divine beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.href=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/vietnam/
Vietnam Travel Vietnam ToursAs a local tour operator, Footprint can take you on a custom-made tour to destinations throughout Vietnam. From small group tours of historical Vietnam; to eco-adventures in Halong Bay; to cultural community-based tourism products in Ha Giang.We have been a Vietnam ambassador to thousands of travelers Worldwide, we pride ourselves as being your guide to experiencing the real Vietnam at your own pace and stylehttp://www.footprintsvietnam.com
Tong cuc Du lich Viet Nam - Vietnam National Administration of TourismOfficial Website of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, includes information about Vietnam people and country and tourism.www.vietnamtourism.com
Wikipedia VietnamVietnam was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century. Successive dynasties flourished along with.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam

Hanoi - Sapa

Well we arrived in Bangkok after a turbulent flight via Abu Dhabi (the airport there looked like somethinig out of Doctor Who?!) We had a quick burger king before getting on our connecting flight to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. When we arrived, we got into a taxi which took us to our Hotel, only to be told that the hotel was full, even though we had a room reserved! So we were taken to another hotel to stay in which was not very nice, but did teh job (we had no window in our room)! We stayed in Hanoi for one night and booked a tour to Sapa, in the north.We got the night train to Sapa, which was very noisy (not as nice as trains in Thailand) We got to Sapa and checked into our hotel which is nice and over looks the mountains and villages of the region and was immediately on our first trek just after check in! This was only a couple of hours of the local village which was good. Today, we went on a marathon trek which involved Aimee sliding down a hill on her bum and me ruining my lovely adidas trainers in mud! Oh well!!! We had to walk along very narrow ledges with sheer drops to the right, very scary!! Thank god for the walking sticks we bought before the trek! We have been paired up with a spanish couple for our treks (from the same hotel in Hanoi) who are very nice and lively! Tomorrow we are going on another trek and getting the night train back to Hanoi. When we get back to Hanoi, we are going to Halong Bay for one night and then on to Hoi an in cantral Vietnam. Will update when we are here. Hope all is well in UK!

Vietnam Travel Directory

Vietnam travel directory, provides you Vietnam travel links, hotels Directory, directory listings, add travel url,Vietnam Travel index, Vietnam Travel agents, Vietnam Tour operators ... Vietnam Hotel Guide, Vietnam Hotel Directory, Vietnam Hotel BookingVietnam Hotel
Vietnam Travel Directory Vietnam Travel, Vietnam Hotels, Vietnam Holiday, Vietnam Tours, Vietnam Vacation - Find ... Submit your site on Our Travel Directory for free
Travel Directory

Vietnam Travel Information

Vietnam Information Most visitors to Vietnam are overwhelmed by the sublime beauty of the country's natural setting: the Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong Delta in the south and almost the entire coastal strip are a patchwork of brilliant green rice paddies tended by women in conical hats.There are some divine beaches along the coast, while inland there are soaring mountains, some of which are cloaked by dense, misty forests. Vietnam also offers an opportunity to see a country of traditional charm and rare beauty rapidly opening up to the outside world.href=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/vietnam/
Vietnam Travel Vietnam ToursAs a local tour operator, Footprint can take you on a custom-made tour to destinations throughout Vietnam. From small group tours of historical Vietnam; to eco-adventures in Halong Bay; to cultural community-based tourism products in Ha Giang.We have been a Vietnam ambassador to thousands of travelers Worldwide, we pride ourselves as being your guide to experiencing the real Vietnam at your own pace and stylehttp://www.footprintsvietnam.com
Tong cuc Du lich Viet Nam - Vietnam National Administration of TourismOfficial Website of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, includes information about Vietnam people and country and tourism.www.vietnamtourism.com
Wikipedia VietnamVietnam was under Chinese control for a thousand years before becoming a nation-state in the 10th century. Successive dynasties flourished along with.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam

Scammed on the bus to Hanoi

Having just made it to the boarder in the tuk-tuk, we walked through friendship gate, from china into Vietnam and got through all the boarder formalities with relative ease. The only issue we had was the westerner's medical check that we had to pay for!!! We thought that is was quite strange that every time a westerner went past one of the check booths a slip of paper would appear and then rapidly disappear again for any locals. When we got there we were slightly concerned that we were being told that we had to pay for a medical check. The cost for this check was 2000 dong and the check consisted of a video camera being pointed at us (doubt very mcuh it was even turned on) and the officials watching us retrieving the cash from our wallets. I was not to happy about paying this littel fee, which was blatent corruption, but when you are paying what is the equivalent of about 7 pence to get out of a very hot building, so be it.Our next little bit of fun was trying to explain to the taxi driver where we wanted to go and that we were not going to be ripped off for the trip. We eventually agreed on a price to take us to the nearest town to catch what we thought was a train. Half way there he was muttering something about there not being any trains for a few hours and that it was quicker for us to get a bus. He then proceeded to pull into a petrol station where convinently there was a minibus, with a sign in the window saying Hanoi. We should have seen this little scam coming a long way off, but we were all being a little slow off the mark and before we knew it the taxi was gone and we were left negotiating with the man on the bus for the cost of the trip to Hanoi. I use that term very loosly...it was more them teling us the price, us offering another price, them not budging on their original price and us paying them half of the money (which was all we had on us) and we climb into the mini bus.At this point all seemed to be going OK....however, things soon began to change. We were told to sit across the four seats at the back of the bus and that we could put our feet on the items that were on the floor. I did think that this was a little strange, but hey, perhaps we were picking up a few more people. The minibus then proceeded to drive all around Lang Son, basically picking up local people and their vast amounts of market goods, until the bus was full. After about an hour, the bus was full and we thought we would now be on our way to Hanoi, especially as we had seen almost all the streets in Lang Son twice. But no, we drove arouns for about another hour, picking up more people and more vast quantites of market goods. Finally, once we had about 22 people in a 16 seat minibus, aswell as about a ton of market goods, we finally set off for Hanoi, cramped on the back seat. By this point I was in a considerable amount of knee and arse pain (which I found out three hours later was due to the fact that there was a sack of potatos rammed under my seat. By this point it had also become very obvious that we we were paying for everyone else's journey. On the way to Hanoi it was quite amusing to see other simialr minibuses, rammed full with locals and market goods with four westerners rammed into the back seat. I think it really sunk it that we had been properly had, when I went to the cash point to withdraw the other half of the cash that we owed for the trip. I handed over the cash in the bus and it was then passed around to all the kids in the bus, so that they could see what crisp 100,000 dong notes looked like!!!!Still the bus got us to within a street of where we wanted to be in the Old Quarter in Hanoi and although we obviously got 'taken for ride' the trip whole trip only actually cost us about 5 pounds each. In some ways could could say that we got value for money. We had a five hour trip instead of a three hour trip and we now know our way around Lang Son like the back of our hands...and the scenery was pretty incredible as well!!!

Vietnam Dining and Shopping

Shop Hours: Shops run from 7 or 8am to 11 or 11:30pm. Some are open from 1 or 2pm to 4 or 5pm.generic items and local handicrafts: Local specialities include lacquer painting, reed mats, embroidery, tailor-made ao dais (female national costume) & mother-of-pearl inlay on ornaments & furniture, not to mention the local conical hats. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has the best buys for modern goods like CDs and clothing.Antiques: The best place for shopping for antiques or replicas is in Hanoi. Export of antiques restricted by Vietnamese law, but laws on the subject vague & unevenly enforced. Antique objects can be subject to inspection & seizure by customs authorities with no compensation made to owners.Determining whether something is antique is arbitrary. Purchasers of non-antique items of value should retain receipts & confirmation from shop owners &/or Ministry of Culture & Customs Department to prevent seizure upon departure. Prior to purchasing antiques, travellers may wish to determine from Ministry of Culture whether object can be exported & amount of duty. Process of exporting antiques can be difficult & time consuming; however, travellers could insist that sellers obtain all necessary permits from Ministry of Culture & Customs Department before final purchase. DININGVietnamese food varies from region to region and is a total taste sensation everywhere you go. Almost 500 traditional dishes have been recorded. Rice and noodles are the staple foods and are served with nearly all meals. The most popular dishes are spring rolls, noodles with sliced pork, eggs, shredded chicken and shrimp, shellfish steamed with ginger and sea crabs fried with salt. Among common ingredients used are: shark fin, duck, pork paste, fish, spices, fruits, vegetables, crabmeat, lobster and oysters.Rice wine is very popular, and there are many brands available. There are a variety of fruit wines such as apricot, orange or lemon. Soft drinks are processed from the many varieties of tropical fruits available. Water from the tap should be avoided, even though it has already been filtered and sterilized. If you must drink it, boil the water first.Eating in Vietnam ranges from the cheap noodle soup for a quarter of a dollar eaten on the street to a banquet in one of the luxury hotels.Restaurants: Government-run restaurants catering to tourists add a 10% service charge to the bill.Tipping: Tipping is not customary in Vietnam, but it is enormously appreciated. A 5-10% tip for a meal is a very small amount of money for most tourists but to the average Vietnamese, it can easily equal a day's wages. Please avoid tipping too much, as it will set a precedent for others.The different local foods:Pho: The most typical Vietnamese food is Pho, the noodle soup with meat in it. It is very cheap (you can get a bowl for about VND 2000 - 3000) and usually well spiced. The main pho are: Pho Bo, with beef, Pho Bo Tai, with fish and Pho Ga, with chicken. Com: Boiled rice is eaten for lunch and dinner. There are many different kinds of rice. Typically, fragrant rice is used, like Tam Thom or Nahg Huong. Grilled rice is served in autumn. It is eaten with eggs, bananas and sapodillas.Banh Chung: The traditional sticky rice cakes are made of glutinous rice, pork and green bean paste and sometimes with onion, wrapped in bamboo or banana leaves. They are made by soaking the rice in water for an entire day. Wrapped in the fresh bamboo leaves, the rice turns slightly green. There is a legend attached to the creation of this traditional dish: Prince Lang Lieu created and presented the rice cakes to his father, winning high acclaim and thus securing the throne.Nuoc mam: This fermented fish sauce is used to spice anything.Baguettes: A legacy of the French is the small white bread loaves, resembling baguettes. You can get them for as little as VND 500. Sometimes they are combined with well-spiced meat, vegetables and salad to form an excellent sandwich.Seafood: Along the coast you get excellent fresh seafood almost everywhere.Cha ca: The fried fish slices are a specialty of the north. Snake: In the Mekong delta you are able to get cheap snake. This different, but delicious meat, is prepared in a variety of ways and is well worth trying...you will be pleasantly surprised. Beer: Imported beer is available in Vietnam, although a number of domestic beers are brewed.Duck eggs: This popular dish is another worth trying but if you feel squeemish...don't as it consists of an already partly developed foetus, complete with feathers, limbs and beak.

Ho Chi Mihn-ee Motorbikes

I am in Saigon which has been renamed Ho Chi Mihn after the Vietnam war, which they call the American War here by the way. I went to the war museum and the Cu Chi tunnels and it has taken me a little while to write about it. honestly i don't know how i feel. Granted both museums are strongly leaning on the Communist Vietmanese side, but still hard to see the pictures and the graphics. For a war I know so little about it is interesting to be here and see the other side of it.I don't feel much like writing my reflections on the museums, i am still working through them. On a happier note, there are many many ,many motorbikes here. So many that they don't obey the stop signs and you are better off crossing the street with your eyes closed. Oh! I got ran over by a motor bike. My new travelling partner - the nurse! - decided we should simultaneously and spontaneously turn back from our attempt to cross the street when WHAM! right into a slow moving (thank god) motor bike. She gave me 'you stupid tourist' look and i helped her pick up her oranges and we were all on our merry way. No bumps no bruises.Went to the Independence Palace and took silly pictures. The interior decorator for the palace was terrible flavor. I have eaten so much Pho I think I might turn into a noodle. Pho is the local delicacy - noodle soup with beef and spice. yum yum.