I had never thought about visiting Vietnam until my field study to Romania was cancelled at the last minute and I was fortunate enough to join the group visiting this southeast Asian nation. I arrived in Vietnam knowing very little about the country and its culture beforehand. Things that I learned in the short time I was there - salt and chili tastes incredible on fresh fruit, there seems to be thriving faux "meat" business in the country and what is produced even has the look and texture of meat such as the faux "snails" we had one evening, fruit and vegetables are grown there which I've never even heard of or seen such as the deliciously juicy mangosteen, the ubiquitous ghost houses are disturbing and sad yet equally fascinating and the City of the Dead with its colorful mosaic monuments to beloved ancestors is eerie, even in midday. However, the most memorable moments in Vietnam are those in which we were fully welcomed into the homes of locals and allowed to share intimate family moments such as the death anniversary of a loved one. The incredible hospitality of those families is how I will always remember Vietnam.
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