The original publication date of this article was August 10, 2010.
By Barbara Herman, 2-time traveler, Fairfield, Connecticut
My husband, Paul, and I have always loved to explore the world together. We reserved a trip to Vietnam several years ago after hearing our friends rave about how wonderful the country was—but shortly after we did, he was diagnosed with a heart condition that left him unable to travel.
Paul didn’t want to hold me back from my love of traveling and he encouraged me to make the trip to Vietnam anyway. He said, “Bobbie (his nickname for me) … just go. You shouldn’t be deprived of traveling the world.”
Barbara and her friend, Evelyn, share a bottle of wine they won at a fair.
So I went … and what an amazing experience it was! I had traveled alone once before with OAT—which I was hesitant to do because of poor experiences during several previous solo trips I’d made with other tour groups. But once I was in the company of my 15 other group members, I really felt as if I was part of a family.
Our Trip Leader, Quyen Le Sy, was simply the best and helped to form this closeness within our group. He knew so much about Vietnam—and was proud to share his passions with us. He took the time to meet each of our individual needs—but kept us thoroughly entertained at the same time: singing songs during our bus trips, telling short stories and offering insights about local folklore, and stopping the bus for special photo opportunities.
Barbara, Evelyn, and several of their fellow travelers enjoy an afternoon at a mud bath outside Nha Trang.
As with all families, I grew particularly close with one of my fellow group members. Evelyn and I were both traveling alone and realized that we shared a love of shopping and exploring. We spent our time together laughing and enjoying as many unique experiences as we could to tickle our adventuresome sides. One afternoon, Evelyn and I, along with a few other group members, trekked to a mud bath outside Nha Trang. We had such a great time relaxing and enjoying the joyousness of the moment.
Evelyn and I also shared similar adventurous spirits—which we tried our best to engage during our journey to Vietnam. During a visit to an outdoor market, one of the street vendors was selling dung beetles, a local delicacy. Although our entire group decided to partake in this interesting snack, I opted out. I may be adventurous, but I’m not that adventurous.
Enjoying a rest after climbing to the highest point at Angkor Wat. “It was much harder climbing down!” Barbara says.
I returned from Vietnam refreshed and full of memories that will last a lifetime—and stories that I was excited to tell my husband about. By sharing my special moments—like sailing along Halong Bay under the starlit Vietnamese skies, being humbled standing in the presence of the magnificent Angkor Wat during my post-trip to Cambodia, and engaging the sweetest and gentlest people I’ve ever met—I helped bring the magic of Asia alive for Paul, too. And although my husband can no longer travel, I know that he’ll continue to explore the world with me … even if he’s not able to step foot on the plane.
Experience the cultural and natural wonders of South Asia on our Inside Vietnam adventure.