It’s morning, and we’re on the bus to the Cambodian border. I’m a bit sad to be leaving Vietnam. I’ve got used to the heat and humidity, the crazy traffic in the cities, the wildly high numbers on the currency, being hustled just about everywhere we go — to buy a bag, get a massage, you name it.

Vietnam has defied every expectation of what a communist country would be like. It isn’t dour or repressive. Everything is lively, in fact, and at least at first glance, people seem to be happy, by and large. Or maybe “resilient” is a better word, and a little bit defiant. The Vietnamese seem to prize peace and independence, but they want them both. If they can only have one, I suspect they would choose independence. That’s admirable, and something I wish were more prevalent in Canada.

The food in Vietnam has been amazing, and very different from the Vietnamese food back home in Vancouver. I am going to have to try to find someplace that makes decent bun bo Hué, if I can. Or my quang noodles. Or pho that compares with what we’ve had here.

I haven’t really mentioned the beers here, which have all been good. I’ve had Tiger beer, Hanoi lager, Huda, LaRue, Saigon lager and 333 Pilsner. I highly recommend them all. And they’re cheap as chips, too — usually about 30,000 to 50,000 dong ($1.65 to $2.75 CAD), about the same as a can of Coke.

Leaving a city of 14 million people (which interestingly doesn’t feel overcrowded) that boasts some 9 million scooters, I’m tempted to look into one for myself. It probably won’t work in Vancouver, though, as traffic generally moves faster back home, and there are no separated motorbike lanes on the highway.

There have been things I haven’t liked as much, things that tend to be common in so-called developing countries. I miss being able to drink tap water. It’s a pain having to buy so much bottled water everywhere, and to need it even to brush your teeth. It’s disappointing to see garbage piled along riverbanks. But these are things that will change over time. Vietnam has only known peace for a little more than 30 years, and a market economy for even less. And in a one-party system, with no free press to speak of, it’s difficult to hold anyone in power accountable for such things. Mind you, it’s not easy even in a democracy like Canada.

Some of the highlights of our trip so far, aside from the character of the people, the quality of the food, and the price of the beer:

• The Train Street in Hanoi
• The serene beauty of Halong Bay
• The Citadel and royal tombs in Hué
• The Old Town in Hoi An (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Learning how to make rice noodles at Oodles of Noodles
• Karaoke in the Tiger Tiger Bar in Hoi An
• The emotionally devastating exhibits at the War Remnants Museum in Saigon
• The Cu Chi Tunnels
• The Ho Chi Minh City Art Museum
• Our tour of the Mekong River Delta
• The markets in every city we’ve been to so far

If I were to come back, I’d try to spend more time everywhere, and maybe visit places we didn’t get to. It would be worth doing.

But soon we will be in Cambodia. I’ll writ more then.