Independence - Freedom - Happiness

    Today I felt very inspired, inspired to travel to Vietnam, all due to this episode of a travel show, Departures! One of the hosts, Scott Wilson & Justin Lukach, put it best when they said, "people see Vietnam as a war, not a country." This was accurate of my own views of Vietnam. I had completed a research assignment on their war last year, but never bothered to look into the broader picture. After seeing that episode I was dumbfounded by the rich culture and friendly people they met among gorgeous scenery. So, feeling inspired, I looked into some more Vietnam trivia, from the ever reliable, Wikipedia.

• Population 87.8 million
• Area 331,210 km² (size of Germany)
• Has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era (2.6 million years ago)
• Ranked 16th worldwide in biological diversity, being home to approximately 16% of the world's species
• Bicylces or motorcycles are the most common form of transport in the cities
• 85% of population identify as Buddhist
• Unemployment at 2.3%
• Literacy rates at 90.3%

More importantly, as far as I'm concerned...

• Round trip flights, Ottawa to Ho Chi Minh, start from $1,682.82 

Here are some great pictures I found of Vietnam, from National Geographic, to give you a taste of what I'm now day dreaming of!