A vacation in Vietnam

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Diane and Bob Bassett enjoy visiting emerging countries, the ones digging out of the ash and hunger and poverty and becoming a country filled with residents enjoying comfortable lives.

Maybe not the lives we're used to leading, of course, but consider Vietnam and the fact that, just 20 years ago, 60 percent of its residents lived in poverty, Diane Bassett said. Now only 20 percent are at that rate.

She remembers a trip to South Africa just as the country was digging out of the hatred of apartheid. It was one of her favorite trips. So when she planned the trip to Vietnam in the middle of March with her husband, she knew she would get to see the details behind a country emerging from its painful past.

"Vietnam is on top of the world right now for that," Bassett said.

The only problem with visiting emerging countries is its usually still hard to get around because their roads aren't in good shape. They're emerging. They're not quite there yet. In fact, many roads in Vietnam make the ragged Interstate 25 look as smooth as chocolate mousse.

So they toured Vietnam with Vermont Bike Tours. It was a challenging trip -- they averaged 20 to 30 miles a day -- but the pace was comfortable, and the scenery was so good, they thought about what they were experiencing more than their tired legs.

Plus, thanks to a place where the American dollar was actually still strong, the five-star hotels and luxurious food didn't hurt.

Vietnam, of course, would have been a tough place to visit 30 years ago, but Bassett never felt uncomfortable.

"The energy of the people is tangible, and it's clear they're trying to build a better place for their children," she said. "They were all so gracious. I remember many saying that even during the war they didn't hate Americans, just the American government."

Bassett saw some American Vietnam vets in the country, including one who was on their tour, making peace with what happened.

Biking the country gave her them the chance to see the country with a level of intimacy that probably would not have been possible by bus, Bassett said. They saw schools, villages, farms and orphanages and the culture that supported them, and they could linger and even pause along the way. It was a trip on their own schedule.

If they did tire, they could ride a bus that supported them along the way or stop for snacks or a rest.

Even on rest breaks, they stayed in hotels that would be considered five-star resorts in any part of the world. Though it was a little embarrassing to walk through the lobby in their bike shorts and sweaty helmet hairdos while trying not to bump into the guests with black ties, it was worth it, too.

"They were astoundingly beautiful," Bassett said.

She could have been talking about the whole country.

DETAILS ON THE TRIP

Diane and Bob Bassett's biking trip through Vietnam was 14 days long. They went with Vermont Bike Tours. They paid $3,500 per person, airfare included.

Highlights included traveling to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly called Saigon) and seeing the floating market, visiting the gorgeous Halong Bay, chosen as one of the Seven Wonders of Nature, and visiting Nah Trang, which contains Vietnam's finest beach resort.

Go to www.vbt.com for more information.

If you traveled to a spot that you think might be worth a story, e-mail Dan England at dengland@greeleytribune.com or call 392-4418.