Three Weeks in Vietnam

The sultry night air of Ho Chi Minh City settled over us when we stepped through the doors of Tan Son Nhat Airport, leaving no doubt that we had left Pamlico County far behind.

On the sidewalk, hundreds of people gathered in an orderly semicircle to wait quietly for the arrival of friends. There was no pushing, no shoving, no shouting - none of the frenzy and drama that so often accompanies arrivals in other countries.

Greetings, however, were warm and welcoming, and my soon-to-be daughter-in-law's eldest aunt quickly took me under her wing.