January 17, 2006 - page 2

Viet Cong made me realize their high degree of determination because the tunnels were small, even for the Vietnamese. The most impressive part of the tunnels was that the 80-year-old alumnus who accompanied us on the trip, went all the way through.

From Cu Chi we went on to the Cao Dai Temple. Cao Dai was a universal religion founded by Tay Ninh Vietnamese in the 1920s. It acknowledges all the leaders of the major religions in Vietnam as legitimate servants of God. The Temple was colorful and elaborately decorated. We stayed long enough to see the opening procession of their 12:00 service and left quietly.

We ate another set menu lunch in Tay Ninh that was one of my best meals in Vietnam. It was delicious, although I had never beheaded or peeled my own seafood before. We were served prawns stuffed in a coconut, which required a quick lesson for me from those at my table on how to eat them.

We headed back to Saigon, where we had the rest of the day free. I finished shopping for my family and went to dinner with several members of the group. We went to a restaurant called

Com Nieu, which is known for its "flying rice." They bake rice in terra cotta pots and then break the pot and toss the contents across the room, where it is caught in a bowl at your table and served. The atmosphere and company at the restaurant and the rooftop of the Rex made for an enjoyable end to my time in Vietnam.