Day 1 of my Viet Nam trip was filled with taking a ton of photos and watching a new culture unfold before my eyes. The diversity in the culture, along with the colors, the buildings, the landscape, the people, and the traffic all presented opportunities to take photos or just look on something different.

After a surprisingly good night's sleep (remember, this was my first international trip), my alarm woke me up. My clothes laid out, my camera bag and tripod were already packed, and my valuables locked away, I was able to get out of my room quickly. Preparing the night before makes the following morning way less stressful. I grabbed my baseball cap and headed down stairs.

I was slightly confused when I entered the lobby. I had yet to meet anyone, and I wasn't sure about breakfast. So, a few quick texts got me to the breakfast area (fresh phở bò and rice pancakes). Still, I had yet to meet anyone.

I went out to the lobby and thankfully managed to meet some people who matched the descriptions in the chat. Thanks for wearing the tour shirts, everyone!

The trip to the pearl farm was nice. I was able to capture some nice photos of the city and countryside life on the way out. I was given some facts on the Vietnamese economy and the livelihood of the people as I took photos.

Hạ Long Bay was beautiful. The landscape was amazing and the limestone islands that spread out before us were imposing. Likewise, the caves within some of these structures were beautiful and immense...and the temperature was considerably cooler inside.

We were treated to red rice wine and delicious Vietnamese cuisine. Some members of the tour group went out on smaller boats and saw mountain monkeys.

I definitely enjoyed Day One of the trip, and I look forward to sharing Day Two with everyone.

Soli Deo Gloria