If you're an American citizen (which means you were born in the United States) you cannot enter Vietnam without first obtaining a Visa (which is not the same as the credit card in your parents' wallets).
A Visa is a document that states that I have permission to enter a particular country. Many countries with a form of government called Communism require foreigners to first obtain Visas (you'll need one if you travel to Russia or China, for example). Have you ever been to a country that required you to first obtain a Visa?
To get my Vietnam Visa, I first had to fill out paperwork that asked for my name, address, and phone number. I had to write down where I will be traveling and who I will be staying with, and I also had to send money ($60.00) to cover the cost of processing my paperwork. The scariest part was that I had to send them my passport. If this was lost in the mail I wouldn't be able to get another one in time to make the trip. However, I received my passport back and Visa in less than two weeks. I'm not sure, but I believe the main purpose of the Visa is to make sure the Vietnam government knows who's traveling in their country. Perhaps they did a background check on me to make sure I wasn't a criminal or someone who might cause trouble.
My Visa is good for one month. I wonder what would happen to me if I stayed longer. Probably a lot of paperwork!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
About This Blog and Me
Welcome to A Dragon in Viet Nam. I teach at Saint George's School (SGS) in Spokane, WA. Spokane is about 280 miles east of Seattle. We're much closer to Idaho than the Pacific ocean.
Saint George's School is a K-12 independent private day school whose mascott is a dragon (remember Saint George slayed the dragon?), which hopefully explains the title of my blog. This blog will be the place to read about my travel to Tam Dao National Park, which is about 70 kilometers north of the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi.
The first of my many flights to get there leaves Spokane on May 10th. I'll return to the U.S. (but not my home--you'll have to read more later to find out where I'm going) on May 21st. I've been given this opportunity by Earthwatch, an international non-profit organization supporting scientific research around the globe.
Saint George's School is a K-12 independent private day school whose mascott is a dragon (remember Saint George slayed the dragon?), which hopefully explains the title of my blog. This blog will be the place to read about my travel to Tam Dao National Park, which is about 70 kilometers north of the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi.
The first of my many flights to get there leaves Spokane on May 10th. I'll return to the U.S. (but not my home--you'll have to read more later to find out where I'm going) on May 21st. I've been given this opportunity by Earthwatch, an international non-profit organization supporting scientific research around the globe.
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Three Teachers--Jeff, Rachel and Beth
Red and Yellow
This one is beautiful and also quite common
Rare Green Butterfly
This one is drinking water from a waterfall we hiked to
Tam Dao Classroom
Yes, this is an actual classroom being used
Rachel at a Classroom Teacher's Desk in Tam Dao Primary and Secondary School
Yes, this is an actual teacher desk
Tam Dao was once a summer retreat for wealthy French families when France occupied Vietnam
This is what's left of one French villa--there were over 400 here at one time, but were destroyed by the Vietnamese people in the 1950s
