Takou (The Video Game)

Level One: Lowland Forest

• Cram 12 people into the back of a closed truck bed in 100 degree heat
• Navigate through jungle lowlands: no signs, no roads, no way out but to keep going
• Make it through the sand dunes
• Avoid eating the poisonous seeds of the delicious fruit
• River crossings containing carnivorous plants

To beat this level: Stay hydrated during these tasks as your only water source for the day was in Ho Chi Minh City

Level Two: Accommodations

• Minimal unstable electricity for one hour per day
• No running water
• No English
• Mold. Mold. Mold.

To beat this level: Maintain sanity by playing countless hours of card and dice games. Beer optional.

Level Three: Monkey Watching

• Silence is golden. You speak the animals run.
• Only step on the boulders
• Stepping on the leaves between the boulders results in an automatic loss. There are only two options for what are below the leaves:
• There is nothing beneath the leaves. Your foot falls through.
• There is a King Cobra’s nest beneath the leaves. They like to make their dens in the rock.
• Use hanging vines and tree branches to make it to the landing

To beat this level: Make it through the physical obstacles and then power through the mental task of remaining silent and frozen for hours until the primates appear

Level Four: Ascend the Mountain

• 798 meters above sea level. Straight up
• There is no trail
• Avoid local people. They will threaten and chase you if seen
• Avoid poisonous and/or thorny plants
• Watch where you step! You could find rare orchid and accidentally discover a new species for bonus points

To beat this level: Simple. Make it to the top.

Level Five: Descend the Mountain

• Everything level four described, except in opposite
• GAMER CHEAT CODE: Sit down and slide.

To beat this level: Have all bones intact at the bottom of the mountain

Level Six: Home Base

• Make it back to HCMC safely
• Avoid head on collisions with dump trucks
• Try to block out the Kenny G played by the Vietnamese bus driver who strikes a stunning resemblance to Che Guevara
• Avoid food poisoning by not eating the raw meat in the pho
• Cankles  from the bus ride will slow you down

To beat this level: Comprise a 10 minute PowerPoint outlining your trip to your professors

Current Status of Player: Winner. 

North/Central Vietnam

I had five different entries written and ready to be posted about my trip to the Central and Northern regions of Vietnam. Rereading over the posts before finalizing and publishing I realized that I hated them. I had somehow lost my voice in each of the sections, and if I put them up I would only end up being disappointed with myself.

Why did I hate these posts? They all sounded like a travel brochure or a review on trip adviser. None of them were able to effectively capture my adventures. While I understand that blogging is supposed to allow people to live vicariously through others, please believe me when I say that some things just have to be experienced.

The best stories are never the ones that people write about right away. The best stories are the ones shared between friends in coffee shops, remembered late at night while trying to fall asleep, or the ones that come much later when they are triggered by a pungent smell, a loud noise, or the sound of someone’s laugh. I’m sorry that I can’t share my best stories now, as I don’t know what they are just yet, but I promise, if we get the chance to go out to coffee (or ice cream!), I’ll have plenty to say.

What I do have now are some incredible pictures, a decent play by play recap, and some really cool souvenirs from my trip. Take a look: 

Nha Trang

Snorkeling off the coast of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We spent 5 hours out on the sea, exploring sea caves, coral reefs, and playing with TONS of fish. (Think "Finding Nemo" for your underwater images) 

Hue

The ancient capital city of Vietnam, Hue is full of historical landmarks. Both the colonial French and the imperial Vietnamese architectural styles led to massive monuments and incredible memorial sites. 

Hoi An

The shopping capital of Vietnam, you can get literally anything you want handmade in Hoi An. I ended up with a dress, custom leather boots and a pea coat (all pictured below) as well as a myriad of other pieces of clothing and accessories. Hoi An is also known for it's monthly lunar festival which includes hundreds floating lanterns. We finished our stay at Hanoi with a Vietnamese cooking class. 

Champa Ruins

The indigenous Champa people of Vietnam, (one of 54 ethnic minorities) built huge temples to the Hindu gods that date back to older than Angkor Wat. These temples were used as a hideout for the Vietcong and were heavily bombed during the Vietnam/American War in the 1970s. 

Hanoi

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is defined by its tiny bustling streets overcrowded with people, motorbikes, and street vendors. We visited Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum where the body of the revolutionary leader is preserved and on display (yes it is a creepy as it sounds). We also drank Hanoi's famous "bia hoi" or "homemade street beer", and lived to tell the tale.