"Papers, Please"

It's not enough to just show up in a country and expect to be let in. As an American who has traveled throughout Europe and the English-speaking world, it's easy to forget that fact. Vietnam is the first country I'm traveling to that actually requires a paper tourist visa. And let's not forget, they're still a Communist state. They like to keep a tab on their peeps.

I read the website of the Vietnamese Embassy to see what was available. It was a mess ... out of date and often contradictory information. The information I got on various traveler websites and message boards was equally confused. So I called the Vietnamese Embassy in the UN (open between 1200 and 1205 every third Thursday, or something) and and got the answer I was looking for: yes, a 3-month multi-entry tourist visa was available.

Paperwork completed, I mailed it off with my passport, a cashiers check and a return envelope to the Embassy in NYC and held my breath. And voila!



I am now authorized to enter Vietnam! Purty, ain't it? I couldn't be more pleased with myself.