In the heart of Southeast Asia, Vietnam is home to 90 million people, 10 million scooters and countless bugs and parasites. For audacious virologist Dr. Mike Leahy, it’s a tempting destination, providing plenty of opportunities to indulge his passion for lethal critters.
It’s here that Dr. Mike learns the hard way that there is a price to pay for his inquisitive nature and injures his pride as he negotiates the packed city streets.
Cuc Phuong National Park: Dr. Mike visits peaceful Cuc Phuong National Park and finds what appears to be a postcard-perfect lotus pond, but it harbors a dark secret. Underneath the peaceful surface lies a tough little parasite known as Cryptosporidium, which can cause cramps, vomiting and diarrhea -- definitely not high on the list of souvenirs for most travellers.
LOCATION: Cuc Phuong National Park, is located in Ninh Binh Province, in Vietnam’s Red River Delta.
Barber shop: With a curiously itchy head, Mike visits a local barber shop to cut down the potential louse habitat on his cranium.
Cu Chi Tunnels: In the notorious Cu Chi Tunnels, an immense underground network used by Vietnamese soldiers in the wars of the 1960s and '70s, Mike uses a special UV light to find a deadly Asian Forest Scorpion.
LOCATION: The tunnels of Củ Chi are located in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Rice Paddy Field: Mike takes a stroll through a paddy field accompanied by a stubborn water buffalo to learn how a water-based disease continues to affect Vietnam War veterans decades after they first came into contact with the bacteria.
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST
Ben Thanh Market is a big marketplace in the downtown area of Ho Chi Minh City. The market is one of the oldest structures in Saigon and today is considered one of the symbols of Ho Chi Minh City, popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine.
Hanoi Opera House is an opera house in downtown Hanoi, Vietnam. It was erected by French colonists between 1901 and 1911.
The Old Quarter, near Hoan Kiem Lake, has the original street layout and architecture of old Hanoi. The area is famous for its local artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Culinary specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also. A night market (near Đồng Xuân market) in the heart of the district opens for business every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs and food.
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