I have harvested a treasure trove of cultural tidbits about Vietnam today.

On religion:

• The second largest foreign religion in Vietnam is Catholicism, with about six million followers. Catholicism was introduced to Vietnam by Spanish, Portuguese, and French missionaries early in the 17th century. There are now more than 6,000 churches engaged in religious activities throughout the country.
• Read this on Vietnamese religion.  It makes Hinduism look simple.

• the bride had to pay a fine in order for her to be accepted as a new member of the village.

• At this time, there is no specific threat information for American travelers to Vietnam.
• Visitors are not permitted to invite Vietnamese nationals of the opposite sex to their hotel rooms and police may raid hotels without notice or consent.
• Involvement in politics, possession of political material, business activities that have not been licensed by appropriate authorities, or non-sanctioned religious activities (including proselytizing) can result in detention. Sponsors of small, informal religious gatherings such as bible-study groups in hotel rooms, as well as distributors of religious materials, have been detained, fined and expelled.
• Streets in major cities are choked with motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians and pedicabs. Sudden stops by motorcycles and bicycles make driving a particular hazard. Nationwide, drivers do not follow basic traffic principles. There is little adherence to traffic laws or enforcement by traffic police. There are few traffic lights, and red lights are often not obeyed. Vehicles do not yield right of way. Most Vietnamese ride motorcycles and an entire family often rides on one motorcycle.
• U.S. citizens should be aware that many charges involving business or driving offenses that are considered civil charges in the U.S. are considered criminal charges in Vietnam.

we won't be renting a car...

From the CDC:

Dengue, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, and plague are diseases carried by insects that also occur in this region. Protecting yourself against insect bites (see below) will help to prevent these diseases.

So I guess "plague" is a disease.  I always thought the word described any disease that devastated a large area.

Leo says that its now between Vietnam and Napa Valley for honeymoon spots.  He thinks that Costa Rica sounds too airy-fairy.