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Published: April 21st 2008
Corporate sponsors in Lenin Park
Anyone else see the irony that huge multinational corporations are sponsoring events in a park named after one of the major figures of communism? I mean...Another appropriate quote and scene, courtesy of one Walter Sobchek. I apologize to all you who don’t get the pop culture references I throw in to every blog, but they are just too appropriate (in most cases), and particularly in this case that explains what happens when you “F@#% A STRANGER IN THE A$$”. Seriously, if you go out and watch a minimal amount of movies, particularly “The Big Lebowski”, you’ll understand a good amount more of the blog.
So Darren and I got fed up with Vietnam and bought a plane ticket to Thailand a week before we were supposed to leave. Things were actually going really well, until last night. After the last blog a few days ago, I went out and had a great night, the type of night that is the reason for traveling, with Sa (my Hmong mom, see last blog’s photos), her friend Su and her daughter. They are absolutely amazing people, and from such a different society than mine. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had traveling. Then, on the train ride back from Sapa to Hanoi I met a few really friendly Vietnamese who shared their lunches with me. Funny, but I never realized how powerful sharing food with another individual was, but when you can’t communicate verbally, sharing food is a very powerful message. So things were looking up, until last night, as I mentioned. We were getting onto the train to Hoi An when we realized the ticket counter lady had made a mistake booking us the night before. We went to talk to her and she “stonewalled” us. She and the other people at the counter literally got up and walked away. Anyway, it was a big fiasco, no one was willing to help (or even listen to us) unless we paid for the tickets again. We also met two other groups that had the exact same problem. Refusing to pay anything else on principle, we went to a hotel and got a plane ticket to Bangkok for nearly the same price as the train tickets. So, “this is what happens…”
It is kind of ironic: we are American tourists who got defeated in Vietnam! We had heard from every person, literally each and every person, who had visited Vietnam to be ready as they are tough to handle: pushy, demanding, unforgiving, etc. These were words used by others that I didn’t believe, initially. We had even met a few others that cut their trips to Vietnam short as well. I thought, "It is only three weeks, it can’t be that bad." Well, here we are cutting our trip a week short. This isn’t to say that others wouldn’t enjoy Vietnam; their experiences may be different. But, in my opinion, there are plenty of places in the world that are extraordinarily beautiful, but have locals that are friendly and enjoyable.
On that note, we are off to Bangkok for a few days, maybe down to the beaches in the south to catch a few days in the sun, before we head off to India. (I am also aware of the humor in that I left Vietnam and am now going to India, which is notorious for pushy, demanding, street people as well.)
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Adam
non-member comment
Still valiant..
You guys are right. That is what happens when you fxxx a stranger in the ass!! Well, at least you are heading to.. what? Bang- .. bang.. bang - kok? Does that sound right? Should be a healthy turn-around!