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Pulling into Vietnam was an experience in itself. We were to port in Ho Chi Minh city, formerly known as Saigon, which was further inland and required us to sail through the narrow rivers of the Mekong Delta. For an hour that morning our massive ship cruised along the waters, taking up the majority of the space except for a few fishing boats. Since the port was in a gated harbor, we could walk the twenty minutes to the downtown area or take the shuttle provided by SAS which left about every half hour. For those brave enough there was also the option of a motorbike, whose riders would take you into the city for a $1. Motorbikes and motorcycles were absolutely the popular mode of transportation in this city, outnumbering cars maybe 10 to 1. They would come down the streets in huge masses without any regards to lanes, sometimes even driving up on the sidewalk. It was a thrilling way to get around town to say the least, except for one driver who decided to go exceedingly fast to which I held on for dear life.
Vietnam’s food was exceptional and on our first day out
in Ho Chi Minh we decided to give the local specialty, pho, a try. It’s a basic noodle dish that comes in a huge bowl with meats and vegetables and various spices, but every other restaurant is a pho shop, and it is really satisfying after a long day of walking around. The country is also noted for it spring rolls and clay pot dishes which were also worth tasting. My eel stew in a clay pot may not sound appetizing but it was actually quite delicious.
One thing that immediately surprised me about Vietnam was how welcomed I felt as an American. I anticipated some animosity since our countries histories together is slightly tumultuous, but everyone I encountered seemed extremely nice and curious about my life in California. One lady told me how the younger generations have no grudges to hold since they weren’t around during the war and how they love American tourists since they get to practice their English. This friendliness was amazing to me since the country has only been open to American visitors for a little over a decade. It was also hard to reconcile this fact when at the War Remnants Museum, which at point was called the Museum of American and Chinese Atrocities. In the front they have old Army tanks, helicopters and recreations of POW cells, but inside is where the most disturbing exhibits were. They are hundreds of pictures that demonstrate the destructive power of napalm and Agent Orange. I could only stay in there for a few minutes before it became too much and I had to leave. On another day I went to the Cu Chi tunnels, which was a system of narrow underground tunnels used by their soldiers as bunkers and a way to travel incognito. It was unusual to keep seeing references to the “American War,” as they know it, and to get their perspective on it. What was also crazy was how they’ve turned all these combat sites into tourist traps, complete with gift shops. At the tunnels, you could also pay to shoot an AK-47 at the firing range. Since I didn’t think I‘d ever have a chance like that again, I went ahead and gave it a shot. The only thing I gained from it was that I learned that I am terrible at working big guns.
I went on a trip with SAS to the Mekong Delta which was a lazy day floating down the river on long boats. Curiously enough, the boats had eyes painted on the front to scare river off river gods. We stopped every so often along the way at floating markets or places to eat. Basically, it was my kind of day. We were served kumquat tea and banana wine, both pretty strong, as well as an assortment of candies and fresh fruits. I discovered that I am in love with jack fruit, and can only hope that it is readily available in the states. At another stop we got to watch them make a coconut candy as well as sample a few pieces. After switching to canoes and moving through the mangroves, we headed for lunch, which was a scrumptious presentation of elephant ear fish fried served whole. It looked inedible when they first put it on the table but after awhile of tearing off the fried pieces with chopsticks, we couldn’t get enough. The highlight of the trip was the cone hats we received, which did an excellent job of keeping off the sun. Later that evening, since it was the birthday of a friend of mine, we celebrated by having drinks on top of the Rex Hotel. The place not only gives a spectacular view of the city at night but is also on the list of 1000 things to see and do before you die.
The following day I had nothing planned, but I was able to hop on last minute to a service visit headed for the V-8 school for the deaf. When we got to the school they performed several dance numbers for us, then we had about an hour to interact with them. The students ranged from 4 to 17, but I spent the majority of the time with a trio of 14 year old girls. Their written English was shockingly good but most of our communication was through gestures and facial expressions. It was amusing to see how universal the mannerisms and behavior of 14 year old girls are around the world. We took the students on our bus with us to visit the zoo, which is what I was looking forward to the most. I originally thought we were going to be paired up with a student and help them around the park, but the girls were without a doubt the ones in charge and led us around. The zoo itself was gorgeous and didn’t have nearly as many restrictions or fences for the animals as any American zoo I’d been to. I actually got to pet and feed an elephant and a giraffe. Somehow we also found go carts to ride on with the kids at the zoo which I think we enjoyed more than they did.
I think what most people from the ship will remember Vietnam for was sadly…the shopping. Their currency, the Vietnam Dong is about 16,000 to $1, so it was tempting for many of us to want to take advantage of this great exchange rate. One professor even joked that it had become shopping-at-sea as he saw many of us walk around with bags and bags full of bootleg DVDs, and knockoff name brand items which hawkers swore were “the real thing.” Unlike India where most of the sellers were men, here the streets were lined with older women who were even more skilled at bartering.
The number one thing on most people’s to-do list was to get tailored made dresses and suits since there were an infinite amount of shops that offered that service. In retrospect I wish I would have utilized that opportunity when I had the chance. On the last day I did ending buying a silk dress off the rack since I still needed something to wear for the Ambassador’s Ball at the end of the voyage. Although it still might be too early to say, I think Vietnam was one of my favorite ports so far…if only for the motorcycle rides.
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mary
non-member comment
vietnam
Your writing, if possible, is getting more polished and fascinating by the minute. Like you, I have shot a weapon; I even had to take apart a rife and reassemble it within 1 minute. The motorcyle scene was exactly reminiscent of Malaysia; there, three or four people rode at a time, especially noticeable amidst horrendous and scary rainstorms. Loved the whole elephant ear fish eating episode and your 1000 most must see experiences at the Rex Hotel. Your silk dress mandate for the Ambassador's Ball made me weep with envy. Awesome read. LU