Vietnam

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Our trip took place last July of 2008. I just put this up in February. Yes, it took me a very long time to publish this. Sorry about any confusion.

We flew into Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon. The airport was nerve-wracking as we had a problem with our visa. Very few people spoke English and they were rude. I was worried about what the country would be like. My fears were unfounded as the rest of our trip was fabulous. The moment we left the airport, a man was holding a sign with our names. He whisked us off to his office. We decided to hire someone to help us with our travel plans. He wouldn’t be with us the whole time but our hotels were all set and we had some scheduled plans along the way. It makes you feel a lot more secure when someone can help you out. What struck me most about this bustling city was the number of scooters. There were thousands upon thousands; way more than Bangkok and of course way more than Bhutan. Entire families would ride on them. Sometimes you would see large pieces of furniture tied precariously on the back. Both men and women seem to drive them equally. It is quite a sight. I didn’t seem to take a picture that adequately represents the sheer number of these transports on the road. Also many people wear face masks which have become a fashion statement of sorts. We got our schedule for the week all set and were off to explore on our own. Our hotel was located in a popular area with lots of bars and restaurants. We took off to find some pho, the yummy Vietnamese soup. We were pleased with the outdoor ambience of our chosen place. There seemed to be only Vietnamese people eating at it, which was a good sign. We spent the night checking out our area and planning for our next day.

Vietnam has the tourist thing down. They arrange buses for you that pick you up at your hotel, shuttle you around to pick up others at various hotels, take you to a handicraft place, and then finally to your destination. It is all super cheap. Our first full day there we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels. These are the tunnels the Viet Cong would crawl through. Our guide was hilarious. He was a Vietnamese Vet. He said when he lived in the U.S. he was an “American Playboy”. We stopped on our way at a “Handicapped Handicrafts”. There are handicapped people there making things with mother of pearl or other local products. Their injuries are all remnants of the war. There is definitely pressure to buy things. It’s an odd experience. At the Cu Chi Tunnels we were taken on a tour of where some of the fighting took place. We were shown some horrible looking booby-trap devices. Then we actually were taken through some tunnels. They have been widened for all the “fat” tourists, yet they still seem pretty small. There are openings every thirty feet or so. I made it around 60 and Shane went through the full thing. It’s very hot, humid, and claustrophobic. Interesting, but I don’t think I need to experience it again. When we returned to Saigon we were dropped off at the War Remnants Museum. This museum had many items including devastating pictures from the “American War”. It was fascinating to see it from more of a Vietnamese perspective. I never felt like anyone I met was anti-American. These heartbreaking pictures are just not seen widely in the U.S. We were pretty exhausted after this day. That night there were torrential downpours. We had to wade through a couple feet of water if we wanted to eat dinner anywhere. We tried not to think about the rats that probably were swimming around. We found a restaurant that specializes in exotic food. Shane ate a lizard but I stuck to chicken. We also enjoyed a Saigon Beer or two.

The next day we headed out on a ten-hour bus ride to Nha Trang. The bus ride was pretty horrible. The roads are decent but it’s just too long. The bathroom stop was one of the grossest toilets I have ever seen. At least we stopped at a decent restaurant for food. Of course it was a tourist based restaurant that survives on the buses that stop there everyday. Nha Trang is a beach town. We didn’t arrive there until night. We found our hotel and went out in search of food. We went to La Louisisane Café, a totally touristy place but after living in Bhutan for a year we did not feel guilty. We filled up on delicious seafood. The next day we woke up on the early side and found a taxi to take us to two different sights. We went to the Po Nagar Cham Towers and The Long Son Pagoda. It’s a very beautiful area but the day was blisteringly hot. At one point a guy was following us around and when we refused to buy his art he told us our trip was cursed. Well, we’ll see about that. We spent the rest of the day eating and drinking on the beach in front of the same café we ate at the night before. You can buy lounge chairs for pretty cheap and then you can stay there all day. There are security people around so you don’t have to worry about someone snagging your stuff. On the beach there are loads of people selling things. Most common are ladies selling fruit. They carry it on this two-sided wooden basket thing that lies across their shoulders. They are old but very strong. At one point a young man asked if he could lift it and he could barely get it off the ground. The lady just laughed and laughed. They are a very happy and traditional people it seems. Rice fields are everywhere and on the bus rides you can watch the workers. Many still wear those conical hats.

That night we boarded another bus for a 12 hour bus ride to Hoi An. Hoi An was definitely our favorite place. It was quiet, charming, and yummy. There were lots of shops and restaurants and it was easy to walk everywhere. Any restaurant we chose had really good food. One of our favorite moments came after a long, hot morning. We sat around three in the afternoon at a riverside bar. We snacked on fried wontons and dumplings with shrimp and sipped on gin and tonics. Delicious. There was also the cutest older man rowing by us in the river. We stayed around the river at all times. One day we took a bus down to My Son, an ancient Cham city. These are just gorgeous ruins nestled in a valley of green hills and built in the 4th century. On our trip back we took a boat ride. The driver was a woman who smoked cigs and steered the boat with her feet. Our lunch was fried rice and bananas. The river is fascinating to ride on as there are still lots of fishermen and women out there, rowing away. They lean so far over the side of the boat that they look like they might fall in. Hoi An has lots of tailors and Shane had a nice suit made for him. Supposedly they keep the measurements for three years. They did a really good job. I bought a couple of nice silk scarves. The next day we took a quick 3-4 hour bus ride to Hue. That ride was a relief after those really long ones. Hue was a bit of a let down after Hoi An but it had it’s own charm. We went to the Citadel, a decaying old imperial city. We also saw the Tomb of Emperor Tu Doc. There are really impressive tombs all over the city, gorgeously decorated and located in peaceful and protected areas. Later, we ate at a nice French restaurant, La Carambole. It was really good. The French have definitely influenced much of the cuisine in Vietnam and I didn’t mind one little bit. We also went to the Dong Ba Market, a crazy market that seems to be mostly for the locals. I bought a Vietnamese hat.

From Hue we decided to take a 14 hour overnight train ride to Hanoi. At least we had toilets and beds this time. We shared the car with a really fun Australian couple. Hanoi was a big bustling city with lots to see and do. Outdoor food was on every corner. We decided to get a car for a day as there is so much to see there. We went to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, the Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and the Hoa Lo Prison Museum. It was pouring rain all day and I stupidly wore flip-flops. I fell really hard in front of a group of people so decided to go bare foot the rest of the time. The Mausoleum was quite the experience. We had to walk in a line with soldiers all along the path and in the complex. I felt like I got in trouble twice. First I was wearing a hat, a definite no-no. Then they kept telling me to move up in the line, but I wanted to stand next to Shane. You cannot stop moving. Once you enter the room you can see a glass sarcophagus with the embalmed corpse of Ho Chi Minh inside. He could have died the day before from the looks of it. He wanted to be cremated but the people couldn’t stand to do that to him. All cameras and phones are strictly prohibited so it’s definitely not something you’ll see in any books. I also found the Hoa Lo Prison Museum to be interesting. This prison was where the French housed Vietnamese prisoners when they were fighting for independence. It is also where US POWs, including John McCain, were held during the “American War”. There was a guillotine and tiny cells with figures representing the prisoners who were chained up by their ankles. There were pictures of the US POWs who were always depicted in pleasurable scenes, like playing basketball or enjoying Christmas. Hmm….. In Hanoi we also attended water puppet theatre. It’s an art form which originated in Northern Vietnam. The puppets are cool and the way they move them is very realistic. However, after our busy day I could not keep my eyes open. Oops!

For the next and last day in Vietnam we decided to go to Halong Bay. Halong Bay is in the Gulf of Tonkin and is comprised of over 3000 islands. On these islands are tons of caves. It is absolutely gorgeous. Visitors can take boats out for up to one week. We, on the other hand, did a quick day tour. It was a three hour ride from Hanoi. When you get there it is absolute chaos. There are so many boats taking people out that they are literally running into each other trying to get their passengers. The boat we rode on only had six others on it. It was kind of hard to understand how so few passengers could be on each boat or “junk” as they call it. The boat ride was about an hour to a cave and then a bit of a walk up to it. The crystal-like formations everywhere were breath-taking. I just wish there weren’t so many people inside. On our ride around the islands they served us lunch. It was an absolutely fabulous lunch for the money we were spending on this tour. Once back in Hanoi we spent the night exploring. I liked Hanoi but it’s really easy to get lost. Not good with my sense of direction. Vietnam was everything we wanted it to be: charming, traditional, bustling, and delicious. I think if we did it again we would take more time and try to avoid those long bus rides. We headed back to Bangkok where Shane was heading to the states for two weeks and I was heading back to Bhutan to start the second term of school. Bummer.

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Photos

lizard
Shane at the exotic food restaurant

"American Playboy"
Tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels

Shane
Shane emerging from the Cu Chi Tunnels

Beach Paradise
Hanging all day in Nha Trang

Boat Man
This man rowed by while we were eating in Hoi An

My Son
An Ancient Cham City

Comments

[Jessica]

Awesome
So great to hear the details of your trip Rebecca!