Rain, Rain Go Away

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My trip to Vietnam has been plagued by extremely bad weather - rain, fog, and a pesky typhoon. It also doesn't seem to be improving - I'm currently sitting in Halong Bay praying that the fog will clear off enough that I can see a few of the islands (something that hasn't occurred in any of my previous stops).



Mekong Delta

We entered Vietnam on foot from Cambodia. It was a hot, sunny day and in retrospect I wish I had taken the time to appreciate it more. We headed to the Mekong Delta and after dumping our bags (5th floor with an elevator that shut down at 7pm, fun fun) we hired motorcycles to take us out into the countryside and see sunset from Sam Mountain. It was a great ride and gave me a feel for how Vietnam differed from Cambodia, but the sunset was lackluster (hence no picks) due to smoke filling the air from farmers burning rice fields in preparation for new crops. Having a beer at the top of the mountain while swimming in a hammock was definitely the right way to kick off Vietnam, I just wish there had been more moments like that as we continued heading north.



Saigon

After the Mekong Delta, we headed into Ho Chi Minh/Saigon. I was a bit on edge in Saigon because of the crime - after being robbed in China I have become a bit paranoid and Saigon's reputation definitely did not help matters. When I wasn't neurotically holding onto my knapsack and jumping every time a masked motorcycle went by (I jumped a lot), I did enjoy the city. Trying Vietnamese iced coffee and having beers on the street, exploring Ben Thanh Market, and avoiding the millions of motorbikes was great. I was just never able to shake off my paranoia about my belongings, and I think that it has continued to skew my perspective as I travel through Vietnam. Unfortunately, my subconscious is not cooperating, and the paranoia is remains.

Another big part of the Saigon visit was visiting the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels. It was interesting to see how Vietnam depicts the war (mostly accurate atrocity wise - pictures don't lie, but definitely skewed in many ways) but even as a Canadian, I cringed when a video at the Cu Chi Tunnels told us proudly about how many Americans each featured soldier killed and that they had received the "American Killer Hero" award for their efforts. War is horrible, and deaths should never be celebrated, no matter what side they are on (imho).

The highlight of this visit to the tunnels was actually our guide - Mr. Hue. He started the bus trip off with an important public service announcement about pissing (to use his terms). He then spent 15 minutes telling us a story that explained why if we need to "piss" we should tell him so 30 minutes in advance. It was basically a story about a woman who never seemed to get to a bathroom until she became desperate, and she ended up "pissing" in a rice paddy field. Unfortunately, the field had just been cut and she lost her balance, and it ended up being a very unpleasant situation. Oddly, while Mr. Hue told this story in perfect, if colourful, English, he made no sense when actually telling us about the Vietnam War and the Cu Chi Tunnels. There were a few other gems though. While at the tunnels, we were looking at some mannequins dressed as soldiers. He was explaining what each was doing - one was reading a map, one looking at his gun, one writing a love letter (seriously), and the female soldier was grooming so she could flirt with the male soldiers. He then went on to explain to us what flirting was - apparently it is when a man and a woman like one another, and spend time together alone talking, and sometimes more (if you know what Mr. Hue means - fyi: it involves eyebrow wiggling). While this was adorable, the next word he felt the need to explain was just awkward. He was telling us about how some woman actually gave birth in the tunnels he provided an example - a woman who actually worked at the tunnels was born in them. As he said "She is beautiful and still a virgin. Do you know what virginity is? It is - " I cut him off there. I didn't think the family with a young daughter who had joined us to listen in would appreciate that explanation much. While Mr. Hue did not provide the most insightful tour I have ever had, it was definitely the most entertaining and I don't think I'll ever forget it.



Nha Trang

Oh Nha Trang. I have googled you, and you are apparently stunning. A little slice of heaven with amazing snorkelling that I have been excited about for months. Unfortunately, I didn't see this version of Nha Trang. I saw Typhoon Nha Trang - where the streets are flooded and the rain is so heavy you are afraid to leave your hotel. That's all I really have to say about that. We did go to the mud baths (rainy weather and all) and it was very fun. But no beach, no snorkelling, and no sun. Although I can now add an amendment to my bucket list (as I do for unique experiences that I don't necessarily want to have) to include being in a typhoon. I hope it is the first and the last I experience, but knowing my luck I'll get another once I'm in Southern Thailand and the Malay Peninsula.



So that is pretty much the first part of my Vietnam adventure - rain and paranoia. A bit disappointing, but what can you do? While you can try to avoid monsoon season, you can't avoid rain (or typhoons), so it is what it is. I'll soon be posting about Hoi An and Hue, followed by hopefully amazing pictures from Halong Bay. I'm a bit behind but will try to catch up in the next couple of days.

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Photos

Nha Trang bathroom
This is the bathroom where we stayed in Nha Trang. Imagine 3 girls' faces when we discovered this lovely artwork. The hanging light fixture mysteriously occurred midway through our stay - guess the people one floor up really liked their picture.