Reflections on Vietnam

Vietnam is difficult, beautiful, and intriguing. From three weeks of travel throughout the southern half of the country, these have been the consistent themes. Difficulties arise with a dense language barrier, an erratic transportation system, and uncertain relations with locals. The challenge can be enjoyable, however, and the reward is access to a country that knows no bounds to its beauty. Where the scenery is lacking, a bizarre and fascinating culture is on display and doesn’t allow for a single dull moment.

Not being proficient in the local language is generally not a problem in well traveled foreign countries. However, the smaller (and more interesting) towns in Vietnam are not well traveled and very little English is spoken. The little Vietnamese I’ve learned is helpful, but pronunciation is key in a tonal language, and we all know that’s not exactly my specialty. While I’ve had to do without some niceties on occasion, lodging and food have always been managed without too much effort and I really do enjoy the challenge. It’s more fun when you have to work for it.

My experience with the transportation system has been ridiculously eventful, but perhaps a little less fun. Bus rides have been unreasonably overcrowded, smoky, claustrophobic, erratic, vomit-inducing, and sometimes on the verge of suicidal. They regularly pack four times as many people as there are seats into minibuses or tour vans where all the old men proceed to chain smoke for the duration of the trip which takes two or three times longer than scheduled due to the 25 unplanned stops made along the way. This is not an exaggeration: five hour trips take at least ten hours and it’s common for the bus to break down at least once. To top it off, most of my bus drivers blare their horns non-stop, swerve madly and frantically between motorbikes and pedestrians, and consistently pass slower traffic on the left in the face of imminent oncoming traffic. To up the thrill level a bit more, the mountain ridge roads are incredibly winding and poorly maintained, encouraging my fellow passengers to puke nonstop into little baggies. Can’t decide if the sound of them vomiting or the lingering smell is worse. Not necessarily happy experiences, but certainly exciting and memorable.

Relations with locals have been interesting, though quite variable. If they’re not trying to sell you something on the street (“Hey, you – want moto?” when offering motorbike taxi services, or “Hey, you – look” when selling sunglasses or $2 Rolexes) their response to a white guy tends to bring out one of two reactions. Either they stare at you intently or they’re delighted and offer a friendly “hello.” Almost every little kid hollers a happy “hello,” even from across the street if that’s where he/she first notices you. I’ve also had several positive conversations with locals in bars and such. This is always happy, but I’ve been trying to determine the intention of the stares I’ve received – curiosity or animosity – and according to other backpackers and friendly locals, the popular opinion sways to the side of curiosity. This is comforting, but the sensation of being stared at is still a bit unnerving and it can’t all be good-natured inquisitiveness. Other than the occasional stare, however, I haven’t encountered any hostility, which I was sort of expecting after the French (whitey) colonized for almost a century and then the Americans (whitey) invaded for several years a mere four decades ago.

If nothing else, Vietnam is superbly unique. Likely due to their late entry into free markets and open trade, as well as strange control regulations imposed by the government, the country is poverty stricken in many areas, yet everyone has a cell phone and wifi hot spots are common in small towns. They’re definitely playing catch-up in the technology sector, but it’s still interesting to see electronics stores selling TVs from the 1950s along side brand new iPhones.

All the men smoke. Boys start young (or just look really young) and chain smoke right along with the wrinkly old men all day long. I’ve seen no more than a few Vietnamese men who were not actively smoking, and if I had to guess, I’d say at least 90% of the guys puff away like it’s no one’s business. They also litter like crazy, which really amazes me. The clean up crews must be pretty good because the streets aren’t overly filthy, but it seems like littering is completely tolerated and almost expected as people do it openly and frequently. Very weird.

On a happier note, there’s virtually no homelessness due to the importance of family. Everyone’s got a place to lay their head. There’s no violence either, though I’ve heard occasional incidents of theft. They really like badminton for some reason. Yeah, you know, the one with mini tennis rackets and a little rubber ball with feathers. Yep. Badminton...

Dalat is Sweet!

While HCMC was interesting and the southern reaches of Vietnam were pretty neat, the countryside was not particularly moving. That changed in a big way when I rolled into Dalat a few days ago. Set up in the mountains, Dalat and the surrounding area is absolutely breathtaking. I still cannot get over how awesome this place looks. And to make things even better, the locals are pretty friendly here and the weather is perfect: sunny, breezy, and cool. Way to go, Vietnamese mountain towns.

On another note, I’ve been humbled by several other backpackers I’ve met recently. Some are biking the entire length of Vietnam and other nearby countries, while others are taking several years off to teach English and live in various SE Asian towns. While biking requires more time to cover ground, the stories these guys have are incredible. Teaching requires time and limits mobility, but would be also be a great experience. I probably will not be able to do either this trip, but both sound like excellent ideas for future expeditions.

Two more AC articles up and published if you’re interested. One is a collection of tips for backpacking around Thailand (left over from my travels there), and the other is an article version of the crossing the street in HCMC post. Not really all that fascinating, if I may say so myself, but here you go:

How to Cross the Street in Ho Chi Minh City: A Guide to Fatality Through Fear (Instead of Bodily Injury) in the Largest City in Vietnam

Tips for Backpacking Thailand: What the Guidebooks May Not Mention

Cu Chi Tunnels, the Mekong, and Beyond

So I’ve provided some advice on how to cross the street in HCMC and shared my suspicions regarding the crack-spiked Pho, but have yet to discuss what I’ve been up to so far in Vietnam. Here’s a quick update.

My first several days in-country were spent exploring Ho Chi Minh City and hanging out with Anne. Anne is Vietnamese, but is just now visiting the motherland for the first time. The attractions in the city were less than inspiring, so we ventured a bit north of the city to check out the Viet Cong’s Cu Chi Tunnels. Pretty interesting to see the intricacy of the underground system and the way of life these guys adapted. It’s almost like they really wanted to win. And live...

From HCMC I bussed to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta to boat around the floating markets and weave around the canal network. They have entire villages there that can only be accessed by boat. Ventured to Rach Gia next, but only to catch a ferry to Phu Quoc Island. Definitely an up and coming resort island as everything there was brand new or still under development. I rented a motorbike to further explore the island, but the dirt roads were impassable in some areas and I had to settle for the beach. Currently heading north in route to Dalat – a mountainous town with lingering French influence. Will likely continue north to small mountain towns afterwards, and then finish with Hanoi and Sapa. May have to extend my visa to see all the good stuff – we’ll see!

Pho Sure

The Vietnamese food ambassador to the world is, without a doubt, the ever popular Pho (but pronounced more like “Pha”). I’ve had Pho several times in the US, and I’ve found it quite good, but by no means spectacular. After all, it’s just noodles, meat, garnish, and broth. I was expecting it to be much better here, of course, in its native land, and was a bit disappointed after my first two Pho experiences. Good, but certainly not super. Now I’m not sure what happened or what changed on my third Pho indulgence several days ago, but it was big time kick-ass. Way better than ever before and perfect in every way. Ever since that perspective altering meal, every Pho repeat has been equally awesome.

I have three theories for how this turn of events could have come about. The obvious answer is that my first two Pho servings in-country were sub-par, possibly prepared by an apathetic staff in a touristy establishment. I sort of doubt this, though, because although both joints were in Ho Chi Minh City and in a backpacker neighborhood, there were several locals in each place happily slurping the stuff down. But certainly still possible. My second theory is that Pho contains some special ingredients that either have a delayed effect or just take some getting used to. Sort of like an acquired taste, but on a subconscious level. My third theory plays off the second theory and proposes that these guys are sprinkling crack in the Pho. I’ve never done crack before, but I’ll bet it’s delicious and I’ll bet it produces the same satisfaction that I experience when eating Pho. It’s just so good and, well, it’s almost like I need it.

Humm… I feel cold… Time to go find some more Pho!

How to Cross the Street in HCMC

Ho Chi Minh City (aka: Saigon) traffic is about as intense as Bangkok traffic with motorbikes whizzing every which way, cars and minibuses darting around, and cyclos (backwards rickshaws) thrown in the mix just for fun. There’s one significant difference in HCMC, however, and that’s a serious shortage of stoplights. The result is a chaotic free-for-all which is highly entertaining to watch, but also panic inducing when you’re an unfortunate participant. Without traffic control features, motorists jet directly into intersections without looking, then engage evasive maneuvers to avoid imminent collisions. It would certainly be easier to just look first, but they seem to enjoy the thrill. And it really is quite exciting to ride around on the back of a motorbike, but only after telling yourself that it’s not real.
Crossing the street on foot, however, is a different and more difficult challenge because the continuous stream of motorbikes prevents any possible break in traffic. The skill that must be honed requires you to step right onto the pavement, even while every sensible instinct in your body screams at you to get the hell back on the curb, and then walk slow and steady to the other side. Look up if you can avoid soiling yourself, because slight adjustments in pace are often necessary. The slow and steady gait enables most drivers to gauge your movement and compensate their direction and speed. The remaining drivers assume just hit you, which is why slight adjustments are often wise. It’s a lot like playing Frogger, only you can’t stop (because you’ll get hit and run over) or go in reverse (because you’ll get hit and run over) or try again with another life (because you’re dead).

Outside of the notable street situation, HCMC is surprisingly mainstream for a large South East Asian city. Although still communist, the “open door” economic reforms from the 1980s have spread like wildfire and the city looks and feels capitalistic. There are no McDonald’s (thank god) or 7-11s yet, but many foreign franchises have been permitted (the Vietnamese love KFC more than… well, they love it) and successful local retailers are also discovering the chain game. Brand name products are abundant and it’s a common sight to see girls sporting Gucci handbags and smoking Marlboro Lights. Ah man, if Ho Chi Minh was still alive to see this, it’d kill him!

Prepare for Launch: Take 2!

My trip home for Christmas is now over and my adventures in South East Asia can now resume. (Hot damn!) Although a bit long, the break from traveling was not too shabby. The cross-country road trip with Jess was fun and we even manage to learn some valuable lessons on the way: New Mexico really is the “Land of Enchantment” and Albuquerque is sweet, Texas smells like decaying flesh and gas fill-ups require a gag reflex along with the credit card, and I believe Tennessee has invaded Virginia in its effort to become a never-ending state. Seriously Tennessee, you’re long enough. Knock it off.

Christmas with the family was also nice, and we all got some good laughs at midnight mass when the proclamation started out, in a booming voice, “5099 years after the creation of the earth… Jesus was born.” Evolution is a lie! Dinosaurs were large dogs! Vote for Huckabee! Ah man, Christians are adorable.

I’m now starting off the unnecessarily long trip to Ho Chi Minh City. I arrived at Dulles around 12noon on Jan 2nd (today) and will arrive in Vietnam at 10am on Jan 5th. Sure, some of that time is the date change line, and yes, the cheap tickets require approximately 15 stop-overs before reaching the final destination, but 3 days? That’s some super smelly boxers. It’ll certainly be worth it, however, once in country. More later once I have something interesting/sweet/embarrassing to say. Have a happy New Year and keep in touch!