Vietnam

Hey everyone,

I'm settled in Luang Prabang, Laos, at the moment, so now I'm all caught up - you can check my Facebook if you'd like to see more pictures.

We became the unofficial sponsors for Smoothies Takeaway.
L-R: Me, Cecilia, Jen, and Roxy.

In Vietnam I had a much different experience than in Cambodia, not only because it was a different country, but also because...I had friends. I was a solo traveler no more. It all started with a fellow American named Roxanna. I met Roxy in Cambodia while she was on her way to Vietnam to both meet up with her two friends and to start looking for teaching jobs in Saigon. When I arrived in Saigon (today called Ho Chi Minh City, we just liked the old name Saigon better) we reunited, plus I got to meet her two friends Cecelia and Jen, who were spending two months traveling in Asia. It turned out that I had roughly the same itinerary as them, and with Roxy staying behind in Saigon to teach, it seemed to work out that I was adopted as their next travel buddy. It was really fun to be part of a group, with people to share experiences with, and I'm looking forward to the next two countries I meet up with them in.

We spent a few days together in Saigon, which was a big, bustling city with more motorbikes than you can count on the street at any given time. Remember when I compared crossing the street in China to Frogger? Well, in Vietnam you follow the same basic rules, except you're playing a more advanced level:  you have to deal with motorbikes, which are a little trickier than they seem, since they can weave around you at any given point in time. Roxy's advice? "Stay consistent," meaning if you're crossing the road, don't stop halfway or hesitate or you're basically roadkill. It takes practice.

Besides  walking around the city, eating delicious Vietnamese dishes for very cheap prices, and stopping for fruit smoothies here and there, my two big, and quite sombering outings in Saigon were to the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi tunnels.

 I went to the museum alone, as the girls had gone a few days before, and I was glad to be by myself so I could process it more fully. I also had to have some alone time so I could take breaks from holding back my tears in between some of the exhibits. I learned, in those two hours, so much more about America's role in the war than I had ever learned before. I knew before I went that the museum had a notorious anti-American bias, evident by the display translations, but what struck me the most were the pictures. Pictures don't lie. All I could think when I looked at the horrific images was "Why?" Hopefully someday that question can be better answered.

My next excursion, with the girls, was equally as eye opening, but this time it was more 'hands on.' We went to the Cu Chi tunnels, about an hour outside the city, to tour part of the extensive, 200 km network of underground tunnels, built and used by the guerrilla Viet Cong troops to make their attacks against the Nationalist and American armies. There were traps, false tunnels, and hidden passageways all along the network, and it was eerie to be walking around in the very jungles where the war had taken place, 40 years before. It was real, it was scary, but it was good to see and to put things in perspective. We even got to crawl through the tunnels (what I meant by 'hands on,' quite literally) which was pretty claustrophobic.

From Saigon, we endured a very long 23 hour sleeper bus ride - the problem wasn't as much the time as it was the leg room and lack of personal space, both of which are low priorities in Asia. But, even our abrupt, roadside drop off couldn't deter us from our excitement at reaching our next destination: Hoi An, Vietnam.

Hoi An was every tourist's dream town. It was cute, it was small, it was historical,  it was easy to walk around in, it had nice, cheap, clean guesthouses and tons of delicious restaurants and cafes. There were boat rides, bicycle rentals, river strolls, spa treatments, and  photo opps to be had. And don't even get me started on the shopping. I challenge you not to like Hoi An.

 Oh, and I forgot to mention one of the best parts: it's about 5 km away from the beach.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves by shopping, strolling, taking pictures, eating, and even venturing out to the beach one afternoon. The stretch of beach we were on is just south of the famous China Beach, with waters just as clear and sand just as soft. It was a great stopover, and we ended up staying an extra night in our adorable guesthouse.

Hoi An by night. 

But, as always, it was time to move on. Our next destination was Halong Bay,  which we had booked a tour for, so after a 13 hour sleeper train to Hanoi (stunning coastal views, China Beach pictured below), we got in, hopped in a taxi to the tour company's office, then left Hanoi within two hours to start our 2 day tour.

Welcome aboard

Halong Bay is a 'must do' in Vietnam and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it has a lot going for it. Its famous limestone karst peaks jutting out from emerald green waters made for some great scenery everywhere we turned.

Our boat tour included meals and some excursions, and much as I don't like tours there's really not much other choice for seeing Halong with limited time. I will secretly admit it was nice having someone else in charge for a while though. Shh.

Happy Birthday Jen!

We went kayaking, swimming, (until we saw some jellyfish  hanging out by our kayaks) cave exploring, and hiking, in between sunbathing on our little balcony and relaxing on the boat between meals. The meals were fantastic, with a variety of seafood, vegetables, curries, rice, and fruits for dessert. After eating on the cheap for a month or so, we felt very spoiled with all our food.

We had a fun birthday dinner for Jen, and the staff got in on it too, coming out with flowers, a birthday shrimp cocktail, and a cake for her. Our group was small, so we got to know the other travelers a bit, conversing in a mix of French, Spanish, and English.

The girls decided to stay an extra night on one of the nearby islands, but I chose to head back to Hanoi the next day so that I could have some time to explore before hopping on a bus to Laos. So, last stop of Vietnam: Hanoi, the capital city.

Hanoi just celebrated its 1000th year as the nation's capital. It's seen occupations by the Chinese, the French, the Japanese, and now the Communists, but it's still going strong. One book I read described Hanoi a a quieter, calmer version of Saigon, and I'd have to say I agree- still crazy with the motorbikes, but not quite as crazy.

Hanoi's 1000th birthday.

Besides walking around the Old Quarter, with its twisty turny angles and roads packed with travel agencies, restaurants, cafes, street vendors, and of course, motorbikes, I was able to see a more cultural aspect of Hanoi. After walking around the central lake, which holds the tale of Hanoi's origin involving the Emperor, a turtle, and a sword (I swear that's what the book said) I headed to the nearby National History Museum.  It was a beautiful museum, but unfortunately it was quite scarce in the English department- I'm sure I would have appreciated it more if I had known what I was looking at and the significance. Interestingly, I noted the 'subtle' omission of about 1000 years of history, from about the first century BC to the 10th century. This was the period of time when Vietnam was occupied by the Han Chinese, and actually became a part of China until the Vietnamese fought and won their independence.

So ends my journey through Vietnam. I did everything I had wanted to do in Vietnam since I first started planning the trip in high school: I took the train up the coast, I swam on the coastline, I went to a coastal town, and I visited the two major cities on each end. And then some. Now it's goodbye to the land of pho and spring rolls and hello to a brand new country. More later, hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend! Take care, and see most of you in less than two months.

Oh, but I must leave you with one lasting, resounding statement that pleased me to no end: in Vietnam, they really do wear those pointy hats.