After
spending more time than we expected in Thailand, Nathalie and I were
ready to move on to another country on our list. We settled on going
farther east, to discover another regional powerhouse, albeit one
that has done things re-markedly differently than the countries we
had seen so far. We were headed to Vietnam
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| Ho Chi Minh/Saigon in the afternoon |
Before
starting our trip, we had spent time working out a loose itinerary of
what we wanted to see and how long we were going to stay in each
country. We initially planned to only do two weeks in Thailand,
where we would work our way north and then jump into Laos. From
there, we'd slowly move down the country until we hit Cambodia.
From there, we'd explore Cambodia and then get into Vietnam from the
south, working our way northwards, then jumping over to Myanmar. We
were going to spend three weeks each in Laos and Cambodia then a
month in Vietnam. If I'm calculating correctly, we should have been
somewhere towards the center of Vietnam by now, having experienced
both Cambodia and Laos.
Well,
as the saying goes, planning is essential but plans are useless.
After only three days into the trip, everything got flipped on its
head. During the first month, we wound up going way south into
Thailand and learned how to scuba dive. We were able to see Laos,
but only for 10 days, as we had to be back in Bangkok for an
appointment. After jetting up to Chiang Mai, we hit a burn out and
wound up spending nearly two weeks in the south of the country, again
going on a diving trip.
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| The old post office and a modern office building |
By
the time we got to the last few days in Thailand, Nathalie and I were
having our doubts. While we had fun relaxing and diving, we were
still feeling the burn and were having a hard time buying into four
to five more months of this. Thailand is a hard country to deal
with, and I think it has a lot to do with perceptions versus reality.
As it is supposedly the most developed country in the region, we
weren't sure if we'd want to spend more months feeling exhausted just
to say we've been somewhere for the sake of going there.
With
that in mind, we told ourselves that we would give Vietnam one week.
If we didn't like it, then we'd radically alter the course of the
trip and find a different way to spend our time off from work.
After all, this will probably be the only time before I'm an old man
that I'll have so much free time and the possibility to travel like
this. In a lot of ways, the pressure was on Vietnam to sell our
future to us. So far, it's done a hell of a good job convincing us
to stay the course.
We
arrived in Ho Chi Minh (previously and locally known as Saigon)
Tuesday evening. We had to buy our visa on arrival, and after
spending 20 minutes waiting for all of our documents to clear, we
were on our way to the airport and off to the hotel.
We
went to a taxi stand outside of the arrivals hall (something that we
didn't see in Thailand) and got the first one in line. Perhaps the
first thing we noticed was that the driver immediately put the meter
on. In Thailand, you were lucky if they even listened to you,
instead wanting to make some quick cash off of foreigners. We got
lost along the way and the driver used Google translate to tell us
that “he apologized for being 20 minutes late to the dentist.”
I'm pretty sure he meant to say that it took 20 minutes longer than
he thought, but hey, it was a nice gesture, and I do care about
punctuality for dental appointments so there's that.
We
checked into our hotel, and seeing as it was late, had a quick beer
to refresh ourselves and went to bed. The next morning, we were
scheduled to transfer closer to the city (we had booked a place a
little bit far out from the center when we initially looked for a
hotel). After having a breakfast that consisted of a club sandwich
and garlic bread, we took another taxi towards the next hotel.
After
checking in there, we set out to explore the city on foot and get to
know a little bit of what Saigon has to offer. Our first impressions
were surprisingly positive. Going into the country, we had heard
that Vietnam was a difficult place with a large language and
cultural barrier. Further, I had heard that their customer service
sense was lacking and to be prepared for struggle whenever ordering food or drink. I was glad to be proven wrong.
Everywhere
we've been so far, people have been polite, helpful and sincere.
After 24 hours here, we realized that we, as foreigners, weren't
looked at walking wallets, but we being welcomed into their country.
This is in contrast to the general vibe we had throughout Thailand,
and in many ways, we feel that our time there partially traumatized
us. We've since realized that we don't have to act defensive
towards the locals, but can instead just enjoy Saigon for what it is.
Speaking
of which, the city itself is by far the cleanest one we've been in.
There isn't garbage strewn everywhere nor is there a lingering smell
of waste lingering in the air. Many of the streets are lined with
trees and in a certain way, has the feel of a town in the French
Mediterranean. That would make sense, as Saigon was the capital of
French Indochina.
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| Scooter skipping the line via the sidewalk |
As
we wandered the streets, we began to notice the distinct flavors
Vietnam has to offer. Getting around here is almost exclusively
about mopeds and scooters, along with taxis filling in the gaps.
There are buses and private cars here, however the two-wheeled
motorized vehicle is king on the Saigon streets. Practically every
person old enough to drive has one, and they have priority over all.
Simply sitting and watching an intersection for five minutes was a
bit like watching schools of barracuda underwater when we were
diving.
At
each green light, hundreds of mopeds would jet out, filling in every
possible gap between cars and trucks. During rush hour, not even
the sidewalk is safe. Scooter drivers, looking for every
possibility to move closer to the light, had no issues driving up on
the walkways to move up. Indeed, if I'm going to get killed here, it
will be by a scooter. In all honesty, we're probably safer on a
moped than on foot, but it seems that they don't want to rent to
tourists here. In a way, I don't blame them. The learning curve for
an absolute beginner looks impenetrably steep, and even an
intermediate rider would be easily intimidated.
2015
is the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam.
Without going into a history lesson (and honestly, I'm not qualified
to give one), Saigon/Ho Chi Minh city was the capital of the former
South Vietnam. The main boulevards are filled with colorful
posters celebrating the nation's unity, an event that culminated
itself at the end of April 1975.
Indeed,
this sense of national pride is well published here. And, unlike the
Thais, modern Vietnam earned their nation in blood. At least from
what I've observed here, there is a polite confidence that I didn't
see in Thailand, and for me, could be one of the reasons why the
Vietnamese are so comfortable in welcoming those from the outside.
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| Light decorations lining Le Duan Boulevard, leading to the Reunification Palace |
Additionally,
the economic progress here is in full front. While politically, the
nation is Communist, the Vietnamese have adopted free-market economic
principles. Part of this has meant allowing outside brands to setup
shop here. I was amused to see a Popeye's chicken right outside the
arrivals hall of the airport. Two of the most popular brands of
bottled water here are Aquafina and Dasani. These are also two of
the most popular brands of bottled water in the United States.
There's a Louis Vuitton down the street from our hotel (although you
can buy strikingly similar products at market just around the corner
for a fraction of the price).
But
it's not just the import of foreign brands that have established the
economy. There are plenty of local brands and shops throughout the
streets. Vietnam is building an international reputation as a coffee
grower. As such, there are plenty of Vietnamese coffee houses
selling excellent blends, with everything you'd expect from a coffee
shop in the west. In short, it's impressive to see the growth and
organization in the market, and I'm going to make an effort to look a
bit more into what's driving this country economically.
For
now though, Nathalie and I are just enjoying the city. It's profound
what a change of scenery can do for one's psyche. Before we got
here, we were already planning our way out. Now, we're thinking
about extending our stay. Of course, we've only spent a few days in
one city. Vietnam is a big place, with lots to do. After all, we
could be disappointed further down the road. We could also be
pleasantly surprised as we continue forward. We'll see how it pans
out, but for now, we're savoring the moment.
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