Understanding Vietnam.
Tomorrow we leave Vietnam for Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Vietnam will be the third country we’ve visited, and by far the most complex. Thailand had an easiness to it. Buses and trains were easy to find, the people were quick to help and almost always honest about prices and information. Laos was more laid back, with a few developing cities between the rolling countryside. But Vietnam has been a totally different adventure.
Vietnam hasn’t been open to US visitors for very long. It wasn’t until the mid 90s that travel bans were lifted for Americans and the tourists started to trickle in. Today though, Americans are here by the bus loads. The backpacker set is here, comprised of the 20-something adventurers who “already did Thailand,” which their elephant-printed harem pants give away before they tell you how Thailand is “too touristy these days.” Right. Now that I’m 30 I can totally scoff at that , right?
There’s also a fair amount of war veterans that visit Vietnam. It’s referred to here as “The American War,” and there several museums in different cities dedicated to the subject. One museum in the north is actually a converted prison that was dubbed “the Hanoi Hilton” back when John McCain and other Americans were POWs there. It can’t be overlooked that before the American War, Vietnam struggled for its independence in bloody battles with the French, who occupied their country for decades. It’s safe to say that Vietnam hasn’t been “at peace” for very long.
And by “peace,” I mean streets packed with motorbikes that make it barely possible to cross the road. The booming tourist industry has solicitors parked on every corner offering you tours, massages motorbikes for rent and bus tickets. Although Communism is the official government here, it’s capitalism that rules the streets, and everyone is trying to make a buck. Especially from foreigners. Sometimes here, you feel like everyone only sees you as a walking ATM. Throw on top of it that you’re American, and you’re touring a sacred site of ruins that was bombed beyond recognition by our planes not that long ago and you don’t always feel welcome here. And I get that. I’m not sure how that would make me feel either if the roles were reversed.
Jacob and I have had to be on our A game in this country. We’ve been told train ticket prices by a tour company only to find they’re half the cost at the regular train station. You have to double check the hotel your taxi takes you to to ensure its not a copycat that will charge you double want you booked. And speaking of taxis, we’ve bailed out of one a block into our ride because his meter was rigged. At times, Vietnam is absolutely exhausting for a western tourist.
So why go when you risk being hustled for all you’re worth? Two reasons: first,this country has some of the most beautiful landscape the world has ever known. From Halong Bays majestic, craggy, mountainous islands that rise out of the water like sea monsters, to the jaw dropping limestone caves of Phong Nha, this nation has some of the worlds most awe-inspiring sights. Jacob and I have had more “whoa” moments here than anywhere else.
Second, not everyone is trying to hustle you. On one particularly bad travel day, Jacob and I had just recovered from having our motorbike battery stolen from our rented motorbike (which we had to pay for), only to arrive in our next city and discover $200 missing from Jacob’s (locked!) luggage. Downtrodden, we did our best to press on and try and cheer ourselves up. We sat down to dinner at our hotel, silently pushing around the food on our plates when the owner of our small hotel came and sat down with us. She was local to the area but spoke remarkably good English. We asked her where she had learned to speak English so well, she told us she had friends in Seattle that she and her family had visited a few times. Turns out an American soldier had come to Vietnam a few years ago to try and make peace with the demons he carried from his war days. He got lost in the city of Dong Hoi, and eventually wandered in to the hotel. Long story short, he and the family that owned the hotel became friends, both helping each other heal from the past,and starting a lifelong friendship between two families. When we told her about the theft that had just happened, she was saddened to hear it, and offered to help us file a police report. Through our travels here, we encountered dozens of people like her, with huge hearts and a deep national pride. I hope Jacob and I have set a good example for American tourists here.
More than anything, traveling in Vietnam has reminded me about why travel is so important in the first place. It’s all about seeing how the other side lives, what they think, what’s important to them, and how they view you. And then you start to realize they’re not really “the other side.” They’re just other people, that want the same things you do.
On to Cambodia, more to come! Pics from Halong Bay and Ho Chi Minh City below.
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment