It’s a stormy, rainy day here in Hoi An so I’m enjoying some down time in my hotel room. I got my Vietnam movies to watch—Good Morning Vietnam, Apocalypse Now--, my computer to upload pics & write a blog, and a nice big hotel room with HBO & a soaker tub so I’m good for a day. Now all I need is a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and I’m set. J
Vietnam has its ups and downs as far as I can tell from the short time I’ve been here, which I realize I know close to nothing about the country’s real people and their way of life. I’ve only hit the well worn tourist trail, so my observations are only based on that. I’ve learned from living in Thailand that the locals are very different from the portrayal they get as pushy, scam artists in the tourist areas. That being said, the Vietnamese in the touristy areas are beyond pushy. They’ve taken high pressure sales to a whole new level, to the point of real harassment. I am not exaggerating when I say that some will actually start pleading with you to buy something. I’ve had motorcycles drivers ride along beside me on the sidewalk trying to negotiate a ride. Even if I have no intention of riding and say so, they believe if they keep bringing the price down I will change my mind. In Thailand they will bug you, but it’s not nearly to the extent of here. I find it ironic that under the pseudo “communist” system, so many Vietnamese have a killer entrepreneurial spirit. I can sympathize with the need to make money, but try being harassed practically every 5 minutes while you’re just trying to take a walk or eat your dinner, and trust me, you’ll feel like complaining too.
Other than that, I’ve had a great time in Vietnam, and have seen some amazing things. Highlights include the Easy Rider Motorbike tour of the Central Highlands (an absolute MUST and a wonderful experience), learning the ins and outs of a Vietnamese market, The War Remnants Museum in HCMC, Cu Chi Tunnels Propaganda film (straight from the 70’s and very anti-American), seeing the sun rise from a beautiful balcony with a great view of the beach (without knowing about the pollution yet), Mud bath resort day in Nha Trang (my skin felt so soft after all the mud and mineral water), Pink Villa hotel room in Dalat with the gorgeous mountain view, slowing down for walks around the chilly mountain town of Dalat and smelling pine trees instead of exhaust fumes, the 4 hour mini bus ride through gorgeous scenery of the highlands to Nha Trang, meeting many people from around the globe and learning about travel as a way of life, walking around Hoi An at night amongst the lanterns, and feeling wealthy while being measured for a custom Chinese silk dress made just for me for $20 bucks, experiencing Vietnamese coffee and trying some of the local dishes (I like Vietnamese food better than Thai food), and staying in really nice boutique hotels with all the amenities for $20 bucks a night, which is considered mid-range price here, imagine that! Some accommodations go for $4 to $6 bucks!
I still have 4 more days, 3 of which are here in Hoi An. I will still see the ruins at My Son and will motorbike over to Cai Dau beach close to here. I will also see a bit of Danang for a few hours since I’m flying back to HCMC from there. When I get back to HCMC I will still have about 5 hours to kills so there are a few more sights I can see there.
I have traveled quite far since I’ve been here. If you look at Vietnam on a map, I started in the South in HCMC. Below is still the Mekong Delta, so it’s not the farthest south, but still way at the bottom. I then journeyed 7 hours north by overnight bus to the South Central Highlands to the mountain town of Dalat, which is still pretty far south if you look at the map. Then I went 5 hours North East to the Coast of Nha Trang, still part of South Central Vietnam. Next I took a night bus for 13 hours heading North to the coastal town of Hoi An, which is Central Vietnam, and right about the middle point of the country from North to South. Last I will take a 1 hour bus ride North to the 3rd biggest city, Danang before flying all the way back South again for my flight home. I think I covered a decent bit of ground in 2 weeks. I would love to come back and see the North-Sapa region and maybe cross the border into Laos. I’ve got mixed feeling about Halong Bay since I will see similar sights in Southern Thailand with Ismail. I will probably never do it though, and that’s ok. I’m just glad I can say I did this. I came to Vietnam, just like I said I would. It feels good to really want something and then actually make it happen. I don’t know that I’ll be able to make it to any other SE Asian countries while I’m here bc I’m limited on vacation time now and need to save money for my honeymoon. But I spent 2 weeks in Vietnam and it will always be a highlight of my life.
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