(This is going to be a long post, just goes to show how interesting I found this city and country!)
(I haven't written much for a long time, but that is not because there haven't been travels but just because life has become more hectic. Will try to update blogs more regularly now.)
I am looking to travel a bit in South-East Asia in the next few weeks, so as a start to these travels, I spent the last two days in Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam. The weekend started out as a disaster, as my colleague who was supposed to travel with me had to come back as supposedly Italians need visa for Vietnam! So you see, having an Indian passport does help, you always check for visa requirements just to be safe:). Anyways, so I finally went to HoChi alone!
To be frank, I was very apprehensive and slightly scared about being alone in a strange country. Haven't done much traveling without company earlier. But at the end of the weekend, I came back with memories of a great time in the city. It was quite an overwhelming experience and I wish I had more time to explore not just the city but Vietnam too. Plus at no point did I feel unsafe or alone or bored at all, which was quite a welcome surprise! So all in all, had a great fun weekend.
Let me start out by first just talking about what I am feeling right now, when I am leaving Vietnam. I feel that the weekend passed me like a blur. Was an amazing experience for me, being in a new city, a new country and a completely new culture. I tried to take in and absorb as much as I could and it was a learning experience for me. Maybe because the last few travels of mine have been in the US and around, where culture isn't the biggest attraction, it felt all the more impactful. (Though I must say, a lot of what I will write about is based on what I learnt while talking to our tour guide. So it may not be the most accurate version of the story, but its still quite interesting to know)
As a country, the mention of Vietnam cannot be separated from the image of the US-Vietnam war. For a lot of us, that is where we would have heard Vietnam's name the most. Surprisingly, the first day in HoChi, I did not come face to face with this past. I did a cruise in the Mekong river delta and also walked around the city; both these activities just impressing on me the culture and natural beauty of this country.
But the second day, I experienced some aspects of the war and it has left me moved. Vietnam as a country has had a tough history, being ruled or being at war with big powers throughout its history. First being ruled by the Chinese for thousands of years, then French imperialism for 100 years, then came the Japanese invasion during WWII from 1939 to 1945, then the French came back even after they gave independence to Vietnam and then of course, the worst of them (at least in memory), the US war. Even compared to its neighbours, Vietnam has had it the worst. They've been involved in wars or foreign domination all through, leaving no time for development.
But things have changed a lot in the last 10 years. Things are moving forward at a rapid pace. There is an inherent urge in the people to move beyond the hurtful past and into a new future. There is a long way to go; taking a so terribly war ravaged country on the path of development is not easy and neither is it short. But the people are moving determinedly on it, all of them and that is a good and positive sign.
Anyways back to my trip, I landed in HoChi on Friday. The first thing which I encountered was the currency. 1 USD is worth 20,000 Vietnamese Dong. So that makes calculations very tough, especially when everyone starts talking in millions (though its good that at least for a couple of days, you can be a millionaire:) ). Such a huge currency number is not helpful at all plus the smaller numbers get lost in the conversions. So even though 1 USD is 20, 800 VND, you just end up paying at the higher rate and get looted on the way.
With millions of dongs in hand, I left for the hotel, passing through the city and getting my first glimpses of Hochi (or Saigon as it was previously called). What impressed me most was the liveliness all around, even at night. There was lighting everywhere and it looked like all the people were on the roads, just enjoying the warm weather and the night lights all around. Everyone was just sitting in the parks laughing and chatting, and the rest were all strolling on the footpaths or driving on the roads. I almost felt like I was in India; chaotic and lively. It made me feel so at home:).
My hotel, Sheraton is located right in the middle of the touristic part of town and I got a glimpse of the Notre Dame cathedral and the Reunification Palaces also while going there. In this area, I could also see all the big retails brands, Ferragamo, Gucci and so on which I found an eyesore. Disadvantages of globalisation I guess!
Over the next two days I did the typical touristy stuff. One day I took the guided tour to the Mekong Delta around [70] km away from the city and the second was to the Cu Chi tunnels about [40] km from the city, both with [Deluxe Tours] operated by [Asia Travels].
The tour to Mekong Delta started at 8, and our guide was Tommy, a smiling man with a good disposition. We were a batch of 6 from all over the world in that tour (Chile, Hong Kong, China and India) and Tommy kept referring to us as his 'family'!
We drove for about two hours from HoChi towards Mekong and on the way were rice fields on both sides of the road. Our first stop of the tour was at Vinh Trang pagoda. The pagoda was an architectural mix of French, Vietnamese and Cambodian styles. There was also a big statue of a laughing Buddha next to it. I also came to know that about 80% of Vietnamese are non-religious! The rest being Catholic and Buddhist. Was quite a surprise to me as I had no idea there were so many non-religious people in Asia, other than Chinese.
Thereafter we came to the village of Mytho in 2 hours, where we took the ferry boat to take us across the Mekong river to the Unicorn Island. The Mekong river runs through 6 countries and in Vietnam meets the sea where it forms a delta of canals and small islands within the river. There is a bridge 3km long constructed on it sometime back. Before that, the only way to cross this huge river was by ferry.
Then for the next 3-4 hours we explored the islands, the villages, the canals and the life and culture of the people staying in the delta. First we went to a fruit farm and tasted the local fruits growing there. We also heard some local singers singing and playing music there.
Thereafter we sat in a Sampan and crossed one of the smaller canals to go to the other side of the island. The boats went so fast narrowly missing each other, it was quite a test of skill. It was also as this point I realised how commercialised everything has become here in Vietnam. The boat drivers drive as fast as they can so they can come back fast to get the next set of passengers. Also everywhere you go, tips are expected, sometimes even aggressively which did not fit in with the general calm demeanor of these people. It made me wonder how such simple people have become caught in the web of commercialism, but what can be done now? (I have heard that Laos is what Vietnam must have been many years ago, made me want to visit it soon, before it changes too!)
Anyways off the Sampan, we stopped at a honey farm where we tasted some local honey and other such products. A boy there also got a python to hold for all and take pictures with. I guess standard things done for all tourists.
Thereafter we took another big boat to go to the other side of the river, to the Ben Tre province. First we stopped at a coconut candy store to see how local candy is produced. Then we were taken to a garden restaurant in a horse cart. On the way I noticed how much the locals love to sleep on hammocks (in fact the VietCong in their essential supplies always carried hammocks!!). I also realised that the locals here were quite poor and their condition not great. The houses were just one room made of bamboo leaves and sticks.
The garden restaurant served us local fare, in covered shacks just next to another canal. The high point of the food was the 'elephant ear' fish which is fried and served as is. It was tasty. Also it rained that time, apparently it rains everyday for sometime in the afternoon, typical equatorial weather. Anyways after lunch we took another boat to come out of the mainland and then a bigger boat to reach the coast and drive back to HoChi.
We also stopped at a shop on the way where Vietnamese hand made paintings were being sold, made on a wooden base with sea shells and egg shells. Very artistic pieces but quite expensive too!
Once back in HoChi from the visit to Mekong, I walked around for an hour or two. Again I found the city bustling with activity. Lighted malls, big brand names, lots of lights, and people just on the roads having a nice time. I walked around the City Center, Notre Dame cathedral and to a couple of other smaller places. Had dinner at the rooftop restaurant in Sheraton, Level 23 with a panoramic view of the city. Surprisingly it closes at 10 pm!
The next day I took a tour to the Cu Chi tunnels in the village of Cu Chi where the Viet Cong had made an underground network of narrow tunnels about 2 feet by 3 feet wide running around 200 kms under the ground. The 2 hour tour mostly gives you an insight of what the war was for these soldiers.
The tunnels were very small and narrow and tough to navigate. The entrances were very well hidden too. Only the Vietnamese people could crawl through them, as they were not big enough for the Americans to pass through them. The Cu Chis Viet Cong stayed inside them for long periods of time for almost 30 years, coming up to fight the Americans but living in the tunnels for most part of the time.
I wondered what kind of motivation would make people live such kind of a life for 30 years. I got my answer when Tommy said what these people were motivated by, "The most important things in life are freedom and independence" their leader Ho Chi Minh had said. Still it was difficult to imagine the life they all led. We were taken through one tunnel which has been widened to allow people to easily pass through them. We went through it for 30 meters and that was enough to make us sweat and feel claustrophobic. Wonder how 30 years would have felt like among these tunnels!
As you walk around this area, you can see the kitchens, nursing rooms, workshops etc that were used by the soldiers. There are scenes to show how they made their ammunition, sewed their clothes, dug the tunnels and various other images of the life they would have had. Each Viet Cong carried essential things with him everywhere, torch, rice, hammock (!!) and water. They made some of their own ammunition and launched regular attacks to catch and kill American soldiers. There were trenches running all around the tunnels for 400 kms to provide safety when over the ground plus water diversion. Also, the VietCong made their own shoes from rubber car tires without nails and gums and these lasted for more than 10 years. (Its said that Ho Chi Minh wore the same type of shoes till his dying day.)
The Vietcong soldiers also ate tapioca for 30 years, day after day. Because there was nothing else for them to eat. Anything they grew was bombed by the Americans and so they ate tapioca. We ate some of what they used to eat, at the kitchen there. I can't even imagine how it would be like to eat that everyday and that too when fighting a war. They also had a live demonstration of how rice paper is prepared by hand.
Seeing all this, I had a tough time understanding the mindset of the American administration and their strategy and intentions during this war. It is said that they had a target to drop one bomb for every 1 sq. m. of land in Vietnam, 4 times more bombing happened here than in all of WWII!! What was the point of it all? How could it be even justified in any way? An entire nation bombed and ravaged and destroyed.
All in all, the trip to the tunnels was highly disturbing, to even imagine the life these soldiers had to live for so long to fight for something as basic as independence. But what I saw once back in HoChi was even more disturbing. I visited the War Museum in the city (after it opened from its lunch break from 12-1:30!!). The museum just has photographs from the war. Apparently the reason for the museum is to stress on how war is bad for everyone and to foster peace in the future. But I think what it does more is show some truths about the war to a wider world.
We all have heard a lot about the war and what happened there. But seeing real photographs of the same gives a completely different perspective to the whole war, the feeling of how real it all was slowly seeps in. Of the atrocities committed during and after the war, it is shameful to know that all this was done with the whole world watching but not doing enough to stop it. Hats off to the Vietnamese people, of taking on a giant like this, fighting for so long for what was dear to them and persevering through it all. About 10% of the population of Vietnam died in this war, about 4 million and that is not a small number. It is also shameful to see the US doing the same even after Vietnam, in Iraq. As with Vietnam, there was no solid reason to attack a sovereign country, but it did and got away with it.
Another barbaric truth you get to know about in the Museum is the after effects of Agent Orange, chemicals sprayed by the Americans across Vietnam to kill the jungles so that the Viet Cong could not hide anymore. The after-effects of those chemicals have caused 4 million children born after the war with birth defects. Seeing photographs of those was disturbing and brings out a lot of resentment about American politics. I think as a country US should be apologetic about what they did. And for what? I haven't figured that out yet. Was it for communism? Or something else?
For that matter, looks like communism hasn't done too bad for the Vietnamese people. They seem to be moving forward, happy and excited about their future. The government now takes care of the 4 million children who were affected by Agent Orange caused by capitalist America.
The visit to the Museum did not portray a good image of the Americans when in Vietnam. It might be just one side of the story but that side is pretty hard to justify either! (Another thing I noticed was the company responsible for the Agent Orange chemicals was Dow Chemicals, the same company responsible for the Bhopal gas tragedy, a co-incidence?)
When the Vietnamese talk about the war, they make it a point to mention that they won the war against the Americans. I guess it does make them proud of what they could do. But another interesting thing I noticed was that at least in the exterior they don't hold any grudges against them anymore. They accept it as something that happened and was wrong but whats more important now is the move forward with peace in mind.
After the Museum, I visited the Ben Thanh market, a local covered market to buy cheap stuff. It was a good stop though I was not impressed with the stuff being sold there. Plus they did not bargain much, so wasn't as interesting for me :(.
One place which I could not visit was the Saigon river. It is a nice walk, to roam around in the shops and restaurants on its bank. I wasn't able to explore this area but it did look alluring from afar. A must-do I would say.
About the people, the Vietnamese are quite short, slim and agile. They all seem to be moving fast towards something and mostly smiling! A lot of them wear the straw conical hat which looks so cute. The women sometimes wear the traditional dress, a long silk shirt with parallels underneath, all made of local silk and very pretty. I also noticed women everywhere seemed to be working alongside men, running sampans, driving cabs and their contribution to the war is also often recognized. That was quite heartening to see.
In terms of English, the English spoken by most of the people is just enough to get by. Even the English speaking guides just about speak enough English to help you with the most important things. Apparently all Vietnamese people spoke Chinese for a long time under Chinese domination but when the French came, they gave Vietnamese the Latin script So Vietnamese even though is so different a language is written with the same letters as English. The Vietnamese people like to keep bonsai, fish and dogs in their gardens. (That's what the guide told us when we passed a market selling loads of all three!)
I liked the people there, at least the ones I interacted with. They all seemed simple and helpful. Even though there is a lot of commercialisation, the people did not seem fake like I had felt in Thailand. They were helpful when they realized you were a tourist and would even ask you if you are lost and direct you if they saw you looking confusingly at the map! Also there is a 'tourist security' police near the tourist areas. They help you cross the street given the chaotic scooter traffic:). Quite unique to HoChi I would say. (Though I got cheated by a taxi with a fast meter, so beware of that when in HoChi!)
I was also surprised by the number of scooters on the road. Looks like everyone here drives one! The cars on the roads were much less than most other places, which makes it quite a chaotic place actually. In fact most of the roads here did not have traffic lights either, you just trust your luck and run across the roads! Another thing I noticed was that scooters have a separated lane on the road while the car lanes are mostly empty!
The weather is very very humid. It is warm but not too hot generally. Also was surprised that there weren't many mosquitoes even in the delta or the jungle as I would have expected.
In the end all I would say is I loved this trip, an insight into a different land, a different culture and a very deep and welcoming one at that. It was not the most amazing of places but given it was war ravaged for so long, it is coming out of it well! It was also an experience for me to travel alone which I thoroughly enjoyed. I guess a nice place with lots to do can be fun for traveling alone too.
Also, traveling in guided tours is fun too as it allows you to meet new people. However, you don't have much flexibility on what you want to see and what not. Maybe organizing something on your own gives you more lee-way on how to pace the different things. Haven't figured out yet which is a better way to travel though!
