We just got back from Vietnam last night, and it was a great trip. I'm really glad we did it.
It was a nightmare getting started, from the deal.com fandango to the visa fiasco, it felt like the universe was standing in the way of us getting onto that plane. But, once we were in Ho Chi Minh city I started having a lot of fun.
An American friend of mine recommended that I read Vietnam: An Oral Biography before we went because honestly, I didn't know shit about Vietnam or the war. That books was a great thing to read, it gave me an idea about the conflict from so many perspectives and I understood so much more when we did things like go to the War Remnants Museum and go to the Reunification Palace and the Cu Chi tunnels.
I loved the moto culture, there were constant motorcycles buzzing around everywhere you went, crossing the street you look out for motos and you just go, they move around you and you do your best to move around them. The cars are like guests on the streets because they are mainly owned by the motos. No one seems to go too fast on them, Ben rented one and we went about 30 km/h most of the time, but you still can get around really easily on them. We saw people carrying massive loads of things on their bikes that you would think would be physically impossible.
It also wouldn't be Vietnam without lots and lots of prostitutes, it made me feel sort of ashamed of our Western men. There are so many "Beauty Salons" with hordes of scantily clad women in high heels waiting for a man to come along. It makes me sad that they are forced usually by economic circumstances into a life of servicing depraved, desperate men from the West. I think it's a huge industry and something that is rather gross about our culture that spills over into theirs.
It was also strange to be in this communist country that blocks Facebook and doesn't have McDonald's or Starbucks, but there is still Coke everywhere and the people are calling out to you in English to come into their restaurants where they have Italian, Mexican. American, French, Vietnamese and Chinese food all on the menu.
I guess that's the product of globalization and a people who will do anything to survive, including live in the tiniest, most claustrphobic underground tunnels you can imagine for weeks at a time to make it.
I think this trip has been my favorite Asian trip, I loved just walking down the streets in Vietnam and riding on the moto with Ben through the night is a memory I will have for the rest of my life. I guess it just goes to show you that it's not always the trips that you think will be good that turn out like that, sometimes it's a surprise but it's just what you needed.
My photos are here: http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h343/Bea_Jolley/Facebook/Vietnam%202012%20Ho%20Chi%20Minh%20City/
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