Vietnam revisited Chapter 3 & 4

A Calm and Gentle People:

One uncannily aspect of Vietnam is despite the apparent hustle and bustle in the streets observed by the unaccustomed eye, filled to the brim with people planted everywhere trying to find their way, there is a relative calm and quiet that abounds.  In fact the flow and tide of traffic on the streets, no matter how disentangled and chaotic it must appear to the unaccustomed visitor, is remarkably calm and casual.  I mentioned the analogy of the flow of water down stream that is partially obstructed with debris, and I think that is a good analogy. The debris affects flow in a predictable manner and the resultant appearance of the stream is not chaotic or uncertain.  It flows slow in parts and faster in others. That's the way traffic works in Vietnam.  And the tenor of movement and behavior on the sidewalk and in the shops mirrors this non-chaotic chaos.

French architecture

where Ho Chi Minh dined

Ho Hoan Kiem

One Pillar Pagoda

 People are not loud or unruly.  Storefronts are not playing loud music; you are not cajoled by the locals to enter into their shop with coercion and harassment.  And you are not automatically assaulted at every corner by someone looking for a handout. People are respectful and gentle, have a decent sense of humor, are quiet and understated and have proper respect for your space.  This makes being a tourist in Vietnam a pleasant experience as compared to many other countries on earth. Contrast this experience with my travels to Tangier, probably the worst of the worst towns to attempt to enjoy while the constant harassment of the populous beckons you at every corner.  

An Interesting Lunch:

On day two, my tour included a lunch to break up the day of tourist activity.  I was taken to a tourist approved restaurant where ostensibly the food was safe to consume without worry.  There they served me a 4 or 5 course meal that I really did not need, but tasted wonderful.  I sampled most of the courses, devouring some and then felt guilty the rest of the day observing my tummy shoot out like a 5 month pregnant woman as I stuffed too much food into  my gastrointestinal corridor.  There was a couple at the next table, a little older than me – if that is possible – who I began talking to. Nice to have some company since I was the only loser in the restaurant sitting alone feeling like a leper.   

They were an interesting and engaging couple from LA, well traveled and gracious, in what appeared to be their second marriage. We shared our life stories to amuse ourselves and make friends.  She had just lost a son, he had just survived a second cancer treatment, and I talked about losing my wife 20 years before.  

He asked a question that I could not answer.  While taxes are collected from Vietnam citizens – roughly similar to our own tax structure, it is unclear to what benefit this brings the people of the country.  Apparently, they do not receive any type of government paid or subsidized health insurance, no free schooling beyond high school, and no social security at retirement. I was struck by his concern, unverified but nevertheless alarming news for a county with such a history of occupation and oppression.  

Vietnam – Halong Bay – Chapter 4

Did you ever notice a beautiful woman or beautiful man from afar, only to focus on his or her defects when you close in - to detect the imperfections. This is how I have reacted to Halong Bay, this my second visit to this magnificent world renowned site. My first trip to Vietnam, roughly twelve years ago witnessed the pristine magnificence and splendor of the bay, a site heretofore never experienced through my eyes.  Truly I could not find enough words to express the joy, eerie beauty, and calm of this site, tiny Vietnamese fishing boats - junks - abounding in the clear blue sea, the unique volcanic protrusions shooting up all around you creating a surreal artistically beautiful skyline. It felt more like a dream in heaven than any reality on earth. It felt like I was floating in an artistic rendition of the bay rather than really being there, it was that beautiful.    

Well, to my dismay, my experience on this trip did not match the previous recollection. I probably should learn from this experience not to return to those sites that I hold in such regard. Indeed, this is not the first time that a second look, decades after the first, has tarnished my positive memory forever.  Bergen, Norway is an example. Rhodes, Greece is another. All for the same reason.

I will not detail my concerns, other than to globally blame it on the unfettered effects of tourism.

Moreover, my experience in Halong Bay was not improved by the quality of my experience on the little cruise ship that floated us around the maze of scattered land masses and beautiful caves that we witnessed on Day 3.  An average ship, small, barely adequate rooms, and decent but not special food.  At least we were not crowded like sardines. Fortunately, this is not the high season of travel for tourism in Vietnam, although we have been very lucky so far with the weather which has been quite tolerable.  And I met some very nice people, a couple from Hong Kong, a pretty Japanese girl with a beautiful smile, a gay couple from Brazil, and even flirted with a very attentive female cruise staff worker.  

I’d rather focus on the positives of this trip rather than its shortcomings.  I came to Vietnam wanting to love this country, having only the fondest of memories from my first taste more than a decade ago. My next experience will be in Hoi An.  Today is a day of transition….from the ship to the car, from the airport to the plane, from Danang to Hoi An, and finally to settle in at the next hotel. More later.  Gosh, I need another two hour massage!