a little more about vietnam

Ok, let's back track.  I got a little ahead of myself with that last post... but since one person's crisis is another person's funny story (thank you schadenfreude), I wanted to post it as it was happening!!

Back to Vietnam.  I realized that my only Vietnam stories were of not-so-great circumstances, and I don't think I made it clear how much I LOVED Vietnam (but really, what country DON'T I love?? I mean, I'm a hard person to piss off past the point of no return... I always forgive...)

Vietnam was SUCH an amazing country.  It has so much history, so much life, so much beauty.  It was  an exciting place to be... although the horn honking and lack of road rules made it scary at times it kept your adrenaline pumping... you have to feel ALIVE when you are the the midst of so much chaos.  People are always on the streets, eating, drinking, sitting with friends and family (like, literally, on the sidewalk...you have to walk around them... then dodge the motorbike that almost hits you).  And the FOOD ... yummy... pho, fresh spring rolls, deep fried wantons... sign me up!!

just hanging out on the sidewalk in the middle of the day

 

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi were both VERY busy and chaotic cities.  But it was interesting and lively... lots to see and do... and just wandering around the streets was an adventure.  When you want to cross, you have to go one lane at a time and stand in the middle of traffic whizzing by you... You can't hesitate, and you can't run... that's when you get hit.  Oh, and the power lines in those cities!!!  I couldn't stop staring at the FIRE HAZARD!!

power line in Ho Chi Minh

intersection in Hanoi

Hoi  An was my favorite.  It's a city in the central-ish area on the coast.  It has such a safe and neat feel to it.  You can walk the streets at night, shop in the market, take in the smells (incense) and sights (cutest little shops and lanterns lining the street) and feel completely safe.  Also (in my opinion the best part) you can get ANYTHING tailor made for you.  You walk into a shop and they have one of everything, you chose what you want and the fabric you want it in, and they have it ready the next day.  ALSO you can get anything duplicated, so I splurged and got a purse made for just for me (thanks to a certain generous uncle).

lanterns everywhere

made to order shop

Ha Long Bay was BEAUTIFUL.  We spent a night on a boat in the bay amidst the islands... so many of them, all like little mountains of rock and forests jetting out of the water.  The boat itself was on the shabbier side of things (moldy pillows, damp bed, chairs with missing legs... NOT what we had seen in the brochure) but the experience was absolutely worth it.  I would recommend staying on a junk boat (that's actually what they are called... just a coincidence that ours happened to be junky) for a night, it's a great way to see the bay.  Just don't have too high of expectations for the food or accommodation...

Ha Long Bay

my junk boat

I do admit, the beaches were not as nice as Malaysia or Indonesia, but they were still beautiful.  (Just missing the soft white sand and green waters.)  Really, I'm comparing them to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world... (I think I spoiled myself by having Bali the first place I traveled abroad... now everything will be forever compared to that paradise.)  They were still beautiful  beaches in a tropical country, you can't go wrong with that (unless of course there is garbage everywhere).

Mui Ne

Mui  Ne

Oh, and I love the houses here.  They are all really skinny and tall, and only the front is painted.  That makes sense in the cities where the buildings are right next to each other, but they are like that when they stand alone as well.  It looks really interesting... a beautifully finished and painted front, and then grey cement sides.  I kind of saw it as a reflection of the collectivistic society... houses are built to be joined with others, not stand alone.

notice the contrast between the front and the side

The main thing about Vietnam (and well, every country I have visited thus far) that makes me sad is the amount of garbage everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  But, that is just the reality of these countries.  That's what happens I suppose when the government has more pressing issues, and the people are enduring a daily struggle of survival.

the kitchen in a small village we visited