This is the country that I’ve both looked forward to and
dreaded equally, known mostly for the horrific war and its delicious soup. It
invokes powerful images, perpetuated mostly by some epic movies set here,
including Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket and Platoon. Yet there is a distinct
element of the unknown, a communist country trying to keep an archaic political
system relevant in a rapidly changing modern world.
Passing through the border from Cambodia involves an odd
procedure of handing passports to an elderly lady who appears fluent in a number
of languages, in turn she passes them to border agents, who wait until a whole
stack of passports have been collected before they go to work. After what seems
an eternity this stack is passed back to the old lady, who then deals them out
to the bemused tourists as she cracks politically-incorrect jokes in their
native language. No one knows where to look. As this bizarre scene unfolds
there is a constant stream of presumably local people and animals crossing the
border seemingly not subjected to any checks. As with many things in Asia none
of it seems to make any sense but it works, so we climb happily back on board
our bus and head toward the city of Can Tho, our stop off before Ho Chi Minh City.
We are in the heart of the famous Mekong Delta, where the
mighty river that runs through a good portion of South East Asia eventually meets
the South China Sea. Life for many in this region still revolves around the
river, and we’ve come to see the main attraction in Can Tho, its floating
markets. We arrive at the boat dock a few minutes before dawn and are met by
our guide, a bright young chap by the name of Andy, who even at this shockingly
early hour is keen to help us in any way he can. As a side note, this part of
the world really sucks if you’re not a morning person. Most mornings around
dawn I’ve been awoken by the sounds of roosters, dogs barking, honking traffic
and locals yelling at one another. It doesn’t matter whether we’re staying in
the heart of the city or deep in the country, this combination never fails to
work.
Back on the boat we’re cruising serenely along a large
tributary of the Mekong for an hour or so before we arrive at the first market.
Old wooden boats measuring from fifteen to fifty feet looking dangerously overloaded
with all types of fruits and vegetables, are selling their produce in bulk to
smaller boats. Prices are quickly agreed, goods are unceremoniously transferred
and the little boats speed off to another market to sell to the public. Not
once do I see any cash exchanged. We decide to follow the trail of small boats
and floating vegetation which is left behind by the smaller operators as they
prune their goods en route to the public market. We’re greeted by a slightly underwhelming
scene with about a dozen small boats selling produce mainly to curious
tourists. This does not resemble the thriving floating markets that I’ve seen
on the Discovery Channel. Our guide purchases a gigantic jackfruit, presumably
to feed his family for a month, and we’re off to explore some of the smaller
channels of water around Can Tho. This is a rewarding cruise as we catch a
glimpse in to the daily lives of Vietnamese people who rely on the river for
their living.
Before long we’re in Ho Chi Minh City, thankfully
abbreviated to HCMC, or Saigon as many of the locals still refer to it.
Although we’ve been warned about it, nothing prepares us for the swarms of
noisy scooters that terrorize the city. They’re everywhere, in parks, on
pavements, driving through stores, I even saw one in an elevator! There are ten
million people in Saigon and over five million scooters. A relatively straightforward
activity such as crossing the road is a scary proposition here and most
foreigners avoid doing so. The secret is to simply look in the direction of the
traffic and step out, whilst avoiding eye contact with the riders. Do not
hesitate, stopping in the middle of the road can be literally fatal. The
collision rate here must be absurdly high, but without a meaningful transit system,
there is little choice but to brave the mean streets.
We spend a morning at the ludicrously named Museum of
American Atrocities, which provides a very one-sided look at the Vietnam War,
which raged bitterly from the early 1960’s to 1975. Hostilities ended more than
four decades ago, but the effects are still visible in Vietnamese society, particularly
from the illegal gassing campaigns. The museum is a stark reminder of the
brutality of war, the sheer number of lives lost by both sides is mind-boggling
and one is left wondering to what end? Suitably depressed we are somewhat
encouraged to see a number of American visitors here, many with young families.
Saigon doesn’t capture our hearts so we move on to Hoi-An, a
small city located about halfway up the coast of Eastern Vietnam, renowned as
the culinary capital of the country. The food here is certainly top-notch led
by the visionary Miss Vee, who opened her first restaurant some twenty years
ago and from those humble beginnings she’s developed an empire spanning several
of the finest restaurants in the city, as well as an internationally acclaimed cooking
school. However this city is not just about the culinary arts. We are taken
aback by the sheer number of tailors here and we can’t help but join in the
sartorial frenzy as clothing can be made to order at a fraction of what we ordinarily
pay back home, and as an added bonus it’s ready to wear the very next day.
Largely ignoring the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, we head instead
a few hours east to the coast and the breathtaking beauty of Ha Long Bay.
Hundreds of jungle-clad limestone karsts, each with a different name, rise
majestically out of the dark waters of the bay, spread across an area of 1500 square
kilometres. We spend two nights savouring the magnificence up close on a small cruise
ship, in what seem to us to be sub-Arctic temperatures, which in reality are
7-8 degrees Celsius, but a full twenty-five degrees below what we’ve been used
to over the last couple of months. Our beachwear is ill-equipped to deal with
the unexpected drop in temperature but we brave the elements and take smaller
boats out on a couple of excursions, including a worthwhile visit to a pearl
farm. We skip the hilariously inappropriate scheduled visit to a small beach
nearby.
Overall Vietnam left me a little cold, literally and
figuratively. As the Lunar New Year approaches we feel that we’d rather
celebrate it with a culture that we better understand.