Archive for September, 2008
unforgettable saigon
Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in south Vietnam, is impossible to dismiss. The locals still refer to it as Saigon, but officially it’s HCMC. It is not everyone’s cup of cha, but I found it unforgettable. My first impression was of hundreds of motorbikes, all traveling within inches from each other. Crossing the street takes skill and courage, for the motos never stop for pedestrians. They simply slow down and swerve around you. The only way to cross the street is to walk with purpose and conviction, not making eye contact, but keeping eyes lowered and always on the lookout for the front wheel, if only to ensure your toes won’t get run over. It is exhilarating. In the more heavily touristed areas of District 1, uniformed tourist police will help escort the faint of heart across the street.
Being in HCMC requires alertness, not just to keep from getting mowed down by motos, but the frenetic pace demands your full attention. The stimuli can be overwhelming, unless you enjoy experiencing a city full-bore as many do. A walk down any given city block is a play of dichotomies. Even in the more upscale streets you can find a high-end European boutique, guarded by starched security; an old woman in the ubiquitous conical hat selling coconuts from baskets hanging from her yoke; a casualty of Agent Orange, walking on his hands, his legs too disfigured and distorted to be of much use; uniformed schoolchildren, buying snacks from a street vendor; xe om drivers awaiting their next fare; a streetside barber who’s hung his mirror on the side of a wall and is always busy cutting hair; a pho vendor with their small stacks of diminutive stools, almost too small for the average westerner.
The people in HCMC are warm and friendly and quick to smile. I hear that things are quite different up north, in the capital of Hanoi: the north Vietnamese are more reserved, they dislike having their photo taken, they are likely to rip you off. This useful bit of info came from several south Vietnamese I met, which is not unusual to hear. Most countries have a north-south rivalry, which is likely caused by the climate. Warm climes make for warm, easy-going people. It takes too much effort to be uptight when it is hot and humid.
Motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
the footloose vagabond
We do we travel? Some travel as an antidote to the predictability of daily life. Some travel to relax; others, to enrich themselves. And there are those who travel if only for the mystique of adventure, or even to augment one’s travel cred. I travel to keep moving. I relax by not relaxing. The worst holiday I can think of is one that involves prolonged lolling on a beach or resort. I do a great disservice to all the picture-perfect beaches of the world by tossing them off my list wholesale. They are pleasant enough for one day. After that, the swaying palms lose their appeal and I am restless again.
Do not get me started on cruise ships or — my personal nightmare destination — Las Vegas. Cruise ships, those self-contained seafaring cities, are ideal for the tourist afraid to leave their comfort zone. Within the floating behemoths they will find the familiar: from casinos to beauty salons and spas, cabarets and discos, rock climbing gyms and saltwater pools. Add to that round-the-clock buffets and nonstop bingeing. The only bit of excitement would be an unexpected, ship-wide bout of norovirus.
My holiday is one of “footloose vagabondage,” as author and mountaineer David Roberts wrote in his book of essays Moments of Doubt. Mine is a journey of getting lost in strange places, of not knowing the language enough to have meaningful conversation, but just enough to ask for a beer or a toilet and share a laugh at my expense. The rest I leave to luck and adaptability and the kindness of strangers. There is no other way to go.
Houseboats on the Dong Ba canal, Hué, Vietnam
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