Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Same Same but Different

“If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.”     ― Thích Nhất Hạnh (Vietnamese Buddhist Monk)
I went for a eight night, nine day trip with my great friend Brittany to Ha noi, Ha long Bay, and Ho Chi Minh city in Việt nam. Việt nam is one of two countries I've been to where you must apply for the visas in advance. I was almost surprised there was not another stipend along the way just because we were from the United States.

We planned on splitting our time between the cities. Our round trip flew us to Ho Chi Minh in the south. We arrived at 9 a.m., stamped the visa, and waited it out for our noon flight to Ha noi in the northern part of the country. Buzzing with excitement as we found our airport pick-up, we're instantly taking in our surroundings, comparing it to the near dozen SE Asian countries we've been to at this point, and enjoying the scenic drive.
Fresh markets start early in the mornings and end before lunch time. 
We'd stay a total of three nights at the Old Quarter Backpackers Hostel, broken up between our three day-two night party cruise in Ha long Bay.
We were welcomed by the amazing local staff, showed to our room and given some info on local sites and events going on in and around the Old Quarter. The streets in Ha noi were tight, jammed packed, and loud with constant commotion and an unreasonable amount of honking. We ventured out to exchange our cash and look for our first meal on the streets. The buildings in the area were pretty old and run down, however every so often an elegant building with glass windows and chandeliers would appear from what would seem to be out of no where.
The buildings were built long and tall, which seems odd since many and most of the Vietnamese are quite short. You will see men and woman constantly sweeping the streets, yet the skinny roads still always seem to feel cluttered and polluted. Electrical nightmares hang about on almost every corner, woman and children with baskets of pastries and gum are gently (but continuously) shoving them in your face, carts are pushed on anything with at least one wheel, and we even encountered a man who swooped Brittany's shoe off before we could even blink and tried to begin repairing the entire sole of her shoe. You stay alert in Vietnam. You keep your bags close, and try not to get suckered in to a bad deal.
This Vietnamese woman set her baskets on
Brittany's shoulders in means to persuade her
to buy some pineapple. Turned into a photo opt. 
We ended up eating some great BBQ our first night in one of the hundred of alleyways that make up the Old Quarter. We sat among crowds of people from all over the world and of about every age, drinking beers and eating their pho on plastic stools, along with the endless flow of running motorbikes.
We decided to partake in the free brews given away on the rooftop of our hostel between 7-8 P.M. We had a great time meeting some of the foreigners that live and work in the hostel, but we called it a night as they left for the pub crawl since we'd be taking off at 8 A.M. to Ha long bay.
Brittany and I after the cave tour. 
Where the magic happens..
Cheers to this beauty. 
Sunset at Ha long Bay.

I was obsessed with these jumbo shrimp.
We were with a group of around 20 people for our two night adventure. We had a couple Canadians, a couple from Germany, a squad of Chileans, a Switzerland fellow flying solo, a couple ladies from France, a spunky gal from London, and a handful of others I can't quite remember. Ha long Bay is made up of 1,969 limestone 'islets' coming in all shapes and sizes, most of which seem to be topped with a mini rain forest. After arriving on the actual party cruise boat, we made a quick stop for a short trek through a cave inside one of the islands and a brief overview of the beauty that we were surrounded by. The drinking and games were slowly beginning as we sailed out for another hour or more. We came back on the boat for dinner and the grand welcoming. Stopping once more for some kayaking. By sunset we were jumping off the boat without a care in the world. The group drinking games continued for a couple hours, but died out sooner than  you'd think for a party cruise.
The hysterical Abbi (London), Brittany & myself after boat jumps.
Bright and early the next morning, we left the main boat to head towards Freedom Island. I hadn't even quite woken up yet before more than half the group was jumping off an almost three story cliff. Needless to say I opted out of that 9 A.M. jump.
 
We arrived on Freedom Island in time for lunch, it wasn't quite as appetizing as the rest of what I'd tried in Vietnam, but I muscled it down. I went off on my own for a bit to explore our little island home. It was quite upsetting the amount of trash left behind daily and the water was so filthy, it stained my swimsuit. The amount of junk boats blowing black smoke through the waters of Ha long bay, and the continual flow of tourists pumped in and out of the area is leaving the natural beauty of Ha long in shambles. I can't imagine they'll be much beauty left to show in 5-10 years from now.

The Bungalow 
Relaxing in the hammocks, very popular in SE Asia. 
As clear as it is in pictures, the water was a bit smelly and quite dirty. :-( 
The sunsets were remarkable... 
and the stars were even better. 
The group played volleyball together, relaxed out in the sun, and after dinner the second round of drinking games continued. The games got a little more creative and a whole lot louder than the first night. Unfortunately, I was one of the first to hit the hay on night two, not making it past midnight.
The returning bus ride seemed quite long and you could feel the nostalgia hanging over everyone as they split us up into two buses and headed back to Ha noi.

The crew, plus our Vietnamese tour host.
Brittany and I would stay another two nights in the Backpackers Hostel. After we switched rooms, we met some fellow statesiders and joined them for some famous Vietnamese Pho. We returned in time to catch the free beers from 7-8 again, and this time since we knew quite a few more people I stayed out a little longer. As the night continued, I joined a handful of the crew from the party boat for our own version of a pub crawl. We had a grand time dancing the night away and finally when complete exhaustion took over, we went home.
Last night with the HLB party cruise crew!

Gift shops near the historical area. 
Our last day in Hanoi was a Tuesday, we had kebabs for lunch, and then walked around the historical center of Ha noi -Hoàn Kiếm Lake aka Lake of the Returned Sword. Also within walking distance, we made our way to St. Joseph Cathedral, sat in for a performance at the very famous, long-time running water puppet show at Thang Long Theatre, had some of Vietnam's famous black coffee with entirely too much condensed milk upon a rooftop cafe, a few shop stops, and finally our most interesting stop at Hoa Lo Prison.  Before heading back to our hostel, we stopped for our second serving of Pho which would be our best meal of the entire trip in my opinion.
The puppet show told the story of Le Loi, a national hero and legend. 
St. Joseph Cathedral, Ha Noi
Pho- A traditional Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, rice noodles,
a few herbs, and meat. Eaten at almost any time of the day or night in Vietnam. 
Streets near puppet theater. 
A Remembrance to Hoa lo Prisoners.
The original construction of Hoa Lo prison before a majority was demolished.
Originally built by French in the 19th century to incarcerate Vietnamese political prisoners. In 1964, the Vietnamese began using Hoa Lo Prison as a prisoner of war camp for US troops during the Vietnam War. Gaining its ironic nickname of the “Hanoi Hilton”. The most famous prisoner was Senator John McCain, who was imprisoned for five and a half years.

An underground sewer in which on the night of December 24, 1951,
16 political prisoners escaped. Five succeeded and rejoined the resistance.
Throughout its existence, Hoa Lo Prison has been a place where inmates have been
subjected to dire conditions and torture, both under the French and the Vietnamese.
A Christmas decoration made by American Prisoner's of War.
Most of the exhibits relate to its time under French rule, but a tour of Hoa Lo Prison
also offers some insight into the horrors experienced by American POW’s
"Last year was full of glorious victories.
This year the forefront's sure to win still bigger ones,
For Independence, for Freedom,
Let's fight so the Yanks quit, and the puppets topple.
Foreward! Fighters, countrymen!
North and South reunited, could there be happier Spring"
Being as it was our last night in this lively, bustling city,
we joined the other young travelers for one more night
of beers, karaoke, and of course inappropriate dance moves.
Goodbye, Ha noi!
The following morning, Brittany and I had a great breakfast on the rooftop, said our goodbyes to all the new Facebook friends we made, packed our bags, and headed to the domestic airport to fly to Ho Chi Minh.

Right away we noticed similarities and differences between the North and the South. HCM was much more colorful, the streets were much wider, and although the motorbikes and traffic were just as compact the incessant honking was toned down enough to save my sanity. We were feeling a bit under the weather and knew we needed a low-key evening. After checking in and getting maps and tour guides to browse through, we headed out for our first 'western' meal of the trip. Pizza.

We were traveling in Vietnam at the end of their rainy season. We didn't experience much rain while we were there, however there were huge clouds covering the sky for most of our time. Ho Chi Minh was also quite a bit hotter than Ha noi. We noticed the travelers in HCM were older than the majority of early 20 somethings in Ha noi. Surprisingly, there were not many smokers in the North, and the foreigners seemed to be living for months at a time versus a week or two in the South. However, we did meet over a dozen people who had or planned to buy a motorbike and ride it up or down the entire country of Vietnam. Some even stopping in Cambodia or Laos along the way.
Independence Palace
After a much needed full nights rest, we woke up early for our 8 A.M. tour of HCM City and the Cu Chi Tunnels. We started at the Independence Palace, also referred to as the Reunification Palace. We spent entirely too much time there for what it was. I, along with many others in our group, were getting fairly irked by our tour guide who kept disappearing on us all morning long.
We finally moved on to the Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon's Central Post Office, built in the 19th century, popular for it's French influence.
Endless elegant rooms with luxurious furniture and walls to match for the
 presidents and government officials who met and stayed in the palace. 
This rug is important.
Represents important aspects of the traditional Vietnamese way of life.
Outside the palace, this woman was playing beautiful music on a
traditional Vietnamese bamboo xylophone called a T'rung.
Notre Dame Cathedral, HCMC


Britt and I in front of Saigon's Central Post Office
designed by architect Gustave Eiffel. 
One of four couples we saw taking wedding photos in the area.
Portrait of President Ho Chi Minh hangs in the center of the post office.
Antique phone booths for 14 of the worlds top cities. 
Dolls of all shapes, sizes, colors, and materials are in
abundance at almost every turn in touristic areas. 

Our last stop, which was the most significant to me, was the War Remnants Museum. Due to our lax tour guide, I had less than an hour to soak in the morbid, yet jarring photographs and documents of the Vietnam War. It is absurd the about of knowledge that is swept under the rug and never spoken of as a civilian in the United States. Being an educated young woman, I was still profoundly shocked at not only what I had never attained, but throughout my trip dozens of others never really knew the true war crimes the United States committed for a near lifetime in Southeast Asia. Click here to read more about Agent Orange.


Larry Burrows was a photographer who covered the war in Vietnam from 1962
until his plane was shot down over Laos in 1971. He, along with many other journalists,
died in the attempt to show the world the truth of the Vietnam War.
Dismembered body 
Victims of Agent Orange. 
Child victims of Agent Orange.
A stillbirth due to Agent Orange on display.  
Victims of Agent Orange.
A few types of bombs used. 
A muddy war.
Take that in. 
Paintings made from kids around the world in support for peace in Vietnam.
Ironies.

Continuing on with our day, we took a two hour bus ride out to the tunnels of Củ Chi. "...an immense network of connecting underground tunnels...part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots...communication and supply routes, hospitals... living quarters for North Vietnamese fighters." They "... were of great importance to the Viet Cong in their resistance to American forces..."

Solo volunteer to squeeze into one of the tunnel entrances. 
American Tank 
A couple of the Viet cong displays throughout the tour.
Placed to help tell the story of their daily life. 
About to enter the 40 meter tunnel (131 feet)!  
We survived the 40M tunnel! Never again!
Our tour guide showing us one of the dozens of horrifying booby traps
set up in order to capture and kill the enemy across the jungle.
Couldn't have said it better myself. 
We unwound from our day of history with a cold one and a rooftop dinner before heading back to The Hideout Hostel of Saigon. It was Thursday night, which just so happened to also be a pub crawl night, and we were feeling accomplished with our day, so we moseyed on over to the Hideout Bar. It also happened to be the pub crawl host's birthday which made for a large entanglement of people all ready to have a staggering good time.
The night stops!
Bucket night!
Dance crew x2
Friday morning we hunted down a place to exchange a bit more cash, had a delicious lunch at Allez Boo, booked our last tour, and went shopping at the renown Bến Thành MarketIt was a hectic, yet thrilling experience to sift through the isles and walkways of the "oldest surviving market and one of the symbols of Ho Chi Minh City." 
Approaching Ben Thanh Market on one of our hottest days! 
We spent our last full day on a relaxing boat tour of the Mekong River Delta, a once "biological treasure trove."
The floating markets and fruit markets are, and have always been, the way of life for many Vietnamese. 
One of my favorite photos. I captured this family resting together on the outskirts of the village near Mekong.
This woman is making rice paper for the famous spring rolls.
The large supply of coconuts provides the villagers with enough to
manufacture into candy, skin care, and many other supplies. 
A 20 minute ride through a smaller stream off the Mekong River.
The markets off the water.
Giant Lychee!
Beautiful flowers along the village.

We spent our last full night watching a giant game of Jenga, taking photos with locals, and one of my absolute favorite parts of traveling, meeting fellow travelers from all walks of life. With all the coming and goings of those around you, you start to notice the greeting of "What's your name?" turns into "Where are you from?"
I left a piece of my heart in nearly all of the Southeast Asian countries I have been to. However, I left Vietnam with a heavy heart and a sure feeling that this would be one of my last new adventures in SE Asia. My time in Taiwan, and all of Asia, has forever changed me. While this may sounds like a good-bye, it is not. For I have not chosen my next path yet, but I see a big change in my near future.

I hope you enjoyed this rather long post, and I truly hope you indulge yourself in the history of Vietnam.
As always, thank you for the love and support. - K

These devastating events happened while I was in Vietnam.
Please, Be kind to each other.