A year ago this month my husband and I were traipsing or more precisely dodging motorists in the streets of Ho Chi Minh City(formerly Saigon). So in remembrance of that time spent in that exotic part of the world, I am sharing in this blog our experiences and my impressions of the place, people, food and culture. Click here for a short information about the country.
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| an old temple |
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| entrance of an old temple |
As soon as we landed at Ho Chi Minh Airport I knew I was home (in a sense). The humidity and heat were typically Southeast Asian; reminding me that I am not that far from the country of my birth.
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| a corner of a park in Ho Chi Minh |
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| statue in the park, Ho Chi Minh |
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modern buildings
are being build
at a fast pace
all over the city |
views of the Saigon River
from out hotel room
PEOPLE
Since it was both our first time in the place and we didn't know anyone; we opted to let the hotel pick us up at the airport. A smart young woman holding a cardboard with our names written on it met us at the arrivals area and introduced us to our driver who barely spoke a word of English but was very polite. Both of them had delicate, small-boned structures. That was my first and lasting impression of the Vietnamese; their body structure. In my mind's eye they are a small, delicately build race.
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| People in the Mekong Delta |
TRADITIONAL DRESS/ATTIRE
Most of the women wear a traditional dress called Ao dai. It is made of (usually) light coloured material, long sleeved and slit on both sides from the waist and worn over a loose fitting pair of trousers. I regretted not getting one while there. :-) It seemed the comfortable and sensible thing to do. It covers the skin while keeping it cool enough for the tropical heat. As for the men, there do not seem to be any wearers of traditional apparel. Both sexes occasionally wear a conical hat called the Non la. It shields the wearer from the heat of the sun and is typically worn in the fields and rice paddies but I did notice some city dwellers wearing them.
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a woman crossing the Mekong Delta
wearing a conical hat |
TRAFFIC/ ROADS
Traffic in the streets of Ho Chi Minh is atrocious! That is the only word that comes to mind. Months before we were due to travel, I made some research about the country and learned that in Vietnam you don't wait for vehicles to stop before you cross the street. We found out for ourselves as soon as we stepped out of the hotel. You just simply carry on walking, as nonchalantly as you could while vehicles from both directions come bearing down on you. If you stop or hesitate,then you are more likely to cause an accident or harm yourself and the motorists. When one gets the hang of it, one notices a certain rhythm, sort of like a synchronized dance between pedestrians and motorists. Motorcycle is the mode of transportation for the majority of the population. There are the usual taxis and a few cars but most people go around in motorcycles that they call "honda" regardless of the brand.
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motorcycles is the mode of transporation
for the majority of the population |
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main street of Ho Chi Minh
The streets are wide and tidy |
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| female motorcyclists |
FOOD
The Vietnamese for all their small build love to eat. The staple is rice, fish and vegetables with pieces of meat There are of course western restaurants;Ho Chi Minh being a modern thriving metropolitan. I was hooked (and still am) with their spring rolls. It is very easy to prepare. One just buys the rice paper, soaks it in warm water for a few seconds and wraps it around salad leaves, shrimps, noodles or whatever one fancies then dips it in peanut sauce or any sauce of choice.
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| a basket of guavas |
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| coconut juice |
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dragon fruit served on board
the Mekong Delta Cruise |
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| elephant fish! |
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| food served by a local family |
RELIGION AND CULTURE
As for religion, our eternally smiling and well spoken guide explained that the majority of Vietnamese traditionally practice Buddhism and Taoism. There is a small percentage of Christians but most Vietnamese have a practical attitude towards religion. They practice whatever is convenient regardless of their own personal belief.
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| Cao Dai Temple |
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| worshippers inside the temple |
LANGUAGE
I find their language pleasantly rhythmic. Our guide explained that their language uses the Latin alphabet and is one of the easiest language to master. I did learn a few words for rice male, female and toilet but soon forgot when the plane landed at Heathrow. How terrible. :-)
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| a sign inside Notre Dame Cathedral |
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| wet closet |
SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE VISIT
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| Reunification Palace and grounds |
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| interior of the Reunification Palace |
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interior of
Notre Dame
Cathedral
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| interior of the post office |
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| Notre Dame Cathedral |
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| facade of the Saigon Opera House |
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pillars designed as statues
at the entrance of Saigon Opera House |
After all that, the highlight has got to be the cruise down the Mekong Delta.The cruise gave us more insight into the everyday lives of the Vietnamese than we ever learned just exploring the city. At some points of the river we stopped along the banks where cottage industries are thriving. We learned how rice paper is made. We sampled different types of teas, the ingredients of which I did not dare ask after seeing rows of bottles of snake wine. :-). Below are some images of the everyday scenes in the Mekong Delta.
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| drinks made from fruit |
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| souvenirs |
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| home factory for coconut candy |
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| popcorn |
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| snake wine |
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| souvenirs |
On our final week we joined a tour group that went to the Cai Dao temple and observed worshippers in colourful robes doing their daily ritual.
We experienced a different perspective when we slithered down a very narrow opening on the ground that led to the Cu Chi tunnels where guerillas hid, plotted and set traps for the enemies during the war. We spent the rest of the afternoon having lunch with a local family in a nearby village.
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narrow and tiny opening leading
to the network of underground tunnels |
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hole on the ground that serves
as ventilation for the people
living underground |
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| countryside |
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a reconstruction of the weapons factory
within the network of tunnels
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That in a nutshell is one face of Vietnam. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. Thank you for visiting. :-)
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