“In travel, simply looking around is an education” (Thomas Swick, The Joys of Travel)
We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) or Saigon on February 8th, for the end of Lunar New Year’s Tet (Celebration). We stayed six days in HCMC, with a day trip on the Mekong Delta. The Lonely Planet guidebook described HCMC as “There’s nowhere else like it.” We agree! The guidebook further described the Vietnamese as “industrious, proud, stubborn, and yet mischievous, quick to laugh, and fond of a joke” (p. 286). Agreed!
Humor, Happy Rooms, & Hammocks
On our first full day, we did a Semester at Sea (SAS) City Tour Field Program. We toured the Reunification Palace; visited a temple shrine; walked through the boulevard decorated for the new year; stopped into a huge market; soaked in the panoramic view and air conditioning from the tallest building in the city; ate a tasty pho lunch; enjoyed a rickshaw “race”; and got a good initial sense of the city. Our tour guide had what we learned is the typical corny sense of humor. (Erlene could be a Vietnamese comedian!)
The next day, Larry was the field liaison for the SAS Mekong Delta field program. Our tour guide was Phuong Nguyen and she said “just call me ‘Funny.’” (See photo below.) She, too, was playful. Both guides told us that the restroom is called the “Happy Room” because, after a visit to this room, what are you?! Happy!
Funny noted that the ubiquitous motorbikes (7 million in HCMC alone) are tiring. She pointed out the coffee shop hammocks along the roadside and explained that weary travelers could stop for a cup of coffee and rest “for as long as needed” in the hammocks.
Looking Around & Zen Traffic
On the last four days, we immersed in HCMC: visited art galleries and temples/shrines; attended a wonderful performance of Teh Dar at the historic Saigon Municipal Opera House; ate delicious food; and meandered through outdoor markets and indoor shops.
Mostly, we “simply looked around” at daily life. As Funny said, “Everybody works!” We saw lots of work, including entrepreneurs with boxes or small stalls with random items for sale. And, we saw rest and play. On sidewalks, we observed intergenerational groups playing cards, women getting pedicures, and men fishing near the Mong Bridge (designed by Gustave Eiffel, as in the tower!). We saw people napping on motorbikes, benches, shop floors, and hammocks. Constantly, we observed smiles, teasing, and a laid-back demeanor.
Zooming traffic, with rare traffic lights, is a defining characteristic of HCMC. (Google it!) Initially intimidated, we quickly realized the traffic is chaotic, but cooperative. Horns are constant—but, beeping, not blaring: “Beep! I’m here! Beep! Watch out!” No road rage. Crossing a street becomes a Zen experience of being one with the universe…or at least the frenetic flow of HCMC. (Note to self: Don’t try this at home!)
Coffee, Cashews, Coconut, Candy, Noodles, & Massages: What’s Not to Like?
Vietnam is known for its coffee! So, of course, we contributed to the local economy and drank our share. In addition to rice, they’re top producers of cashews and coconut. And, candy!
Along the highway from our Mekong Delta outing, we noted long stalls of items, with large billboards featuring two women. We conjectured they were prominent government or entertainment figures. Our guide clarified that they are the two Queens of Candy! She proudly conveyed that one of the women, Dac San, won a legal case against the Chinese for selling counterfeit candy (gasp!) and using her name.
Vietnam is known for its noodles and cheap, excellent massages; after getting daily massages we felt like we’d become Vietnamese noodles. (Corny humor!)
Paradise & Plastic; Litter & Literacy
Our Mekong Delta day trip began with a 2-hour bus ride through beautiful tropical green and numerous rice fields. Then, we visited Ben Tre, our guide’s home region. We walked through a small village and surrounding areas, with lush foliage, free-range chickens, and friendly residents. We had a coconut drink snack harvested directly from the tree; saw family-operated businesses, including candy-making, crafts, and woven mats; ate lunch (elephant ear fish!) in a rustic home; and toured a brick-making factory. Then, we rode in motorized vehicles to a rowboat ride through the tributary (Theme song: “Rolling, Rolling on the River!”). Finally, we took a larger boat for a relaxing and beautiful river excursion, back to the bus. Thankfully our return trip included a Happy Stop, before getting delayed in HCMC Tet traffic.
With great pride, Funny described the simple life of her home community, which she deemed “Paradise.” Then, she clearly articulated the encroaching negative impact of climate change, proliferation of plastic, and dams built upstream in China on the livelihood of this rural area. Flotsam was a common sight on this beautiful river. Sadly, litter is everywhere—streets, roadsides, and waterways.
Funny explained that her parents’ generation thought that plastic and other refuse disappeared when thrown in the river. She noted the country’s emphasis on increasing literacy (now 97.3%) and that part of her children’s education is about the environment. We learned from another guide that the Vietnam government has committed to becoming a world leader in wind and solar power. With the Vietnamese tenacity, increasing literacy rates, and not having to use resources to defend themselves against insurgents, this goal is attainable.
Peace & War; Consumerism & Poverty
Our interport lecturer, Ambassador Hoang Thuy, said that much of Vietnam’s history consists of “occupation and war.” He described the Vietnamese as forgiving and related this characteristic in part to their major religion of Buddhism. When we asked Funny about the resilience and playfulness of the Vietnamese, she smiled and said, “We are just so happy to not be at war!”
We were profoundly moved by our visit to the War Remnants Museum in HCMC. This museum provides an important record of the atrocities and human cost of war. The displays document the International War Crimes Tribunal’s conclusion that war crimes were committed by the United States in Vietnam. Other displays show the war protests around the world and peace efforts. We were deeply affected by this depiction of the dehumanization of war. We kept thinking of all the lives lost, souls damaged, long-term consequences—for both “sides.” We thought of the poor young people from rural areas, like those from the farming villages we visited on the Mekong delta, and Erlene’s brother who was drafted and went to Vietnam. He was sent to an unknown world far from our small farming community to a war primarily about capitalistic conquest.
In this war, as in all war, the common good “lost.” We must pursue paradigms for peace, not war; connections, not separations. Perhaps, simply looking around helps.
Shared Footbridges & Happy Buddhas
Each day in HCMC, we crossed a long footbridge to get to the main section of town. Each day, a disheveled man with a missing foot, who appeared homeless, greeted us with a smile and namaste blessing. On our last day, we wanted to spend our remaining Vietnamese money (a million dong is worth about $43, so, in Vietnam we were millionaires). After purchasing another massage, lunch, and ample snacks, we ambled toward the ship. We still had enough dong for two ice cream cones. Instead, we shared a cone. We gave our remaining money, along with a farewell blessing, to the man who had greeted us daily on our shared path.
Our six days in Vietnam confirmed that travel turns degrees of separation into degrees of connection. Our physical memento from Vietnam is a Happy Buddha we purchased at the War Remnants Museum. We’ll place Happy Buddha (HB) in our Happy Room (formerly known as bathroom) at home in honor of the Vietnamese humor. May we all be playful pacifists! And, may we simply look around, educate ourselves, notice how we can share with those on our paths, and save the planet. Namaste!
