Vietnam!

Flower vendors in Hanoi

When I saw that I hadn’t posted for 4 months, I almost couldn’t believe it. Time is going so fast. The good part is that I think that means I’m positively involved in life here, but I feel like I’ve been very delinquent in pursuing my goals of keeping in touch with people at home and introducing you all to Laos. When Matt and I vacationed in Vietnam recently, I realized that I was jealous of the MCC workers who got to show us around their adopted country and tell us about this place that they have come to love. So since this is the best outlet I have to impart my love of Laos and its people and culture to all of you, I’ve made a resolution of blogging more often. But since I got back recently from 2 weeks in Vietnam and have lots of observations and experiences to share from that, this first post of my renewed effort at communication will be about Vietnam.

Other than some travel in Thailand in April, this was my first extended time out of Laos since I arrived. And Vietnam felt very different, partly because of being tourists there for more time than in Thailand and partly because Lao and Thai cultures are very similar. I was surprised at how dissimilar Vietnamese culture seemed compared to Lao culture. The following is simply from my limited experience, and my two weeks as a tourist certainly don’t qualify me as an expert.

motorbike traffic in Hanoi

In Vientiane, waiting in traffic at all will trigger laments from Lao people about how much traffic has increased in the last few years. So the many cars and millions of motorbikes in Hanoi made simply arriving in Hanoi kind of overwhelming. The first night (oh alright, the first few days) I was terrified of crossing the street (because you just kind of need to put yourself out there and expect people to drive around you), but I got better. One big cultural difference that many people comment on is how much more assertive (aggressive?) people are. Granted, the pace in Laos is more snail-like than anything, and tourists like to joke about having to wake up napping tuk-tuk drivers to get a ride anywhere. Well, in Hanoi (especially if you happen to be white), you get pelted with “Hello. Motorbike?” or “Hello! Cyclo?” every 20 seconds or so. I’m not exaggerating. I did finally decide to try a cyclo, which was sufficiently awkward (the slow-moving vehicle exposed to the world attracts lots of staring and laughter), but also very fun.

driver with very strong legs and me on display in a cyclo for all of this little coastal town to see

Our first day in Hanoi (before we knew how to refuse such things), a fruit vendor insisted that we wanted to take pictures modeling her vendor’s gear. And buy some of her pineapple (overpriced of course). So it goes. Can you tell I felt a little silly?

with the friendly vendor. if you can't tell what i'm holding, look over her shoulder.

Another thing that is not an exaggeration is the crazy cargo some people transport by motorbike (everything from live chickens to stacked furniture to a family of five). I got a picture of a mild example.

Part of what made for a great trip and a better understanding of Vietnam was our wonderful SALT program friends who spent the past year in Hanoi. Hannah and Rosie showed us around, introduced us to some delicious Vietnamese and Rosie’s host family, and swapped stories with us about our respective experiences this year. At points being a tourist felt really strange, since it is basically the opposite of what we have been striving to do all year, so besides the fun of meeting new friends, it was lovely to actually know some people in Vietnam and be able to hear their perspective on things we were experiencing. (“This women glared at me. Did I offend her?” Things like that.)

L-R Rosabeth, me, Matt, and Hannah

Probably the time I felt the weirdest about my tourist status was when we spent a day and night on a boat with about 15 other Westerners. I went through a bit of culture shock just thinking, “All these people speak fluent English. Many of them are even close to my age. But I have no idea how to relate to them. What do you do when it isn’t a challenge to communicate and you supposedly have similar cultures?” I got over it though, and managed to have a great time. It was pretty difficult with gorgeous rocky cliffs jutting out of the clear water and a star-filled sky to gaze at in the middle of nowhere.

beautiful Halong Bay - but not as good as in real life!

posing with the gorgeous sunset

Matt and I both got up the courage to jump into the water from the top deck of the boat. Scary!

Overall, a great trip.