« Cambodia: On The Road to Recovery | Main | Colonialism, Communism, and a Corpse »

June 03, 2006

Very Good, Very Cheap, Very Vietnam

Welcome to Saigon, the economic heart of Vietnam, a city that buzzes with energy. Officially renamed to Ho Chi Minh City in 1975 after the end of the war, many locals and foreigners still prefer the original name. Over five million people inhabit the nineteen districts that make up this dense metropolis. Economic reforms in 1986 opened the city to investors, and people have flocked to it looking for their slice of the pie. The result is a mixture of old meets new. Modern buildings mix with decaying French colonial era structures, women in conical hats balance vegetables on their shoulders as men in business suits whiz past on their motorbikes. At night the parks are overflowing with young couples sharing forbidden kisses on their motorbikes. Despite development, the city retains a certain charm and elegance that was like a breath of fresh air after coming from Cambodia.

Saigon Traffic

Traffic in Saigon can only be described as organized chaos. Endless streams of motorcycles flood the streets, making any crossing a test of faith. Waiting for a break in the traffic would require hours, and the easiest solution is to move slowly and steadily across the street, letting the motorcycles swerve around you. Sudden changes in pace or direct eye contact with cyclists only seems to cause confusion. Hopping on the back of one of these motorbikes is an even more death defying experience. We would cling on to the back as traffic seemed to head straight for us in every direction. Somehow, our driver managed to maneuver us through somewhat safely every time.

A much more interesting, but no less terrifying, way to see the city is by cyclo, a rickshaw-like bicycle taxi. These cyclo drivers can seem pesky as they comb the tourist districts for fares, but many have had a tough life. After the war, many South Vietnamese soldiers were sent to re-education camps for years, where upon emerging, they were stripped of their jobs, qualifications, and citizenships. For many former doctors and lawyers it has been made impossible to carry on their careers, and have therefore had to resort to driving a cyclo to earn their living. These cyclo drivers seem to have a great sense of humour and ours gave us and good tour of the city. I think he was slightly confused that we didn’t know what we wanted to see…we just wanted to go along for the ride.

Vietnamese rap star at 15 May School gala

One of the reasons we were most excited about visiting Saigon was to be reunited with Eliette, our friend that we met in South America. We left our bus and found ourselves in her neighborhood, but the address didn’t make any sense. Stepping off the main streets, we became lost in a labyrinth of narrow alleyways with people lying back in plastic recliners, cooking up meals in makeshift stands in nooks and crannies and some even maneuvering their motorcycles around the tight corners. With a bit of help, we were directed to a cramped alley and eventually found her small rented room. She has living there for three months and volunteering at 15 May School. The school provides free schooling to disadvantaged children in Saigon as well as providing housing for about thirty. The children follow the regular Vietnamese curriculum and also have additional vocational training programs available such as dancing, tailoring and cooking. The volunteers had been working for the past few months on preparation for their big fundraising event, and we arrived just in time to see their hard work pay off. Set in the very plush Carvelle Hotel, I felt quite out of place in my traveling gear, but at least Sinead had a nice outfit to give me a bit of credibility.

The two most visited sights related to the American war (as it is referred to in Vietnam) are the War Remnants Museum in Saigon and the Cu Chi Tunnels. The War Remnants Museum, formerly the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes (renamed for obvious tourism reasons) houses various exhibits demonstrating the horrors of war, or more specifically the horrors committed by the Americans during the war. Photographs of GI’s dragging a Viet Cong body behind a tank, a soldier holding up half the remains of a dead VC soldier, and jars of deformed fetuses affected by Agent Orange are all rather hard to stomach. Slightly less shocking is an excellent exhibit chronicling many of the photojournalists that lost their lives covering the war, displaying many of their moving photographs.

Firing the AK-47

In order to maintain control of the rural area near to Saigon, the Viet Cong developed a complex network of underground tunnels of varying depth. Sprawling for more than 250 KM in the Cu Chi district, the tunnels made it possible for communication and activities to be carried out without the knowledge of the Americans. One set of tunnels even went underneath a US military base. To adapt to this type of combat, the American’s developed their own squad of what were called “tunnel rats”, soldiers of smaller size to infiltrate the tunnels to seek out the enemy. Tunnel rats uncovered information about the tunnel structure, and the US later carpet bombed the region destroying much of the original underground system. Today a few hundred meters of the tunnels have been renovated, widened to accommodate “fat ass tourists” as our guide put it. Despite the modifications, the tunnels were cramped, hot, and dark - and that’s without the poisonous snakes that were known to reside in the original tunnels. After waiting in an incredibly uncomfortable position for what seemed like ages while those in front of us posed for endless photo ops, Sinead and I bailed out midway at one of the tourist exit points, happy to breathe in the fresh air. In addition to the underground network, there were also tiny camouflaged compartments built especially for snipers and various booby traps that awaited American and South Vietnamese soldiers. Trap doors gave way to different designs all involving sharp bamboo spikes guaranteed to inflict terrible pain or certain death to any that tread near.

Without question, the gun of choice was the Kalashnikov (AK-47). One last attraction of the tunnels is the chance to let off some steam at the firing range. After queuing up to purchase my ammo, I was led down to the range where the AK-47 awaited. Slightly disappointed to see it firmly attached to the counter, I awaited further instruction from my guide. “Shoot!” he told me, pointing to the gun. Never having fired a gun before, I relied on what I had seen on TV. Closing one eye and leaning down came to mind, but I really couldn’t see anything. Nervously I slowly squeezed the trigger, and instantly the air was filled with a deafening bang. The flimsy ear muffs provided little protection in dampening the sound. Unfortunately my shot went far below the target. “Too low!” the employee told me, and I lined another one up. Four shots later I had yet to hit my target. Each shot was followed by a disappointing “too low!” or “too high!”, and at $1 per shot, it would cost me a lot of money if I ever wanted to hit that damn bulls-eye.

Seafood vendor on the beach

Intending only to stop for the night in the coastal town of Nha Trang to break up the 22 hour long journey from Saigon to Hoi An, we extended our stay for a few days. Nha Trang was a pleasant surprise and provided just the relaxation we were looking for. The beach was nice, clean, and quiet. For a dollar, including one beer, we were able to rent shaded lounge chairs for the entire day and listen to the sounds of the ocean lapping at the sand. Women wearing conical hats and scarves around their faces worked the beach peddling their wares. Most we would ignore, but had to give in to the lady balancing a pole with a boiling pot full of fresh crabs, scallops, and prawns on one side and refrigerated condiments on the other. Our plate was piled full of delicious seafood and we sat in our beach chairs chowing down, quite content with our surroundings.

In Nha Trang we also discovered that beer really can get cheaper than fifty cents. Wandering the streets we passed by numerous plastic kids chairs setup on the sidewalk underneath a sign that read: Bia Hoi, Very Cheap, Very Good, Very Vietnam. A puppy scrambled for cover as we awkwardly placed ourselves in these tiny chairs and awaited the beer that we had heard so much about in Vietnam. Bia hoi, translated as “fresh beer”, is Vietnam’s own microbrew. Seventy cents buys two litres served in a plastic pitcher. Combined with the cheap food, this establishment was an instant hit, and each night in Nha Trang we sat with the locals and downed the cheapest beer we have ever had.

We had heard so much of the hassles in Vietnam, that we were expecting the worse. Someone even went as far as to say “Vietnam is beautiful, but the people ruin it”, a rather offensive comment. We found it to be quite the opposite. The people were friendly and helpful, the food is delicious, and the hassle is minor compared to Thailand or Cambodia. Best of all, the living is cheap, which is always a good thing since we need all the help we can get making our money last.

Click Here to see the photos

Posted by brett at June 3, 2006 10:43 PM

Comments

Posted by: Mom at June 4, 2006 12:12 AM

Posted by: Mary McGinnity at June 6, 2006 07:30 AM

Posted by: Shawn at June 6, 2006 10:05 PM

Post a comment

Name:

Email Address:

Comments: