A Taste of Vietnam

I have been in Hanoi for a few days and tomorrow I head for home.

I chose to stay in a hotel in the Old Quarter, not only because it is easier to get a sense of the history of the town, but it remains very much the centre of town and it is easy to walk everywhere. The hotel turned out to be on a very narrow little street but surprisingly quiet at night, given that people spend a lot of time out on the sidewalks, not only because living quarters are small, families are large, but also because it is cooler outside in the evenings. Everyone eats, plays, socializes and shops on the sidewalks. Most traffic is scooters and they are parked everywhere!

It has been an amazing experience to explore this cohesive and energetic, highly organized urban society. It is a real surprise to see how far Vietnamese society has come since the end of a terrible war in the 60s and 70s. I came of age in the 60s and well remember participating in street protests against American imperialism. I had somehow assumed that the destruction of war would permanently have held the country back. But that's 40 years ago now. It's history. Everything has changed.

I love the friendliness of the people. Tourists are as welcome as anyone else here. If anything, tourists seem just to participate more in the Vietnamese way of doing things. In restaurants, most diners always seem to be Vietnamese. The goods in the shops all seem to be for everyone, and not for tourists in particular. I must say Hanoi is a fantastic shopping town!

The food is exciting! This evening I feasted on bún bò nam bô and it was really delicious. The variations of phô have also been delightful. Coffee is of high quality and people love to eat baguettes.
There are lots of reminders that the French were here!

The hardest thing for me to do has been to learn how to cross the street. Traffic is constant and can come from any direction, even on one way streets. Junctions are comical! Scooters travel super fast along the sidewalks, and straight into the very narrow corridors into the buildings. There is only one way to get across. You work up your courage and just start walking out into the traffic. You move slowly forward and everyone drives around you. It is very dangerous to stop or step back. This is much harder to do than it sounds! It's terrifying! I find I can do it quite well by the afternoon but by next morning, the terror returns!

Ho Chi Minh

Strange to recount, but one can still see Ho Chi Minh in person. This is all the more interesting since he is now 125 years old. He rests in a very austere mausoleum and thousands of people line up every day to walk silently around him. The crowds are extremely well organized and the human chain moves inexorably forward so it does not take as long as one might fear. All bags are taken and stored and electronic equipment is taken separately and stored separately. Happily, no one takes photos! Complete silence falls on the lines of people long before they enter the mausoleum. I was firmly and silently instructed by a crisply white-uniformed honourguard to walk with my arms straight down by my sides as I am in the habit of walking with them behind me.

The Father of the Nation just looks like he is asleep. His face is fatter and generally bigger than I remember from pictures. There are very few monuments like this. It is a strange place indeed.

When I was at university I decided to grow a beard as it was fashionable at the time amongst students. Mine grew strongly only on my chin and my father used to tease me by calling me Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh is still wearing his beard but I'm not wearing mine.

The River

Some of my happiest moments in Luang Prabang were spent on the banks of the Mekong, watching as boats came and went, the sun rose and set and people went about their daily business.  Rivers provide an easy way to move about when roads are inadequate or don't exist. This leads to a different pattern of living, with villages strung out along the banks.

One day,  a long transport boat came across the river and suddenly there was a whirlwind of activity as people unloaded their goods. I could hear some very loud screaming so I watched until I could see two pigs being unloaded. They had a string tied to one back leg and the 'driver' had a little stick to guide the pig with. The pigs were not being very cooperative, especially the larger one. It kept sitting down and then would need to be tapped with the stick to get it to move again. It came to a wall and lay down alongside it. Even with prodding it remained on strike! The owner eventually picked it up in frustration and carried it over the wall! I wondered where they were going. Were they going to or coming from the market? I didn't dare think too much about their future. One never should!

to or coming from the market? I didn't dare to think too much about the future. One never should!