I reluctantly agreed to visit Vietnam.
So many lives lost and so much pain for both sides.
Why stir up old memories…won't it cause the people additional pain?
Can I enjoy a country where battles were fought? Would I want to?
Surprising Vietnam
I did not expect to find Vietnam to be such a welcoming, beautiful place.
Here are a few of the things I found…
Early morning locals sweeping the streets
Respectful, honest, people…clerks, waiters, taxi drivers
Modern clean Grab cars (think Uber) with video monitors and GPS
Cell phones for all!
Electric turquoise taxis
Sleeper buses so you can stretch out for long overnight journeys…only about 12 beds per bus.
Motorbikes parked anywhere and everwhere
Entire mobile restaurants on the sidewalk . Just pack it all on the bike (plastic chairs and tables, propane tank, pans, etc.) and ride away at the end of the day!
No room to walk on the sidewalk so…walk on the street edge
Drivers honk as a courtesy to let you know they are coming, try not to worry…they see you and will avoid hitting you
Easy, cheap transportation by taxi, bus, train, or air
Beautiful countryside…trees, rice fields, mountains, beaches
Nicely landscaped and trimmed medians along divided highways
Roadsides lined on both sides, mile after mile with
their National flag (red with a gold star in the center)
Genuine, welcoming smiles from nearly everyone
Words of acceptance for the past and optimism for the future
Restaurants with interesting showrooms where you can select live fish, eels, oysters, shrimp, crab, lobsters, squid, octopus, etc.
Clean, modern hotels with great breakfast 😀
Smiling parents encouraging their children to talk with us so they can learn English
People, very proud of their country, seek our confirmation by asking, "What do you think of Vietnam?"
Many people ask where we are from and then are delighted when we say "America"
Traffic flows like boats on a lake because no one claims the right of way
No stop signs
Passing is ok on either side as long as there is enough space to get by
Left turn or U turn directly in front of oncoming traffic is ok here. Cars will slow or even stop, if necessary, to avoid hitting you. All is done slowly to allow oncoming cars to adjust.
No road rage
Very little evidence that any vehicles have been scraped on the side by any other
We did not see even one vehicle that had been seriously damaged in an accident
Quiet motorbikes…and millions of them
Slow traffic with nearly everyone apparently agreeing to keep it that way
Almost no traffic police
Great tunnels through mountains, good roads and bridges
Very few water buffalo…one was a living prop for a picture opportunity (farmer stretched out on his back resting on top of the buffalo) Where would you lie down in a rice paddy?
Hard working rice farmers bending to work in chilly water all day
Serious and strong women working with men doing dirty manual labor jobs (trash pickup, mixing cement with a shovel, etc.)
Bicycles piled high and wide with huge loads…how do the tires survive?
Men crowding the coffee shops at all times of the day
Never ending stream of beautiful girls in gowns getting photos taken on the beach
No noticeable presence of government controlling the lives of the people
Huge Investment in mega hotels…China again?
Women's bodies totally covered with sweatshirts, hoodies, helmets, gloves, face masks, hair covers, and sunglasses while riding motorbikes
Women riding motorbikes while wearing high heels and helmets with cute little teddy bear ears
So many people apparently very happy with their lives…smiling, laughing with coworkers, taking pride in their work
When conditions are improving people tend to be happy and optimistic for the future…that is Vietnam today-looking ahead, not back.
Roger
