So here I am, about to reflect on Vietnam. It was incredible. It was hot and muggy and the streets were swarming with motorbikes, but it was absolutely stunning. It was the first country we've been to so far that is really in the upward swing of development. I know Shanghai has grown exponentially in the last 20 years, but I have only seen the skyscraper version. Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon, as the locals still insist on calling it) has no real defined skyline, and at night, the sky is dark above the 14th story. They are still in the motorcycle stage of development, and taxi companies are just starting to have a presence. Every cyclist is required by law to wear a helmet, unless he is a passenger under the age of 10. The women ride their motorcycles completely covered from head to toe, but not out of modesty. They wear zip up jackets, long pants, stockings under their sandals, hats under their helmets, sunglasses, and a large cloth that covers from their nose down to their neck, all to keep the sun from darkening their skin. Meanwhile, I was sweating in my tank top and shorts!
My trip to the Mekong Delta was quite possibly my favorite part of my time in Vietnam. It was an overnight trip organized through Semester at Sea, and the only one I signed up for. (Many people go for days with SAS to the Great Wall in China, the Taj Mahal in India, or spent 3 out of our 5 days in Vietnam on a trip to Cambodia.) There were about 40 of us, mostly students, but about 8 or 9 were either faculty, staff, or their children. We woke up bright and early to bus down to the delta. I slept most of the ride, but when we got to our destination, I was in awe. We all piled in to a riverboat led by our guide, and around me were seemingly endless trees lining the Mekong river. The river itself is brown and shallow, yet its the source of life for the majority of Vietnam's population. They bathe in it, drink it, wash their clothes in it, and live on it, as they travel the delta's waterways on their small boats to the floating markets. Each boat, though identical to the rest at first glance, was uniquely personified. Following an ancient tradition to ward of river spirits, on the stern of each boat is painted a colorful set of eyes. And from a pole rising from each boat, hangs whatever item is being sold, from pineapples to onions. We rode through the floating markets for some time, observing the lively activity and being offered soft drinks from children who rowed up next to our boat. The whole time, I kept checking myself... I could not believe that I was in Vietnam, riding on a boat down the Mekong River!
We stopped off in a village that was bustling with activity. Along the dirt roads there were no real houses or buildings, only large, open air structures with tin roofs. Under one, a man was boiling a vat of salt in order to purify it. In the next area, several people were working together to make coconut toffee. Starting from a ripe coconut, they showed us the process of melting it and mixing ingredients, and then stretching and cutting the candy to be hand wrapped and packaged. The business behind them was making rice paper, I had no idea just how versatile rice was, but I shouldn't have been surprised, considering Vietnam is the second largest producer of rice in the world! The rice paper was made into several forms: round like a tortilla to make spring rolls, small irregular shaped pieces of hardened crackers (tasted a just like corn flakes) and long sheets of paper used to wrap and preserve candy. Across the way, people were making puffed rice, like rice crispies. They popped the rice like it was popcorn, and then sifted out the dirt and unpopped rice. The finished product was then mixed with caramel in large sheets and cut into pieces and packaged. It was so interesting to go from one section to the next and see all of these people working so efficiently to make these products.
I don't think my trip to the Delta would have been complete without trying all of the delicious fruits that were growing everywhere. Not only did they have tiny bananas and coconuts to drink right out of, but they had lychee, mango, papaya, guava, dragon fruit, and jackfruit. By my third day in Vietnam, I was all fruit-ed out!
Even though I had a blast in Vietnam, I don't think it had the same kind of impression that the rest of the ports have had on me. Which is the opposite of what most people I've talked to have said. Maybe the level of development there felt more in the way, rather than feeling like an enhancer of my experience, or maybe I've never had a strong connection to the Vietnam War, and other people were affected more because we were visiting a place where American troops fought so recently. That said, after walking on the same soil where our own soldiers fought not so long ago, and after going to the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels, I have a much greater interest in what it is that the soldiers my age are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I can't believe it has already been a week since I left Vietnam. For that matter, I can't believe Hawaii was 6 weeks ago! The time is flying by, and I'm doing my best to follow Don Gogniat's (our Global Studies professor) travel tips:
1) It's all about the people
2) Keep your feet on the ground
3) The more you know, the more interesting the trip will be
4) Never let your age get larger than the number of countries you go to (that will be a toughie...)
5) Stop and smell the roses
6) Find a park bench and let the world pass you by
7) Try to appreciate why someone is smiling with you at any moment
And with that, I say- India, here I come!
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