The last week and a half have been a whirlwind. My parents and I were lucky enough to see both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and then travel back to Cambodia where I showed them around Kratie.
None of us had been to Vietnam so each experience we had was totally new. We planned the trip incredibly late so we actually ended up booking with a tour guide service knowing we could see a lot more of the country if we weren’t always struggling with the logistics. I felt pretty silly being shown around by a tour guide, but it was actually one of the best parts of the trip. Both our tour guides, Viet and Giang, are from Vietnam and while I found the plethora of information they shared with us interesting, it was learning about their lives and personal insights about Vietnam I enjoyed most. Viet comes from a family of sugar cane farmers in the central highlands of Vietnam and while he wanted to remain in his village to teach, he knew Ho Chi Minh City offered better opportunities. Giang is originally from Hanoi and the only woman at her company who works full time. She explained a lot about the role of women in Vietnamese culture and although circumstances are improving, I was impressed by her drive to pursue her career despite many challenges.
In Ho Chi Minh City we were able to tour the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Reunification Palace, and the War Remnants Museum, but my favorite part was our day trip to the Mekong Delta. Having seen the 200km stretch of the Mekong from Kratie to the Laos border, I really enjoyed seeing the Mekong so much further south. We rented a tour boat and traveled through these narrow braided channels. The vegetation was so thick on either side all you could see was the winding river ahead. We stopped at a family-owned coconut candy factory where we were given an insane number of samples and also a brick-making factory where our guide explained the process from start to finish.
Our first day in Hanoi we spent time seeing the tourist highlights including Ho Chi Minh’s house and mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, Hanoi’s first university dating back to 1070, and the “Hanoi Hilton,” the prison where Vietnamese were held during the French War and later US Air Force pilots were held during the Vietnam War. Speaking of the Vietnam War, or the American War as it is referred to by the Vietnamese, it was very different to hear history explained to you from the opposite viewpoint. At the Cu Chi Tunnels (the incredibly intricate tunnel system around Saigon that essentially prevented U.S. victory), the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, and the “Hanoi Hilton” prison we were reminded of the atrocities the U.S. committed during the war, but also of things that were blatantly untrue, like the supposed humane treatment of the U.S. prisoners of war. All in all I learned a ton about recent Vietnamese history I did not know, but at each of these sites couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable given I knew the U.S. had wreaked havoc on this country. Also, what I saw reminded me there are always two sides to every story.
Our second day in Hanoi we traveled to Halong Bay where we spent the day and one night cruising between some of the 3,000 limestone islands that make up this designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visited a floating fishing village where we donned some cone hats to keep the sun out of our faces. The next day we visited one of the area’s famous caves. It was lit up inside which made all the geological formations look even cooler. It should come as no surprise that I enjoy being out on the water, so the trip to Halong Bay was easily my favorite part of the trip.
Temple in the alley
We had one free day left in Hanoi sans tour guides. We decided to walk around the Old Quarter of Hanoi where you find more of the traditional markets and locals just going about their business. Each street is named for the goods it sells – shoes, children’s toys, silk, flowers, clothes, etc. We wanted to see as much as we could so we followed the guidebook’s walking tour which resulted in us getting incredibly turned around and looking 110% like lost tourists as we stared at the map trying to make sense of the Vietnamese street names. At one point the book led us to a temple that was tucked way back in an alley and up a flight of stairs. The room was tiny, but covered from floor to ceiling with intricate carvings, offerings, and statues. From the street this alleyway looked very ordinary, but we were pretty amazed by what we found inside. We wrapped up our tour with a stop at a local restaurant and tried Bun Cha which is grilled pork with rice noodles – super tasty.
Overall, while I really liked both cities, I slightly preferred Hanoi. The French influence has led to some beautiful architecture and there are large boulevards surrounded by parks throughout the city. Also, while development is steadily increasing in Hanoi, you could still see the local Vietnamese culture throughout the city, especially in the Old Quarter.
We hopped a plane back to Phnom Penh where we spent one night and I showed my parents around the city, mostly just wandering along the riverfront and the neighborhood around the WWF office.
We then headed to Kratie for the last two nights of the trip. While seeing the sites in Vietnam was awesome, I really enjoyed showing my parents where I have been living. We went one morning to see the dolphins at Kampi. We saw at least 8, many of which came incredibly close to the boat. I also took them to the WWF office where they met some of my coworkers. I realize I have said this many times before, but I feel incredibly lucky to be visiting parts of the world I’ve never seen and getting to share the adventure with my parents. I couldn’t have imagined a year ago I would be a tour guide for my parents in a tiny town in rural Cambodia.
Sunset on the Mekong
While 99% of the trip went smoothly I just have to finish this post with a couple funny stories. We ended up leaving a little memorabilia from the Goss clan at the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City….. my mom leaned over a balcony and she dropped her umbrella onto a ledge that no one could reach. At first I thought her entire purse had fallen, and my dad thought SHE had fallen, but thankfully it was just her umbrella. Unsure how long it will remain on the ledge. In Hanoi, we were also enjoying the water puppet show, a tradition dating back to the 11th century, when my mom literally screamed out loud in the theater. Turns out a rat was running around below her feet. Finally, I was psyched to be taking a taxi back to Kratie rather than the cramped minivans I usually take. Someone always buys a durian on the minivan which smells up the entire vehicle which I thought I could avoid this go around. Well, about halfway through our trip the driver pulls over to the side of the road and buys a durian and sticks it in the trunk. Its smell still permeated the entire car. I also found a cricket on my foot in the car and screamed (not because I’m scared, because I was startled! …. or perhaps both) and proceeded to start smashing it with my shoe. The driver found this absolutely hysterical and in his broken English just repeated “killer” in between his laughs.
Given these were the snafus we encountered on the trip I’d say we did pretty darn well and now I’m thinking I can’t wait to explore the countryside of Vietnam someday!