I was thrilled to finally be visiting Vietnam! It was a country I had always dreamed of seeing. It is famed as one of the most beautiful countries in the world with some of the best cuisine. I would soon find out that that is an understatement. We had only planned to stay in Ho Chi Minh City for 3 nights since big cities aren’t really my scene and we were expecting it to be very overwhelming. It quickly became one of my favorite cities in the world and it changed my life forever.
Our flight was smooth and the only bump in the road we hit was waiting outside the airport for a bus that never came. We learned that Vietnam is not the best at updating information for almost everything. We were able to call a Grab to get to our hostel after realizing that if the bus was 45 minutes late it was probably never coming. The drive from the airport was about an hour and we were able to get a good sense of the road culture before we would have to become pedestrians. It was wild! Motorbikes were zooming all over and it was way more extreme than Thailand or Cambodia simply because of the volume of people on the roads. The biggest difference we saw was that everyone wore helmets, which impressed me.
We had to walk down the tiniest of alley ways to get to our place, Baoanh Hostel, and we were greeted with incredible hospitality. I was in a state of wonder after the alley way and climbing up the most narrow staircase up to our room only added to it. Bradley had to duck down at every landing before the next flight of stairs. I couldn’t believe how much could fit into a compact space! Our room was clean and spacious, comfortable, and surprisingly quiet and situated away from the bustling city noise. Once again, my Bradley had found an amazing value for money.
We were exhausted from lack of sleep and travel so we decided to find a coffee shop to enjoy some famous Vietnamese coffee. One Coffee was just around the corner from us and we ended up visiting every day we were there. The caphe sua da (iced milk coffee) was incredible and very strong! It was exactly the pick me up we needed to enjoy the city nightlife later on. By the time we got my sim card and all that situated we were quite hungry. We took a stroll down Bui Vien walking street which is known as “the backpacker street.” It was full of lights and neon and the deep humming bass of EDM. There were tiny tables and chairs out front of each club on the sidewalk. It was a party street if I had ever seen one.
We found some prime real estate at Food and Beer 102 which happened to be the ultimate gem on Bui Vien. The ladies were so welcoming and knew all the locals. This was the place to be if you wanted to chill, people watch, and have some great snacks and a good time. Our first round of Vietnamese beer was delicious. We snacked on some spring rolls, and people watched. We were really itching to have some Pho for dinner for our first real meal in Vietnam so Bradley found a great place around the corner. Pho Quynh was some of the best Pho we had for our entire time in Vietnam.
After a much needed solid sleep, it was time to explore the city. We grabbed some caphe sua da from One Coffee to go and walked to the park to enjoy just like the locals. Ho Chi Minh City is full of amazing parks that give you the sweet relief of nature in a big bustling city. The trees were lovely and everyone had smiles on their faces.
The time had finally come when we had to cross the busy streets in the city. In Vietnam there are a few things to remember when crossing the streets. Lights don’t matter, look both ways even on a one way, always keep your hand out and face the oncoming traffic, never stop suddenly, stay at a consistent pace, and hope for the best. Each time we crossed a street I had a death grip on Bradley’s hand and I cursed the entire time. It was a complete rush of fear and adrenaline for me. I was proud of myself because I had already been stretched so much from the Thai and Khmer road culture. Had Vietnam been my first Southeast Asian country to visit, I think I would have died.
Walking around the city you see a melting of culture within its architecture. Each building varies in color, size, and style. It’s a feast for the eyes! There are tiny alleyways leading to incredible neighborhoods hidden behind the buildings that line the sidewalks. And yes, there are wide beautiful sidewalks all over the city! I was so thankful for that as we are almost always traveling around by foot.
After a delicious lunch watching the mesmerizing traffic flow through an intersection from a third storey window, we made our way to The War Remnants Museum. This museum is a place every American should visit. It completely changed me from the inside out. Just like when we visited the genocide museum in Phnom Penh, I realized quickly there was so much I was not taught about the war in Vietnam. Even after watching documentaries on History Channel and reading various books. It is a shame that Americans do not get a full understanding of what we did to Southeast Asia during those long years, especially Vietnam, because if we do not acknowledge our mistakes and the consequences of our actions how will we ever learn? History does and will repeat itself.
The most shocking information I learned was about Agent Orange and the extent of the lengths America went to, to completely destroy the beautiful and bountiful country of Vietnam. I only had vague knowledge of the operation. This incredibly toxic chemical severely affected those exposed to it, Americans and Vietnamese and their families for generations to come. Agent Orange can cause severe birth defects even 4 generations later. America dumped and sprayed hundreds of millions of pounds of one of the most intense and dangerous chemicals of all time, Dioxin. The effects of this chemical are more than horrendous. It is and was a terrible crime against humanity and the earth. America was never punished and has never truly made proper amends for these operations. Through the rest of our travels in Vietnam I could see the effects on people who were deformed and disabled in different ways. I would even hear first hand from a man who had to drink contaminated well water during his childhood and what the chemical and the war had done to his life and family.
On top of Agent Orange were the heinous war crimes committed by soldiers from the orders of their higher ranking officers and generals. Torture, rape, and mass murder. I read the regretful words from several American soldiers describing the acts they were ordered to commit on Vietnamese citizens without understanding why. Most American soldiers were very young men forced into the war against their will via the draft. The weapons, vehicles, and ammunition from the American military that were on display were creatively barbaric. Massive, medieval, and insane. Some of which are now considered illegal for military use now. It was shocking and unbelievable that so much money and ingenuity went into these weapons designed for the sole purpose of killing ever more efficiently. Seeing it in person is different from watching a documentary or reading a book.
I also read the kind and grateful words sent by the Vietnamese leader at the time, Ho Chi Minh, who personally thanked the Americans who were against the war and were protesting against the American government. It still is one of the biggest united movements of protest in American history. Once we had completed the entire museum, which ended in a room that was dedicated to the brave Americans who fought and protested against the war, I stood on the steps of the building and sobbed. I was not proud to be an American. I was not proud of our history. More so in that moment than ever before. I was completely and utterly moved and my soul ached for Vietnam and its people. As I stood on those steps questioning my beloved country, wiping away tears, feeling lost and devastated, the Vietnamese security men smiled at me from across the path with compassion. They smoked their cigarettes and enjoyed the cool light rain beginning to fall. They did not blame us. They did not hate us. I couldn’t help but think if it was reversed that Americans would not bestow the same compassion. I admired Vietnam and their motto against every country and power that had been trying to take them over for decades, “independence or death.” Though they were the underdogs, they rose up and won. And they have maintained their independence since.
It was a long and somber walk around the city back to our place to shower and rest. Bradley and I talked a lot with intermittent moments of silence. The city was misty and humid and we were exhausted. We went back to Food and Beer 102 and let loose. We drank beer, smoked shisha (hookah) and made friends with some locals who gave us nothing but love and incredible insight to the people and how they see America, Vietnam, and communism. It was insightful. Another moment where I realized we are all the same, wanting the same things, experiencing the same things, but always in our own bubbles believing we are the only ones experiencing challenges and discord in our societies.
The next day, I struggled with my blood pressure being very low and was quite weak but determined to make the most of our time in the city. We had our first Banh Mi’s in the park and made our way to the famous Cua Bac Cho Ben Tanh market. We only lasted 5 minutes in there. The Vietnamese take the hard sell to a whole new level. The vendors were blocking our pathways and overwhelming us with cacophonous and loud statements like “look here miss!” Or “you want to buy something?!” They would hold up their products an inch away from our faces. It was aggressive and completely desperate. A woman grabbed my arm to pull me to her stall and I nearly lost it. Unwanted touch is an immediate trigger for me, especially from a stranger. Add pulling on me and a very overstimulating environment and I was losing my mind with panic. I yanked my arm away and yelled at Bradley to “go! We need to get the f*@# out of here!” As soon as we reached the sidewalk I screamed. I was thankful I didn’t hit anyone. It was awful and we both decided to steer clear from any markets after that.
We made our way through the busy streets and came upon the Saigon Skydeck. We decided to buy tickets and go all the way up to the 49th floor to have the best panoramic views of the impressive city. Wow! It was absolutely fascinating to see the city from that high up and all the way around the building. The building had 3D interactive computers that pinpointed important buildings and landmarks and provided history and information on them in several languages. The size and ingenuity of Ho Chi Minh City was nothing short of spectacular.
By this time in my travels I had become so fond of viewing cities like this. My introverted side could truly appreciate a bustling and complicated city from these perspectives and once I would make my way back down to ground level I would always have a new appreciation for the city. It was nice and cool inside and we were the only people enjoying the floor. I was able to cool off, relax, and hydrate. We stayed there long enough to watch storms roll in and it was a treat. I have always been infatuated with storms and Twister is still in my top 10 favorite movies of all time.
To beat the rain we hustled out of the Skydeck and headed back to our little coffee shop for a pick me up. We timed it perfectly and as we got our drinks it began to rain. We enjoyed our caphe sua da and rose tea with bubbles and were convinced by the staff to try the Banh Mi Xiu Mai. It is a delicious loaf of baked bread and Vietnamese meatballs in a flavorful broth. An excellent snack to enjoy while the rain cooled off the city. The young lady who served us was so happy to see our repeat business and she told us about how much she loved America. We told her how much we loved Vietnam and her smile and giggle sang a thousand thank yous.
After heading back to our room we prepared for another night out. We went back to the little bar on Bui Vien street and it was the best night we had in the city. The sweet woman who ran the place was so happy to seat us for the third time and brought us rose apples with a chili salt to dip them as a gift for our loyalty. Our local friends we had made the night before greeted us with open arms and smiles ordering us a round of beer immediately. There were more guests with a karaoke machine and I was quickly coaxed into singing for the whole street. I had no choice in the matter but gladly chose a song by my favorite artist, Lady Gaga. And I sang my heart out on a gold microphone to the whole street with cheers of encouragement from all around. It was a really wild moment for me and I felt exhilarated.
We drank and snacked to our hearts content, said heartfelt goodbyes to our new friends and promised to be back again someday. I fell in love with the city and the Vietnamese people almost instantly. It is a wild and intense city full of the best surprises. It’s rough around the edges and the culture is raw and unabashed. I was thankful to have experienced it as my third Southeast Asian country to visit. I felt I had been more prepared and had become accustomed to the similar cultures and ways of life of the people. It was a smoother transition than I would have ever imagined. Ho Chi Minh City is now and forever one of my favorite big cities in the world and I already long for the day I can return.