The Rest of Vietnam

We realize that there are many people who may have in fact had worse experiences while 'visiting' Vietnam, but most of them did not voluntarily go. And since Vietnam has opened its doors to tourism, we'd heard nothing but good things about the communist country. But while we managed to escape with our lives (and our limbs), like many before us, we will continue to relive the horror of Vietnam for the rest of our lives.


After Hanoi, we traveled via a pleasant overnight train to Hue, a historical city in central Vietnam. The central area of the city is surrounded by the unoriginal moat & gigantic wall combo. However, within that wall is yet another walled city, known as the Imperial City. Unfortunately, this once incredible city remains in shambles after enduring numerous battles during the American War (the wall & moat did nothing), and has yet to be repaired. The surprising high'light' of Hue is the light show that takes place on the Trang Tien Bridge each night (see picture above). The arches of the bridge light up in a cornucopia of colors so spectacular you begin to think that Vietnam might actually have its act together. Not the case.


The country's true charm is contained within the small town of Hoi An, located in central Vietnam. On a tour of the city you'll see beautiful buildings and quaint streets, and even a Japanese Covered Bridge (see picture above). However, most tourists spend their time in Hoi An at the tailors having shoes, shirts, suits and coats made for unreasonably low prices. I say unreasonably low because this is an instance where the saying, "you get what you pay for" seems to ring true. Of course, if you don't mind wearing a dress that makes you glisten as if you were a freshwater trout or a suit that suggests your shoulders are different sizes, this is the place for you.


It's worth noting that we were traveling in Vietnam during their holiday season, the Chinese New Year. The Vietnam version of this early-February holiday is known as "Tet", lasts for many days, and is like everyone's birthday, Christmas, and New Years, all wrapped into one. Needless to say, it's a celebration of epic proportions. Upon arriving in Nha Trang, a beachside town in southern Vietnam, we were invited to a Tet party at our hotel. We marched downstairs with the belief that we'd be exposed to a cultural celebration, it turned out to be more of a frat party-like environment. For an hour we were continually hazed by the organizers, ordered to finish our beers after every cheers - in which they recited some foreign phrase we could never quite grasp (probably a result of the alcohol consumption) - and fed exorbitant amounts of Vietnamese food. We learned a valuable lesson that day: gluttony is not just an American thing.


Lastly, I'd like to comment on the country's obsession with Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh was instrumental in unifying the country, so it completely understandable that most Vietnamese dig the guy. However, they dig this guy so much, that when he died in 1969 they wouldn't dig him a grave. Instead they embalmed him and stuck him in his very own Mausoleum in Hanoi (see picture below). From 8am-11am everyday, people literally march through (without stopping, do not stop) to see him. If you are into creepy dead guys with goatees, feel free to visit him; just make sure you don't go during the three months out of the year that he is in Russia for routine maintenance.