Vietnam
My husband Thomas and I flew out of Los Angeles on 09/11, a short layover in Tokyo, then touched down in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) some twenty hours later.
I’m deeply grateful for two things that made this trip possible. The first was an invitation to speak at NZAMT in Whangārei in northern New Zealand. This honor meant an opportunity to visit Vietnam on the same trip, especially to tour all the regions north of Nha Trang for the first time. I hadn’t returned to Vietnam since 2005. The second is my employment at Amplify which means it’s the first time my vacation days are not tied to the school calendar and peak airfare prices.
———
Organized Chaos. That’s how Thomas describes the traffic in HCMC. People pay no mind to the few traffic signals. Our driver claims 13 million people live in the city, and I believe him because half a million are currently on motorbikes at this one intersection. And people honk as a way to alert you of their approach, instead of it being a middle finger to your driving.
Grab, self labeled as “Southeast Asia’s Superapp,” is incredible. You just need to remember that your ride is likely to arrive in less than 30 seconds, so be ready.
Ăn ốc — snails eating — is my new wish for what Heaven might offer. One particular street stall [pictured] on Hang Buom Street in Hanoi is exceptional. In addition to an assortment of snails, she also has clams that she cooks with fresh pineapples, chillies, and lemongrass. Perfection.
If all Vietnam could offer were its beautiful landscapes, I seriously would not care to return. I’ll just watch a documentary. It’s all about the food in Vietnam that I can’t get enough of, especially due to where I live in the States. (I have to drive nearly 3 hours one-way to Little Saigon to get a sampling of Vietnamese cuisines.) Cơm bình dân means “commoner’s rice,” a meal consisting of rice and several side dishes, including soup. Turns out this is the type of meal I miss most. I invite our tour guide and driver [blue shirt, top left] to eat with us at every meal, but I understand if they just want to be alone. After all, our driver speaks no English, while Thomas speaks no Vietnamese.
We spent 12 days with these two gentlemen, and I pray our paths will cross again.
I envy easy access to the abundant and affordable fresh produce in Vietnam. It makes me sad and angry that the stuff that’s good for us costs so much more here in the States. Common herbs — mint, basil, rosemary, thyme — are packaged in little plastic pouches as if they were limited and exotic.
That was the basket! At the break of dawn, a small boat takes us to the fishing village of Duy Hai, Hoi An. The men fish, deferring to their wives the all-important job of haggling over prices with customers. I see it before anything else. I point at it and call out to Thomas, “That was the basket! The basket that my brother threw me in from the cliff! Looks just like it.” [top right]
On the last full day, we went to Vung Tau, a lovely seaside town where I was born.
