This is our last day in Vietnam. We took a cab to Chinatown this morning. It was about a 20 minute cab ride and the cab driver was only moderately crazy! We made it with out hitting anyone and there was one very close call. He dropped us off at a huge market that was under cover but consisted of many individual stalls. Here they sold meat, fish, vegetables, dried fish, noodles, pans to cook in, clothes to wear and about anything else you could possibly think of to buy. One thing different from any open market that we have been in anywhere in the world that sells meat and fish, was this one did not smell. They had a whole row of food stalls that sold food already prepared.. We had just finished breakfast so we didn’t partake of that. We walked around looking at everything for a while and then walked out on the streets nearby. It is so hard to walk on the sidewalks because they not only drive their scooters on the sidewalk they park them in huge groups. To get around them you must step out into the street therefore running the risk of being hit by another scooter or bicycle. When we were leaving, Everett tripped on the handle of a cart they use for moving merchandise and landed on his knees on the ground. Luckily he did not get hurt.
We will walk down to the night market this evening although we really do not want to add anything more to our luggage. We have to leave the hotel a 3:30 AM so we will make it an early night.
Wow, I think we have learned so much about Vietnam on this trip; its people and its history. Never once did we feel like we were in a Communist country. There seems to be a bustling free enterprise system that is thriving. The people in the markets just about drive you away with their ambitious selling techniques. For some reason, they think if they put an article of clothing in your face you are more inclined to buy it. Of course there is a lot of competition in such a large building with all the merchants selling the same products. “Madame” sees to be their favorite word.
In Vietnam, every young man has compulsory military service for 1 ½ years that must be completed between the ages of 18 and 27. That is, unless they pay a fee to get out of doing it. Our second guide told us he paid up and avoided the military.
The scooter riders must get a driver’s license that requires a taking a test that apparently consists of driving your scooter over a pained “figure 8” three times without getting off the lines or putting your feet down. Getting a license to drive a car is much more difficult. When I look at all these scooters and think of what it would be like if they were cars all I can see is gridlock. I know we have gone on and on about the traffic but it honestly is something you must see to believe..
The people seem to be content living under Communism. It doesn’t really seem to affect their daily lives. They sometime mention that the government is corrupt but with the same attitude they might say “it’s really hot outside”. You don’t really like it but there is nothing you can do about it so you don’t worry yourself about it, seems to be their attitude. Our guides told us how much progress has been made here, particularly in the last 10 years since the US renewed relationship with Vietnam and tourism has bloomed. Tourism is the largest industry and then the export of rice and oil. Oil is produced here but the first refinery will not be completed for another year so crude oil is shipped out and refined and imported back for domestic use.
Prices here are really good on most things. Everett and I both got our hair cut at nice salon and it cost us $6 for both of us (not each) and we each had a bottle of water too. Food is really reasonable but our hotel is not all that cheap. It is a small hotel that was built in the last few years. It is really nice and has all the amenities of the big hotels but with a lot more charm. The breakfast is quite extensive too. We would recommend it to anyone staying in HCMC.
The people are taller than the previous generations because of better diets. One of guides told us that a meal consisted of rice with 3 to 4 ounces of meat to feed the whole a family. Until recently the cows were used as beasts of burden to plow the fields and not as milk cows. There are very few dairy products in their diets even now. They use condensed milk in their coffee. There is more prosperity and as a result their diets are improving.
There is so much more, so much I can’t even remember it all right now, but it will come back to me.
We pretty much feel like we have seen HCMC and its nearby attractions and look forward to seeing different areas of the country someday. We have read and been told by people visiting here that the areas north in Hue and Da Nang are some of the prettiest places in the world. We had planned on visiting those areas but because of our detour to Bangkok, our time did not allow us to make the trip north.
Unless a major change occurs we should make our flights tomorrow with no problem. It even looks good for business class. Keep your fingers crossed. We should be back in the U.S. Thursday morning.
We will walk down to the night market this evening although we really do not want to add anything more to our luggage. We have to leave the hotel a 3:30 AM so we will make it an early night.
Wow, I think we have learned so much about Vietnam on this trip; its people and its history. Never once did we feel like we were in a Communist country. There seems to be a bustling free enterprise system that is thriving. The people in the markets just about drive you away with their ambitious selling techniques. For some reason, they think if they put an article of clothing in your face you are more inclined to buy it. Of course there is a lot of competition in such a large building with all the merchants selling the same products. “Madame” sees to be their favorite word.
In Vietnam, every young man has compulsory military service for 1 ½ years that must be completed between the ages of 18 and 27. That is, unless they pay a fee to get out of doing it. Our second guide told us he paid up and avoided the military.
The scooter riders must get a driver’s license that requires a taking a test that apparently consists of driving your scooter over a pained “figure 8” three times without getting off the lines or putting your feet down. Getting a license to drive a car is much more difficult. When I look at all these scooters and think of what it would be like if they were cars all I can see is gridlock. I know we have gone on and on about the traffic but it honestly is something you must see to believe..
The people seem to be content living under Communism. It doesn’t really seem to affect their daily lives. They sometime mention that the government is corrupt but with the same attitude they might say “it’s really hot outside”. You don’t really like it but there is nothing you can do about it so you don’t worry yourself about it, seems to be their attitude. Our guides told us how much progress has been made here, particularly in the last 10 years since the US renewed relationship with Vietnam and tourism has bloomed. Tourism is the largest industry and then the export of rice and oil. Oil is produced here but the first refinery will not be completed for another year so crude oil is shipped out and refined and imported back for domestic use.
Prices here are really good on most things. Everett and I both got our hair cut at nice salon and it cost us $6 for both of us (not each) and we each had a bottle of water too. Food is really reasonable but our hotel is not all that cheap. It is a small hotel that was built in the last few years. It is really nice and has all the amenities of the big hotels but with a lot more charm. The breakfast is quite extensive too. We would recommend it to anyone staying in HCMC.
The people are taller than the previous generations because of better diets. One of guides told us that a meal consisted of rice with 3 to 4 ounces of meat to feed the whole a family. Until recently the cows were used as beasts of burden to plow the fields and not as milk cows. There are very few dairy products in their diets even now. They use condensed milk in their coffee. There is more prosperity and as a result their diets are improving.
There is so much more, so much I can’t even remember it all right now, but it will come back to me.
We pretty much feel like we have seen HCMC and its nearby attractions and look forward to seeing different areas of the country someday. We have read and been told by people visiting here that the areas north in Hue and Da Nang are some of the prettiest places in the world. We had planned on visiting those areas but because of our detour to Bangkok, our time did not allow us to make the trip north.
Unless a major change occurs we should make our flights tomorrow with no problem. It even looks good for business class. Keep your fingers crossed. We should be back in the U.S. Thursday morning.
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