In recent years, traveling has become largely affordable and a bit more convenient. Every now and then, a change of scenery is a good thing. This spells more opportunities to explore different cultures and expand our perception of the world we live in. It instills a sense of history and enriches our understanding of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. So when my brother and I stumbled upon an online seat sale offered by the most tweeted airline, otherwise known as Cebu Pacific, we knew we had to take advantage of the opportunity.
You can say our family is quite a bunch of avid travelers. My mother loves to travel and it’s no surprise my brother and I take after her. Apart from notable sites we've visited in our country—indeed, it’s more fun in the Philippines!— we've crossed out a few Asian countries from the travel list. For the next couple of years, we plan on going to Cambodia to visit the magnificent Angkor Wat, and to Vietnam for its rich history, jovial people, and awesome pho and spring rolls.
Last weekend, we went on a dreamy whirl-wind adventure to Vietnam.
Alright, fine. It’s not as dreamy but it’s definitely more of a hectic jaunt. Once I packed my light luggage, I knew I was ready for 2 days of travel shock. What can a backpacker do with just 2 days in Vietnam? A lot of course, but there’s so much to visit in so little time.
We got to see the following places during our stay:
· Ho Chi Minh - Ben Thanh Market and Cho Lon Market
· Cu Chi Tunnel
· Mekong Delta
· Saigon River
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Good Morning, Vietnam!
Ho Chi Minh City |
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| The city has more motorcycles than cars |
Purchasing saled seats meant enduring evening flights (that’s going to and from our destination), being patient when the flights got delayed for an hour, and arriving past 3:00am in Ho Chi Minh. My brother says it ain’t Cebu Pacific if your flight isn’t delayed. He’s had a number of trips with the airline to boot and I didn’t bother questioning him. Fortunately, although we were on a budget tour, I’m glad to say we were able to book a good clean hotel. I fell asleep as soon as my back met the bed.
For starters, we stayed in the southern region of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh, the city more popularly known as Saigon thanks to the world-renowned Broadway play. Truth be told, I only knew a thing or two about Vietnam from watching that play, not to mention movies like Forrest Gump and Good Morning Vietnam. I didn’t do much research before the trip, and I think it’s this very lack of knowledge that made our tour more exciting than usual.
Upon arriving, I found out it was possible to cover the major historical destinations in the southern part of Vietnam as long as we remained faithful to our itinerary. However, for travelers who want to see more sites all over Vietnam, I’d say you’ll need about two weeks. Those who wish to visit the northern region of Hanoi, which is home to the scenic shores of Ha Long Bay, will have to take a 9 hour bus ride or a one hour flight coming from Ho Chi Minh. Though this meant no sandy beach photos or bikini lines to boast for budget travelers like us, I was fine with the idea because it’s not as if we don’t have spectacular beaches here in the Philippines.
I couldn’t catch my Zs during the two and a half hour flight. However sleep deprived, I woke up at 6:00am in time for our 8:00am trip to Ben Dinh. On my first morning in Vietnam, I barely had 3 hours of sleep. Nevertheless, it was still a good morning with clear weather just right for an entire day of sight-seeing. From the city, it took about 45 minutes to reach our destination. On the way, we stopped over to take photos in a man-made forest with endless rubber trees.
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| Waiting for the undead :p |
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With ate Mhelon
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Tai, our tour guide, eagerly talked about the history of Vietnam. Like most Southeast Asian countries, I found out Vietnam was colonized by Westerners as early as the 1800s, particularly by the French. I took photos of the century old Holy Virgin Church, the Grand Hotel which was erected in the 1930s, and the Post Office, all built during the French occupation.
The French let go of the country in 1954 and left its people divided; the northern region succumbed to communist rule, while the southern region became a non-communist republic which later became a U.S. ally. Vietnam was occupied by the Japanese during World War II, but it didn’t affect the country and its people as much as the 2nd Indochina War. The Vietnam War began in the 1960s and went on until 1975. On April 30 of that year, Northern Vietnam was subjugated by Southern troops and Saigon was renamed after its leader, Ho Chi Minh.
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| Holy Virgin Church |
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| Saigon Grand Hotel |
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| The Post Office |
When we arrived in Cu Chi, we watched an old documentary film which recounted how the three levels of the tunnel complex was built. The documentary was dubbed in English and it looked like a film reel rummaged straight out of the ‘60s. It explicitly venerated Vietnamese men and women who killed Americans, declaring them heroes of the war. The Vietnam War went on for over 10 years and the Cu Chi tunnels served as an underground city and defense unit for the Vietcong. It enabled them to organize guerilla attacks against unsuspecting Americans. But then, years of crossfire brought thousands of Vietnamese refugees to neighboring countries like Laos and Cambodia in search of safety and a chance to rebuild their lives. For the same reason, quite a number of these refugees also found their way to the United States.
My brother and I talked about how the film must have served as propaganda utilized by socialist supporters to organize and train the locals for armed combat. This movement defined their nation’s stand against democratic representatives. Evidently, it fostered unity and discipline among its people enough to successfully drive out their American oppressors.
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| Ho Chi Minh and my imaginary goatee - yes, I came in uniform |
Being a fellow Asian from a country with a history that spans over a hundred years of colonization, i thought the Americans weren’t supposed to have any business in Vietnam. They underestimated this Asian country and it took them years to realize they had to give up their conquest. The funny thing was a lot of American tourists were watching that propaganda film. It made me wonder what was going through their minds after learning that many Americans were mutilated mercilessly by Vietcong assassins. Were they merely tourists just in it for the show, or were they offended? In the same manner, I wondered how these Vietnamese facilitators and historians felt about what the Americans did.
Cu Chi Tunnel is a major attraction which draws thousands of tourists every year. So much of Vietnam’s tourism booms thanks to Americans who enjoy visiting this country. Today, ironic as it may seem, most Vietnamese are drawn into the American Dream. Our tour guide Tai talked about how numerous Vietnamese families wish to migrate to the United States in hopes of having a better life in the land of the free. At that point, I realized the whole of Vietnam is under communist rule.
I tried to access my Facebook to post photos when I realized it's blocked. The government strictly regulates media and public establishments prohibits access to various social networking sites. That's just one example of communist power, and it makes me wonder what other rights are being regulated in this type of government system (I'll do some more research on that).
It’s strange how many of us colonized countries have that same mentality toward our oppressors—we mostly end up adoring them. I think it’s either we deliberately forgot what they did to us, or they did a good job cleaning their reputation that we seem to have this colonial amnesia. They were simply opportunists. I'd like to believe every country is equal, and absolute power is a terrible joke. Well, just to cut the whining, all I want to say is that the U.S. does not deserve that kind of adoration from us or from any other country. Don't get me wrong, I'm not launching an anti-U.S. campaign. I'm just saying they aren't that great. People shouldn't buy into that American delusion so hastily.
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| Through the Tunnel |
After the film, we went to see various human traps and secret tunnel entrances in Cu Chi. I got the chance to enter a reinforced tunnel which was a bit wider than the original tunnels built in the 1960s. I have to say it’s one of the most interesting experiences of my visit. On the other hand, this isn’t for claustrophobic folks, dudes with severe hypertension, or anyone who can’t tolerate back pain. Here’s a tip: take your time before going inside a tunnel, you don't want to pop a vessel and end up with a bleeding nose just because you rushed to jump in. If you happen to find yourself nervous while under ground, don’t worry too much. Someone will guide you out safely. Also, there are instances when a tunnel forks, so unless you want to end up crawling for miles to the border of Angkor Wat, avoid wandering. Follow your guide.
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| Secret Passage |
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| Claustrophobia? |
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| Stuck in a tank |
Following our half-day excursion in Cu Chi, we headed back to Ho Chi Minh to shop at Ben Thanh Market and Cho Lon Market. These places reminded me of Divisoria and Tutuban in Manila mainly because vendors sold everything from food to china, toys, and clothes all in one market place. It’s where wise spenders buy wholesale items and get great bargains. One can definitely make use of their exceptional haggling skills in this shopping district.
My mom bought coffee and tea at discount price, we even got free coffee strainers. Before I forget to mention, Vietnam is also well known for its exquisite Oolong and Lotus tea, as well as the most expensive coffee in the world—Kopi Luwak, also known as Civet Coffee. If you want to know why it’s so expensive, click this link. No, I am not shitting you.
Well then, that’s it for my Saturday weekend in Vietnam.
