Day 18, Summer in Asia, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Nothing makes me happier than starting the day with a hot bowl of noodles. Clearly, I’m in the right place.
We decided to see the War Remnants Museum, otherwise known as the most depressing experience you can have for only two bucks. We thought we’d be gone for a few hours, but didn’t get home until 8 in the evening.
As we walked to the museum, I’m astounded by the sheer number of scooters packed on the roads. When the light turns green, a monsoon of motos flood the intersection. Every nook and cranny of the road, between cars, has scooters crammed onto it–no space it left unused. This isn’t a rush hour phenomenon, because the whole day has the same density of vehicles. Craziest thing I’ve ever seen. When you cross the road you try for a gap, but if one never comes, you just stick together as a group, inch your way across, and hope the scooter-flow goes around you–and it has, so far! A few times while crossing, I caught myself chanting, “we gonna die today,” which really isn’t helpful to anyone.
We didn’t see any other tourists anywhere in our neighborhood. Each culture has staring rules. Here, they don’t do obvious in your face stares, it’s more covert, the way we typically do it. We’re staring alright, but in ways as not to get caught or make eye contact. Little sideways glances. I don’t blame them for staring, as we do look a little freakish here, they don’t have bald heads, blonde hair, or tall women like Madi and Cali. Even I am rare with my hint of something Asian in this huge Amazon Asian frame–German bones will do that. But as I said, everyone here is subtle and no cat calling to women, it’s socially comfy.
We walked past an unusual pink cathedral, like Barbie pink. In front there was a man with a cart copying keys by hand.
We stopped for some real coffee at a cafe on a significant intersection. I was difficult for me to focus on the conversion at hand because of the insane scooter antics in the intersection. Mesmerizing. Next time I’ll need to sit with my back toward the window if I’m to listen to anything going on at the table.
Sidewalks are put to good use here. Here is a pop-up restaurant with wooden box tables.
Many sidewalks were filled with valet scooter parking. Just like the streets, every nook and cranny of the sidewalks are used as little parking lots, some gratis, some for a price. You give your scooter to the man, and he shoehorns it into a tiny spot where you’re sure it couldn’t fit.
We saw quite a few scooter-nappers.
In the week we were in Saigon, this was the only large dog we saw. The only one. Let’s not talk about why.
We passed a French bakery, which meant we needed French pastries, whether we liked it or not. Turns out it was more bakery than French. Not a pain chocolat in the house, but I did find some little stray madeleines that had found their way into the store, so had those.
I decided to go to the War Remnants Museum because I remember being taken to protests against the Vietnam war when I was very young. My parents, who had both lived through World War II and had become pacifists, felt strongly about the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. They would have liked all these peace posters on the museum wall.
The War Remnants Museum harbored proof that there are a few other tourists in Ho Chi Minh City. It also harbored photographic proof of many horrible, horrible things. Having recently seen the War Museum in Cambodia documenting their autogenocide, and this one with U.S. involvement, you understand further that where there is war, there are people doing atrocious acts under the justification of their cause. As Paul and Madi made their way systematically through all the exhibits on the four floors, Kier and I only looked at a few. After Madi told me there were deformed fetuses in formaldehyde, I decided to pass on the Agent Orange room altogether.
Admittedly, we really knew very little about Vietnam before we arrived here. We did learn that it is one of only four countries in the world considered Communist. Like China, but unlike North Korea and Cuba, Vietnam enacted economic reforms in the mid-eighties that brought free market capitalism to the economy. Ever since, Vietnam has actually had decent to superior economic growth. After visiting the War Museum, and seeing the devastation the war brought to all involved, it is ironic that the very Communist outcome the US fought to prevent from overtaking Vietnam in fact lasted only a decade or so…Politically, it is no democracy, however in experiencing the buzzing commerce all over this city, you would never know that it is considered a Communist state. Don’t tell the UBER drivers…
After an afternoon at the museum, we went to the Ben Thanh Market in a round about way. Vietnam is the only country we’re visiting this summer where we don’t get data on our phones, and we feel it. We have to use the more basic follow your blue dot on the map, rather than the full blown active reloading map. The market was medium sized, not the Grand Bazar but enough to see until you get tired. Madi got a purse with a subtle mature elephant motif.
We had lunch in a sushi place that was excellent and had air con, so we could all cool off a bit. Prices here are extremely affordable. We had 3 plates of dumplings, a chicken fried rice, 3 tempura sushi rolls, 2 Sapporo beers, 2 waters, and two ice cream sundaes (with sprinkles) for $29.
On the walk home we stopped by a grocery store for shampoo and cereal for Madi. Here they don’t have a few shelves of ramen, there’s a whole aisle to choose from.
What I wasn’t prepared for were the number of scooters that drive up on the sidewalk. All of a sudden a quiet one will be on your heels, or I’ll be talking to the girls and one flies by a few inches away and almost takes off my arm. The road is packed with scooters and without warning they will jump the curb to come for you and the sidewalk. So you think you’re safe, but it’s a false illusion!
Here are some other sites we saw on the walk home.
We stopped by a restaurant that had “Pizza” in large red letters. We went in and saw 3 huge mounds of cheese, so we assumed they were up and running. We asked them if they sold pizza by the slice, they said no. Then we asked if we could buy a whole pizza and he replied, “No pizza, no sauce.” I assumed he knew only basic English when he added, “It’s a soft opening.” Which surprised me that he knew they English business term. I love being surprised like that.
When we got home, some of us watched the Killing Fields, which we wanted to watch while we were still in Cambodia, but the internet was too splotchy. Here we managed to get through half, and will watch the rest in the morning.