Sadly our time in Vietnam ended on a bit of a sour note: Alex is struggling with a cold, the Banh Mi place we wanted to grab sandwiches from wasn't open, our substitute lunch spot took forever (making us late to the airport) and our taxi driver - pissed that the car in front of him wouldn't make a right on red - started screaming in Vietnamese and swerving while pulling out SCISSORS to threaten the guy with. On top of all that, Alex and I both started having intense stomach pains during our whirlwind cab ride - probably from eating too quickly - and became even more desperate to get to the airport (bathroom). Despite all that, we really did enjoy our time here! Below are our top takeaways.
A smoothie and sandwich I found at a juice bar in Hoi An. Sometimes the familiar is best.
1. "Hey lady you buy something?" Hawkers are everywhere in Vietnam and offer everything from manicures to scarves to coconuts. Most of them speak some English and often shout at you to buy something. We always needed to say no at least twice to let them know we really weren't interested and sometimes actually had to change course on the sidewalk just to get by!
2. Coffee is big here. Just like Thai iced tea, it's usually served with sweet condensed milk and it's delicious. We didn't know that Vietnam is the second-largest exporter of coffee but it makes sense now!
3. Scooters really are everywhere and they have their own set of rules (i.e. anything goes!) we saw scooters transporting everything from goldfish to bricks to families of five and frequently driving in between cars and on sidewalks.
4. The country itself is really run-down in most areas. Saigon definitely stood out as more modern, but most areas in Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hue were underdeveloped and poorly maintained.
5. The "nicer" areas are much more touristy - which I suppose is to be expected, but we found it very eye-opening to see so much of the development directed toward the uber-wealthy, expat and tourist communities.
6. Call us naive but Alex and I really didn't know many details about the war before arriving in Vietnam. We took it upon ourselves to learn more and have been watching various documentaries but there is no denying the devastating impact left upon the country and its citizens - both from the war and leadership afterward.
7. What's up with cities starting with "H?" We realized every single place we visited started with the same letter: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City!
8. I wish we needed nice new work clothes because great tailors really are everywhere. Alex and I could have taken in magazine clippings of literally any outfit, been measured a few times and had a perfectly fitted wardrobe in a matter of hours! Next time...
9. Banh Mi is our new favorite food. I think this sandwich really is the best thing we've both enjoyed since Japan.
10. Weather varies! We assumed that the weather would generally be pretty warm (like Thailand), but we were wrong! Hanoi was cold - it's winter after all - but Saigon was sweltering. The temperatures from north to south vary as much as the US east coast!
Peak: Cruising through Halong Bay
Pit: Alex's ongoing cold
Next Stop: Phnom Penh, Cambodia