Xin Chao: Welcome to Vietnam

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- It’s summertime, and many of us are fleeing to the shores and cities in order to cool off and escape from the daily grind. But you need not limit the scope of your destination to American beaches or European castles. The Far East beckons! As I discovered, Southeast Asia is a playground for those who crave bargains and thrive on adventure. Yes, it’s sweaty, and, yes, it’s unfamiliar—but isn’t travel about trying new things? Say goodbye to your comfort zone and venture with me to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. You won’t regret it!

It’s hard to mention Vietnam without the punctuation “War”—hardly a selling point to a cautious American tourist. Thankfully, the past forty years have seen a shift to a more Western friendly, quasi-capitalist society. Think fewer hammers and sickles and more credit cards and cocktails.

My short visit was spent in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Eight million inhabitants and nearly 5 million motorbikes ensure a hectic, buzzing atmosphere, especially on the streets. You simply can’t ignore the ocean of motorbikes. Vietnam is seemingly devoid of traffic laws, so right-of-way is dictated by size of vehicle. Observe my tour bus: The driver turns left into oncoming traffic and the sea of motorbikes parts and glides around the obstacle without panic or a honk—an everyday occurrence.

When you’re not watching drivers weave in and out of obstacles, you’ll see up to six passengers on one motorbike. Occasionally someone will ride by with sixty live roosters tied in a pile on the backseat. Once in a while—and I’m totally serious—your jaw will drop as you pass a full-grown water buffalo strapped into one of those measly motorbikes. So rest assured; a routine car trip is guaranteed never to bore.

Of course, a trip to lovely Saigon would be incomplete without a tour of some sobering war monuments. The War Remnants Museum is an eerie display of “American atrocities”—history told from the other side. One part pure propaganda, another part uncomfortable reminder of American fallibility, the museum is an eye opening experience for anyone whose perspective has been limited by what is taught in a high school classroom. The same can be said for the nearby Cu Chi War Tunnels--an underground complex of impossibly small tunnels serving as home and combat station for the North Vietnamese—which provide humbling insight into Vietnamese ingenuity and devotion, qualities shared by humans whether friend or foe.

Still, don’t be fooled into thinking Ho Chi Minh City doesn’t have a lighter side to tourism. Some may choose to tour the replica Notre Dame Cathedral, courtesy of the French colonists. There’s also Reunification Palace, former home of the South Vietnamese leader, where you can explore the underground command bunker still outfitted with period military equipment.

Shopaholics are advised to bring an extra suitcase. Sure, you can blow your dong (the national currency) at the ritzy multi-level shopping mall downtown. But just a few miles away is a market where you can find anything--blenders, clothes, jewelry, food—and haggle your own price. Even my shoddy bargaining fetched a bag of goodies for under $40 USD that would have easily set me back $200 in the States. Almost too good to be true, huh?

You can get a bite to eat at a sit-down restaurant for under $5 USD, and it’s pretty tasty. Local fare consists of a lot of noodles and vegetables and seafood. It’s not spicy, relatively light and, of course, eaten with chopsticks. The more adventurous should definitely explore the street cart scene where you’ll find all the skewered insects and barbequed animal parts that a person could want. Bon appetit!

Ho Chi Minh City is by no means a disappointment when it comes to nightlife, helped by the fact that it’s a place where the beer is cheaper than the water. Bars, clubs and especially the karaoke joints are hubs of entertainment for young folk. I don’t mean to brag, but I may or may not have gotten a perfect score singing a song that I’m too embarrassed to disclose (“Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks).

Spend one night here and you will discover this place is no backwater rice paddy. Ho Chi Minh City possesses a heartbeat and vibrancy that make it unique and worth a visit. That goes for Vietnam, too. It’s true, I didn’t relax on the coast’s white sand beaches or venture north to Hanoi, but I left for Cambodia knowing that I wanted to come back and start where I left off. If you think about it, that’s probably the highest compliment you can give any vacation spot.