Back in 'Nam

I have to get this out of my system before I move on to actaully talking about Vietnam. I just have to. I’m a 20 year old male college student, so it is required of me.

The Vietnamese currency is called the dong, Twilight’s name is “Hung Dong,” and a common noodle soup eaten in Vietnam is called pho (pronounced “fuh”). All three of these led to numerous jokes made by the shipboard community during and immediately following our stop in Vietnam. “I threw down so much dong back in ‘Nam!” is a good example. Cut us some slack on the maturity front.

My first real experience of Vietnam was of drinking. We landed in the evening in Saigon after flying from Siemp Reap, so we couldn’t really go to any museums or sites. We were told Saigon is a backpacker city, so there’s a solid central location, known as the Backpackers District, where we can find all the bars. Luke, Brandy, Reid, Christina and I had all returned from Cambodia together, so we set out for the night in Saigon together. A small group of taxi drivers and motorcycle drivers were constantly stationed just outside the port. Everytime a group of students approached them for a ride, a huge mob of people would try and pander us for rides. It was a little frightening at times. We opted for a taxi this time since we had quite a few folks. The two prime spots were Buffalo Bar and Go2, two multi-level bars on opposite sides of the street. When we arrived in our taxi, bar satff from both venues swarmed us, trying to get us into their bar to drink with them. I’m relatively certain we picked Buffalo Bar first and went up to the rooftop terrace to enjoy the company of other SAS students. It didn’t really matter which bar we chose because everybody that was out floated freely between both bars and they were relatively similar. Alcohol is CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP in Saigon. A beer for $3 is too much. I had four cocktails during Happy Hour one night for only $9. Most places don’t have covers except for on the weekends, and even then are very cheap. We shouldn’t get used to this, apparently, though, because Hong Kong is supposed to be expensive with regard to drinking. Better put on my best outfit and flirt my way to inebriation!

On my first true day in Vietnam, I started off with some food at a sushi place right outside the port. The port in Saigon was interesting because you’d step off the ship, walk a few hundred feet, and be outside on a busy street. The phrase “busy street in Saigon” is a bit redundant because the traffic is outrageous. There’s a lot of hustle and bustle all the time; the streets are full of cars, taxis, motorbikes, people, animals, it’s pure madness. Traffic laws are basically suggestions, sort of reminiscent to how they were in India. The best way to cross the street? Enter when there’s a small break and just cross while hoping you survive the onslaught of Vietnamese traffic. If you look while crossing, your dear-in-headlights face will not save you and you will be run over—at least I assume that’s what will happen because I didn’t actually witness any of that happening. I will say that even after crossing the street numerous times for three days amd three nights, Vietnamese drivers know what they are doing. They would whiz around groups of people and cars in order to avoid certain contact. Often it felt like the video game Frogger. Long tangent aside, the sushi was delicious! Japan is just around the corner...

Leaving the restaurant, I headed towards the center of the city. When I arrived, I approached a motorcycle driver about a ride to the War Remnants Museum, a museum dedicated to the Vietnam War (or, as they call it, the American War). It turned out the driver, named Young, was willing to take me on an entire tour of the city, whisking me around from place to place on the back of his bike. My intended first stop was closed for a few hours due to power outages (sounds like Cambodia), so we went to a buddhist temple instead. Buddhism is a peaceful religion based on finding nirvana, and the temple was no different. There were people praying, lighting incense sticks, and quietly meditating. It was a lovely break from the constant quick pace of Saigon.

Following the temple, we returned back to the War Remnants Museum. I wasn’t sure what to expect, having only learned about the Vietnam War from an American perspective. I was totally blown away. There certainly was a feeling of strong anti-Americanism, but considering the material, it seemed appropriate. There were several exhibits on three different floors. Many of the photographs in the exhibits were grisly, graphic, and gruesome. Especially moving was the section on Agent Orange, also known as Napalm, but chemically named 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin. While the original intention of the United States military was to spray Agent Orange over the jungles and grasslands in order to clear the dense foliage, what actually ended up happening was a huge amount of accidental exposure to humans, causing birth defects, cancer, serious maiming, and death. There were pictures depicting people affected by Agent Orange in the museum. They were harrowing, to say the least.

Young took me around to several other tourist spots in the city, including the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame, the Central Post Office, and the Hong Kong Market. We conversed along the way, talking about our family, friends, lives, and the like. It felt like I was making a friend. I definitely had made a friend—after my visit to the War Remnants Museum, I told him I was so sorry that my people and my blood did this to his people and his blood, that I hoped we could be friends despite past tensions between the Vietnamese and Americans. He said it was fine and that we were okay. He even took me out to a traditional locals restaurant where we shared a delicious meal and drinks. He taught me how to toast a drink in Vietnamese and told me where the best places to go in the city were to have fun at night. I was amazed by his compassion and humanity in light of horrible misdeeds that occurred during the war (which he was alive during!). The night finished much like the night before—debaucherous. An amazing day coupled with a lot of fun with my friends night made for what was one of the best days of my life.

The next two days were much more slowly paced. They really only consisted of exploring Saigon some more by way of motorbike, shopping, and getting a massage. None of my drivers were as personable and friendly as Young, though they were good men, nonetheless. I did most of my shopping at the Benh Thanh Market, a large marketplace in central Saigon. Bargaining is ridiculously easy in Vietnam. A bottle of Hugo Boss cologne? $10. A bunch of t-shirts? $8. A pointed traditional head piece? $1. It can get expensive if you buy a lot of things, but individual items are outrageously cheap. Sure, they may be knock off, but you can’t put a price on cheap DVD’s…well, you can, but you know what I mean. The massage was also on the cheaper side, but wasn’t the best as it consisted of a lot of punching. They aren’t your typical Sweedish massages! Even still, it was worth it.

While I may not have left Saigon, and I may not have seen everything in the city I wanted to see, my time in Vietnam was certainly well spent. It makes you think, though, since there was a war so recently, so here’s a little something to consider.

Whether or not you agree with the war and our involvement in southeast Asia is irrelevant. It’s long over and we lost. Sure, American textbooks say it was a stalemate, but who really wants to admit defeat anyway? I picked up a magazine while on my fight from Siemp Reap to Saigon and there was a brief history of Vietnam that said they had won the American War. You don’t hear that in America. You also don’t really hear about Agent Orange. History is written by those in power. Like I said, though, our involvement is not relevant. What is important, though, is how wars our fought and how humanity treats humanity. Dioxin, the primary compound found in Agent Orange, has been described by scientists as being the “most harmful and toxic chemical ever discovered by mankind to date,” and that only 85 grams could wipe out an entire city of 8 million. You’d think we’d learn our lesson, but biological, chemical, and radioactive war is not a thing of the past. It still exists in the world. What really amazes me, though, is the human capacity to forgive. The Vietnamese could shove us the bird and say “pho America!” Nope! Instead, they do quite the opposite; they welcome us with genuine waves and smiles. I’ve made friends with a handful of locals on this voyage, but Young was the best. I wish I had kept his e-mail.

Vietnam and Cambodia were two beautiful countries that incited a lot of reflection on what humanity is and what it is capable of. Southeast Asia, you have stolen my heart! Next stop: Hong Kong!