VIETNAM IN A NUTSHELL

Well, we worked our way through Vietnam in 18 days and visited 6 cities along the way.  Whew!  Vietnam was a last minute decision for us & we are so glad that we decided to squeeze it in.  Although it was chaotic & EXTREMELY hot, we feel like backpacking pros now that we conquered the craziness of Vietnam!  Here is our take on the cutural & historical country.

THE GEOGRAPHY

After working our way up from the south, we both agree that the northern part of the country is more geographically attractive than the south.  Our experience in southern Vietnam was big concrete cities, crazy streets & NOISE!  As we worked our way up from Ho Chi Minh City, the cities continued to get better in better.  Dalat, our second stop, opened our eyes to how beautiful and diverse Vietnam really is.  I can honestly say no two cities we visited were alike, each had their own influences and unique vibe. 

THE PEOPLE

We found it hard to connect & culturally understand the Vietnamese people.  We were frequently pushed, poked & yelled at as we walked down city streets (perhaps this is why some of the more remote towns were our favorite).  It felt as if the people were unaware of how their actions were portrayed by other cultures.  For instance, as westerners we would find it rude to cut someone in line, push your way through a crowd, or cough without covering your mouth.  But these are normal, everyday behaviors to them.  Their way of communicating and their body language is just different than ours.  Now I will say that we saw these behaviors more frequently in the elder generation than we did in the younger.  The younger generation seemed more interested in other cultures and really wanted to learn about you!  On numerous occasions we spent time with Vietnamese students working on their english and teaching them about our culture.   After taking time to learn about them and help them, we walked away feeling as if we gained a new friend.  Nomadic List blogger summed up the Vietnamese culture perfectly…

“…If you’re a stranger to people, they will not show any interest whatsoever to you, they will shout at you, they will be rude and they will probably not help you when you fall off your motorbike…. But then when you transform from stranger into their friend, literally everything changes. They’re sweet, curious and welcoming. So they take a while to warm up to people.” – Nomadic List

THE SENSE OF CAMARADERIE

An underlying similarity between all Vietnamese people, no matter what age, is their sense of camaraderie within their community.  It wasn’t unusual to find large groups of Vietnamese people sitting on street corners (ALWAYS drinking some sort of tea or coffee) and visiting with one another.  We often wondered if they had jobs!  The Vietnamese people really seemed to enjoy the little things in life.  We always saw large extended families sitting together outside…simply enjoying the company of one another.  Dad would  be bouncing a small baby on his lap while mom & grandma are laughing and peeling vegetables.  Another young sibling is throwing a ball into the street while grandpa is chasing it down to throw it back.  This common scene reminded me to stop and smell the roses…enjoy the simplicity of life and the people in it. 

THE FOOD

AMAZING!  If you are a carb lover (like myself) you would be OBSESSED with the baguette bread & tasty pastries that are readily available on every street corner…seriously some of the best I have ever had.  We loved the fact that the protein wasn’t the main focus of the dishes…it’s the herbs that are the real stars in Vietnamese cuisine.  Basil, Mint, Lemongrass.  There’s always a unique blend of flavors with every bite. I now know the importance of using FRESH herbs & spices when cooking a meal…it makes SUCH a difference. And it opened my eyes to new flavors & concoctions I would have never put together!  I will say that I did get a little tired of the abundance of rice that is served with EVERY meal. Rice plays a huge role in literally every dish (even breakfast!) so it was a little challenging to find something to eat when I had had my fill of rice.  One thing I could never get tired of is the fresh exotic fruits…Fruit smoothies, fruit juices, fruit salad!  I loved discovering and trying new fruits. Our two favorite Vietnamese dishes were the obvious Pho, and a new discovery, Bun Cha.  Bun Cha is a dish of grilled pork & you guessed it…rice noodles.  The grilled fatty pork is served in a delicious sauce that you then pour over your serving of noodles.  Let’s not forgot the heaping plate of fresh herbs & lime that make all the difference in the world!  

THE HEAT!

Ahhhh we cannot forget the heat!  At times it was so intense it was almost unbearable.  It wasn’t that “burning your skin” type of hot, it was that “walk outside of your door and just hit a wall of heavy humidity” hot.  The air was so THICK…you almost had to exert a little extra energy just to walk through it!  The crazy part…it would be over 90 degrees outside with 90% humidity and the Vietnamese women would be fully covered from head to toe (white skin is a status symbol).  So here I am drenched in sweat, wearing a tank & shorts while a Vietnamese woman would be wearing socks, jeans, a shirt, a hooded COAT over her shirt and GLOVES!!!!  They also wear a face mask (looks like a hospital mask) so literally the only thing you can see is their eyes.  How they don’t pass out from overheating is beyond me!

So there you have it!  Our experience in Vietnam was eye opening, challenging, educational, diverse and oh so memorable! This crazy bucketlist adventure wouldn’t have been the same without it!

xo Brittany

CITIES WE VISITED

• Ho Chi Minh City
• Dalat (2nd favorite) 
• Nha Trang
• Hoi An (favorite!)
• Cat Ba Island
• Hanoi