Vietnam Redux-Part Two
We spent most of our time cycling the country’s backroads through fields of morning glories (a special edible variety), mango and banana trees and rice paddies, rice paddies and more rice paddies. Dragon explained to us that rice was the country’s most important cash crop. In fact, it employs almost 80 % of the population in one way or another. In Vietnam, rice is manually cultivated with local farmers using water buffalos for ploughing their fields instead of tractors. Our group witnessed farmers laboriously stooping over to harvest their rice using sickles, the old-fashioned way.
American cyclist down!
One of the most unexpected sights, however, was seeing arguably the best cyclist in the group slipping off one of the elevated dikes into a field of lemon grass. By the time I caught up to him (being at the back of the pack), he already had his bike elevated high over his head climbing back up to the path completely covered in mud. A quick dousing from the groups’ water bottles did the trick. Luckily, he was unharmed and like a good trooper, got right back on his bike ignoring the good-natured ribbing of his fellow cyclists.
Our group of 26 riders slowly meandered through villages and alongside fields of green crops. We encountered a parade of locals on bicycles or motor scooters transporting surprising things such as a twack of 30 or more live ducks in one enormous basket. We saw temples, pagodas and burial grounds everywhere. Examples of ancestor veneration were ever present. Elaborate grave sites and small shrines outside people’s homes were everywhere.
Honoring ancestors with money, incense and prayers
Our American leaders, Trevor James and Lauren Cook—both of whom were passionate as well as exceedingly knowledgeable about Southeast Asia—explained that respect for the dead was an integral part of Vietnamese culture. At the full moon and then again mid-month, Vietnamese make offerings to their ancestors by lighting paper money and burning incense. The purpose? To gain favor from the gods for their ancestors’ journey through the various stages of reincarnation.
Dragon told us that 12 billion US dollars were funneled into the country last year by Vietnamese who have immigrated to other countries. According to him, a large portion of this is used to build or maintain family grave sites and shrines. Then he smiled surreptitiously adding, “And this does not take into account the money streaming in illegally.”
Perception versus reality
Everyone in our group arrived with a preconceived notion of what they were going to see and experience. Steve Brown, a successful lighting manufacturer with an ebullient personality, said he expected more jungle terrain. I suspect that image was conjured up from seeing so many movies about the Vietnam war. Steve did not anticipate either so much modern development in the country’s urban centers which we crisscrossed in between long stretches on quiet, rural dirt roads. None of us thought we would see this vast development, especially outside of Danang in central Vietnam.
Children as mini ambassadors
Steve also remarked how delighted he was with the smiling reception of the Vietnamese children. Wherever we went, we were welcomed as “rock stars,” as our Backroad’s guide, Lauren, called us. Children in simple attire or neat school uniforms, many wearing red bandanas around their neck, greeted us enthusiastically. I later learned that the red scarves—which we saw in profusion—meant the children belonged to the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organization, yet another subtle reminder that Vietnam is a communist country.
Children of all ages high-fived us as we cycled past. They giggled and yelled out in crisp English “Hello, where you come from?” Clearly, many of these children in the small rural villages were poor and didn’t have the same things our kids do. “And yet, they seem so content and joyful,” Steve thoughtfully observed. He continued, “American children by contrast cannot imagine a world without smartphones, tablets, and the internet. But look at these happy kids!”
Less is more
While it is true that kids around the world love many of the same things such as cartoons, pop music and video games, we saw few Vietnamese youngsters playing with a devise. Instead, most of the children we encountered seemed to be making their own fun: fishing, hunting, taking a dip in a local lake or playing Đá cầu, Vietnamese Shuttlecock. This is a game where kids line up in a circle and try to keep the shuttlecock—made of a weighted disc with feathers—in the air using any means possible.
Just as Steve, I reveled in seeing the small children who would run out of their humble homes or school yards to welcome our band of merry bikers. We encountered inquisitive faces with broad smiles everywhere we went. Many of the children appeared to be poor but they all had dignity in their demeanor.
One image emblazed on my memory was of a small boy, maybe seven years old, dressed in a clean sky-blue shirt, navy shorts and sandals. When he saw me, he grinned from ear to ear. In his hand, he proudly held up a black and white bird which he had most likely caught for his family’s lunch.
Obesity, diabetes and malnutrition among the population
While most of the children in the countryside were lean to the point of skinny, many in the urban areas were not. This was a major change from my first visit to Vietnam ten years ago. However, as one of the world’s fastest growing economies, this should not have come as a complete surprise. American-style fast food restaurants, such as KFC and Pizza Hut, have sprung up in the larger urban centers throughout Vietnam. And people are flocking to them. We learned from our guides that the country is now dealing with rising issues of obesity and diabetes in the cities. At the same time, widespread malnutrition in rural areas remains a serious problem for the government.
An unexpected warm welcome for American visitors
Many Americans forgo visiting this country for fear of not being well received as tourists because of the damage we inflicted during the Vietnam War. California resident Sandi Boyce remarked how surprised she was that there weren’t more animosity towards us. However, consider this fact. Two thirds of Vietnam’s current population are under the age of 30 years old. This means the Vietnam war is something more often discussed in their history books than part of their daily lives. In fact, we were told by our guides that the Vietnamese are by and large optimistic in nature. Vietnam has transcended its war-torn past to purposefully promotes itself today as a “nation foremost, not a war.”
While visits to former war battle fields was not part of our itinerary, we did tour Hoa Lo Prison at the beginning of the trip. The captured American prisoners ironically nicknamed it the “Hanoi Hilton. “ This macabre visit provoked a great deal of thought-provoking discussions over the next week among our group. No one denied the tragic mistake of the war which ravaged Vietnam and senselessly killed soldiers on both sides. And all of this due to a lie propagated by our American leaders, something upon which all of us agreed.
Adapting easily to the local cuisine
Most people on active vacations are equally curious about the local cuisine. Afterall, a cyclist requires fuel to generate energy for the daily ride. Our group quickly adopted the Vietnamese tradition of eating soup for breakfast using chop sticks. Each of our hotels offered Pho, an iconic dish combining rice noodles, slices of chicken or beef in a rich broth. We heartily enjoyed this dish adding bean sprouts, chilies and liberal squeezes of lime just as a local Vietnamese do.
Our guides made sure we had a rich sampling of local specialties including silkworms, frogs’ legs and fried crickets. More to our liking, however, were typical dishes such as Bành Xèo (rice pancakes filled with shrimp and fresh herbs); Bo Ne (sizzling steak and eggs); and Chă bō xoên quê nuóng (beef skewer on a cinnamon stick).
A country of contrasts: serene and chaotic, relaxing and stimulating
After two visits I can confidently say that Vietnam should be on the top of everyone's travel list. Its tumultuous and complex history, pulsating energy, and warm welcome are hard to resist. The country is filled with a kind, generous and industrious population bent on being optimistic about their future. The dramatic beauty of the countryside and Vietnam’s ever-so-heathy and delicious cuisine makes the country irresistibly attractive. It will grab all your senses and make you wonder why it took you so long to get there.