Life on a Scooter – Vietnam in a Nutshell

We wanted to offer some closing thoughts on Vietnam, especially as our initial impressions of Japan provide a terrific contrast. The countries are truly like night and day. 

As noted in our prior posts, Vietnam is challenging yet well worth the effort. The ubiquitous scooter will forever be the defining feature of Vietnam for us. Cars are expensive and even if you could afford one, where would you park it? The scooter is the solution. As a tourist, you can rent one and take your chances finding your way, or you can get a ride on one to wherever you want to go for almost nothing. We played it safe and walked or took taxis as necessary.

If you are Vietnamese, nearly everything can be and is done on a scooter. You can transport anything and everything – from fish, to birds, to your entire family of 4:

Vietnam mandated helmet use in 2008 which cut down on road deaths enormously. But not everyone wears one, and even if the adults do, the children do not. We imagine that there are no serious regulations of children on scooters because prohibiting children would make life impossible for most families.  

The things we saw scooters doing never ceased to amaze. There is no such thing as a one-way street in Vietnam – there will always be scooters going against traffic. This made crossing the street even more challenging. You must continuously watch for scooter traffic coming from both directions. It made your head spin. Still, we did not see a single collision, only lots of close calls.

It was impossible to get the quintessential “army of scooters” photo because everything happens so quickly. We did however see a t-shirt that captured the “rules of the road” for scooters.

Green light: I can go / Yellow light: I can go / Red light: I can still go.

This is not an exaggeration; red lights mean nothing to scooters.

With the coming Tet holiday, we say scooters toting all manner of new year decorations, including kumquat trees and flowering tree branches:

And let’s not forget the bikes, which also conduct all manner of business and share the road with the scooters and cars:

While the rest of the Asian world is celebrating the year of the rabbit (based on the Chinese zodiac), Vietnam is celebrating the year of the cat:

In addition to the cat, the Vietnamese substitute a water buffalo (for the ox). These symbols are apparently more reflective of local life.

If Vietnam is chaos and noise, Japan is organization and quiet. The Japanese are nearly silent on trains – there’s no need for a quiet car. We heard loud music and people belting out karaoke (mostly badly) everywhere in Vietnam. Honestly, we think everyone is hard of hearing or going deaf due to the high volume. Any background music in Japan is at a low level. The Vietnamese are warm, welcoming, and outgoing; the Japanese are aloof, polite, and shy. Vietnam is dirty; Japan is spotless. Vietnam is cheap, Japan is not. Surprisingly, the Vietnamese we met spoke better English than what we’ve encountered so far in Japan.

Thus, Japan has already presented some new challenges – not the least of which is the weather. We are “(un)lucky” enough to be in Kyoto when they are experiencing the first large snowstorm in 10 years.

Never a dull moment,

Shana & Jeff

Hanoi and Ha Long Bay

We flew from Hue to Hanoi just for one night so we could transfer to our two-night Ha Long Bay cruise. We noticed immediately, however, that Hanoi is "advanced Vietnam". Traffic was crazier than anywhere else, with even more scooters doing even more unexpected (and sometimes unexplainable) things. We were immediately glad that we had not started our Vietnam journey in Hanoi because we might not have made it any farther.

The next morning we were picked up in a small bus, which then proceeded to fight through the packed streets of Hanoi to pick up other guests heading to Ha Long Bay. The driver even had a person we referred to as "the fixer" who must have been riding ahead by scooter to help set up the pickups. Only in Vietnam. 

By the time we arrived at Ha Long City, we had been on the bus for almost four hours (with a couple of stops). Good thing it was comfortable. From the cruise terminal we took a tender to our ship where we learned that there would only be seven of us that first night on a ship that can hold up to 30! (On the second night of our trip we were all of 8.) 

We did very little on the cruise other than enjoy the amazing views of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.

We did have an opportunity to kayak a couple of times and, despite the cold, we did so. This gave us a chance to see additional parts of the Bay and was really beautiful and pleasant. 

We also kayaked through a fishing village where people literally live on the water. 

A couple of people from our ship did not kayak, but were on a traditional boat rowed by a local woman (Vietnamese women are strong). They learned that many of the people in the fishing village cannot read, and that the children there do not go to school. We also saw many dogs on the docks of the village; they are there to prevent the birds from stealing the fishing catch, which is kept in open nets prior to use/sale. Good dogs.

Finally, we stopped on a small beach and visited a cave that, along with others on the Bay, were used as hiding places during the American War. For us, these just provided more good photo opportunities.

Our first morning of the cruise was my birthday, and the ship's staff was ready.

Yes, that is birthday cake for breakfast, which was dutifully cut up and served to all of us before we set out for our day. 

Although we never saw the sun on the cruise (and therefore missed out on what are apparently amazing sunsets), and it was pretty cold, we had a very relaxing time. And, because of the weather and the time of year, we saw very few other ships while we were cruising, which made our voyage even more tranquil. Overall a very worthwhile thing to do while in Vietnam.

Returning to Hanoi, we had a couple of days before we flew to Japan. We saw Ho Chi Minh's masoleum (and the nearby People's Congress building), but did not go in because for some reason it is only open from 7:30-10:30 am, which made no sense to us.

We visited The Temple of Literature, which was originally built in 1070 and is dedicated to education and the Vietnamese emperors who created the education system, and the adoption of a Chinese-style exam system for public servants. Confucius is worshipped here along with several of his disciples. Especially impressive are the stone Stelae each of which lists those who passed the exams in a given year. The turtles on which the Stelae rest represent permanence.

We also visited the Hoa Lo prison, which was known by the American pilots who were held there as the "Hanoi Hilton". However, the prison existed long before the American War, built by the French in the 1930's to hold and, frankly, torture the Vietnamese freedom fighters who were seeking to free Vietnam from colonial rule. In fact, most of the exhibits were about the French period, but there was some information about the American War, and the prisoner pilots and later reconciliation efforts.

As always, just wandering around the city was part of the experience and provided some excellent photos along with good food and excellent coffee.

As the end of our time in Vietnam approached, I think we were ready to move on. Although we really liked the energy, at times it was a difficult place to travel. Also, we left just as the Tet holiday (Vietnamese New Year) was beginning, and there is no doubt that it would be difficult to be a foreign tourist in Vietnam during that time. Still, we appreciated the decorations and preparations we were able to witness.

Onward to Japan.

Jeff and Shana

Hue -- The Imperial City

Our next stop in central Vietnam was Hue. Because we enjoy traveling by train, we wanted to take a train while here. The best opportunity to do so was between Da Nang and Hue, where the train passes through the Hai Van pass – a scenic mountain/coastal route known for its beauty. We returned to Da Nang by car from Hoi An to board the mid-day train for the 2.5-hour trip.

Jeff had read good things about the trains in Vietnam but as soon as we boarded we knew we may have erred. The train was old and dingy, the windows dirty and there was food trash on the floor. To the extent we thought Spaniards behaved badly on trains, the Vietnamese took it to another level letting their kids run wild screaming and climbing on seats, while they talked loudly on their phones or watched videos without headphones. The scenery did make up for the chaos, so the trip wasn’t entirely unpleasant. (No photos due to sitting on the wrong side of the train, the locals blocking most of the view, and dirty windows.)

Hue served as the imperial capital during the reign of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945). We spent one day wandering through the Citadel area. Sitting at the center is the Imperial City – a large royal complex with a rich history. Many parts of the compound were destroyed during the American war, but there has been significant restoration work done.

The Ngo Mon Gate still serves as the main entrance and includes three gates. Only the emperor could walk through the central gate and it is blocked from use even today.

From the top, the emperor oversaw ceremonies and military displays.

There are several omnipresent symbolic objects in Vietnam. They include large, ancient bells and drums. These signify the origin of sound, which brings harmony to mankind. Also, the Chinese symbol for longevity is used ornamentally on buildings.

The Mieu Temple Complex includes 9 huge, beautifully-decorated bronze urns between the temples that are dedicated to the emperors.

The restored galleries are all that remain of Can Chanh Palace. The red columns and doorways with golden carvings are classic.

The Royal Theater is also elegant and is still used today for performances.

Some of the early Nguyen emperors implemented important changes in Vietnam, but the later emperors were puppets for colonial France and had limited impact.

In the countryside surrounding Hue are several imperial tombs. We visited three of them. Each was distinct in design, although there were similar features.

The Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang is beautifully set in a serene, lakeside complex. He reigned from 1820-1840. Jeff is standing in front of the temple for worshipping the emperor’s soul; I’m standing in the foreground of the tomb. Each tomb we visited featured a set of stone “guardians” – animal and human.

The tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh, who ruled from 1916-1925, was built on a hill. It was a hot and humid day, making for a taxing climb up the 127 steps to his final resting place. It is the most ornate of the tombs. I really liked the googly-eyed dragon motif.

Emperor Thu Duc’s tomb is set in a sprawling complex that he used during his lifetime as an escape from life at court. He was the longest reigning Nguyen emperor (1847-1883). The honor guard at this tomb was smaller than usual because the emperor was short in stature.

Thien Mu Pagoda is a peaceful space along the Perfume River in Hue. It is a 7-story Buddhist temple built in 1601. The carved stone stele is from 1715 and the bronze bell was cast in 1710.

You’re wondering why there is a car photo, yes? In 1963, a Buddhist monk from the pagoda rode from Hue to Saigon in this car. He was the monk who famously self-immolated on the street in an act of defiance against the pro-Catholic (anti-Buddhist) Ngo regime. It’s an eerie relic of a tragic moment.

Hue was a worthy stop in our Vietnam journey. We learned a lot, ate well, and had two days of sunshine, which were appreciated in light of the mostly gloomy weather we’ve had here.

Onwards to Hanoi and Halong Bay!

Shana & Jeff