Entering Vietnam

Our bus ride from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to Saigon, Vietnam, cost us $3.50 each. We were swamped with people trying to sell us drinks and fruit and sunglasses each time we stopped.

See photos at http://web.mac.com/erinfearn/iWeb/SE%20Asia/Journey%20to%20Saigon.html

As could have been expected, we ran out of petrol before we reached the border, and after we crossed the border we could see that Vietnam was far better off. The bus we climbed into in Vietnam was new, and had a friendly, English-speaking tour guide riding in it with us. The roads were sealed, kids looked cleaner, healthier, and cared-for.

Vietnam, like Cambodia, has seen much war and poverty. However, where Cambodia’s destruction was caused by civil war, Vietnam has been the victim of invasion. By China, France, and the USA. And where Chinese and French occupations have been oppressive, the United States offered cold murder and destruction.

We attributed that history to our reception in the streets of Saigon. We did not hear calls of “Hello!” like we heard from the children of Cambodia. We received stares without smiles. People would nod to us only in response to our own, and although we met many friendly people in our first days in Vietnam, we felt much distrust both from and toward others. We experienced more blatant lies from drivers, and we were taken advantage of all over again! Charged 10 times the going rate for a shoe shine –and then the little bugger didn’t want to hand over the change! When we insisted that we would go and get change if he didn’t have it, a young man, about 20 or 21 years old, came over, spoke harshly to the kid, gave us our change. When we smiled and thanked him, he did not smile, he stared coldly then walked away with the scared-looking kid keeping up, alongside him. What an introduction!

Then we hired cyclo drivers to take us for a coffee, and then to see the city: a temple – where there were turtles; the Reunification Palace – a palace with a “Gambling Room” upstairs, and a basement full of tunnels and rooms like “the War Room”; and the War Remnants Museum – that museum was pretty full on: it used to be called The Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, but changed its name in the interests of tourism. On the walls were gruesome photographs of war – families begging for their lives, American soldiers posing with corpses, and victims of Agent Orange. Outside the museum giant bombs and tanks were displayed.

See photos at http://web.mac.com/erinfearn/iWeb/SE%20Asia/Saigon%20City.html

After spending 5 hours with our drivers (during which time we shouted them coffees and cold drinks), and paying them the agreed amount – 200,000VND each (which was about 2&1/2 times the reasonable rate), they asked us for more money, in fact they asked us for another 100,000! We told them we didn’t think that that was very fair. They left, making it clear that they were unhappy with the situation, and we entered another massage room at the Blind Association, feeling stressed and irritated by the constant scamming.

The massages were no good either.

Our sense of security returned however, upon spending our first night in our flash hotel, that had a balcony and a bath, and was as clean, but far nicer than any place we have stayed, and cost us $8 per night. Then our comfort was secured the next night, when we met some friendly English students in the park, who go there to speak to foreigners and practise their English. We stayed and talked to them for 4 hours, and they were really lovely people.

We spent our time in Saigon resting more than anything, in our deluxe room. We slept, we slept in, and our time of many stairs began, with this hotel requiring us to climb 5 storeys to our room.