Travelogue :  Kyvan's Southeast Asia Adventure

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Dec 12, 2005
Back to Saigon (Again)
 

We went straight back to the travel agency that booked our Da Lat trip to unleash our frustration from feeling scammed once again. Mom put on an impressive tirade. And they were at a loss for words "...but, but the hotel told us it was just refurbished and remodeled within the past 3 months." Mom said, "Remodeling is one story, building up from scratch is another. You told me it was brand new! I want my money back." As always, the refund was not easy to get. However, on more than one occasion in Vietnam, persistence has paid off. We got a partial refund for the rotten room and ultimately paid only $9 rather than $25. The refund was significant. And get this...when returning the money she tried to gip us 2000 VND. I caught this mistake by once again using my trusty calculator. This calculator has come in handy on more than one occasion. Don't come to Vietnam without one because everyone scams you in Vietnam - including the exchange banks! We exchanged cash there and they short changed us. I found out only after I did my trusty calculation, then informed her. She then gave us the full amount without apologizing. (FYI: In Vietnam, bring CASH and exchange at jewelry stores. You will get the full exchange rate this way.) OK, so we told her, "You gipped us 2000." "Oh come on, what can you buy with 2000 anyway?" Mom rapidly said, "Just give us all the money." And we left satisfied.

A collection of some Saigon snapshots:

Vietnam Summary

Vietnam is not for the weak traveler. If you dont like hot weather, can't use a squat toilet, are afraid to cross a street without a crosswalk, fear geckos and large insects, cannot lower your standards of cleanliness, cannot recognize a con when you see one, allergic to air pollution, you will surely have a horrible time. You must lower your standards formed by the benefits and privileges of your society and adapt to the conditions of an impoverished country ruled and governed by one dominant Communist party. This is a system that allows those with governmental authority to use tactics of threats and intimidation to secure their own power and wealth, while other well-deserved, hard working individuals labor daily for insignificant pay. It is this poverty and desperation that has driven the Vietnamese to defraud, rip off, and cheat others. People attempted to screw us over many times.

It came to my attention that some people were offended by my posted picture of the Ho Chi Minh/Communist propaganda billboard on page one of my travelogue. The purpose of this site is to share my personal, first-hand experiences in Vietnam. This is what reality in Vietnam is like today. I am presenting it. These billboards are everywhere and people there worship HCM for liberating the country from the foreign Japanese, Chinese, French, and Americans. The cause was noble, but so many suffered under the Communist rule. Many Vietnamese are silent in their hatred for HCM for fear of retaliation by the government. In this country, you will be viciously punished for disagreeing with the government or for saying any cross word against HCM. People suffered and died brutally by the hands of this oppressive government. I have heard stories of Communist soldiers raiding homes, stealing everything of value, raping little girls. People would be desperate, leave everything behind and flee the country towards Malaysia or the Philippines in makeshift boats, only to be caught, raped, murdered, and thrown overboard at sea by pirates from Thailand. And on the other hand, Americans are not angels in this matter, for they also brutally murdered, lost, left, and strengthened the Communists pride at achieving their liberty from foreign invaders.

The country is in a sad state in so many ways, but apart from politics, which I have previously discussed briefly in Chu Chi and Da Lat, Vietnam impressed me in so many others ways. Vietnamese people are really amazing! I have seen them up at 4am preparing to open their markets and small vendor stands, old women laboring in rice fields under the hot sun, elderly women rowing boats of tourists for hours, children hired to create meticulously detailed embroidered art, and so many more examples of menial, repetitious, monotonous, routine laboring on a daily basis. There are no cushy cubicles, 9-5, A/C, free coffee, and company picnics here. These people work their butts off for low pay with no chances of promotion, pay raises, health coverage, etc. We in America have this, but need more. It is very common in any culture that no matter how much we have, it is never enough. Recognize this. But you must see first hand how little people get in an impoverished country to appreciate the privileges you have in your own countries. I can appreciate how immensely important it is to have an education in order to foster opinions, innovation, motivation, and maturity. Exposure to diversity educates us about the world we live in; diversity of not only ethnicity, but ideas, opinions, food, and music. Vietnam is a homogeneous society. Most people only know about Vietnam and have never traveled outside of their province. They are missing so much of what this world has to offer, and things that we just take for granted. They are bright people, but the opportunities for the Vietnamese are dismal, money is scant. No access, no opportunities. That's Vietnam's society in a nutshell. But the landscapes are a different story. Limestone archipelagos of Ha Long Bay, vast white sand dunes in Mui Ne, evergreens in the mountains of Da Lat, blue ocean water in Nha Trang, sparkling caverns of Phong Nha, truly stunning scenery. By the time you're done with Vietnam, you may feel as if you have survived it, but it's an eye-opening experience in so many ways.