Issue #3: Sensory Overload
Vietnam is a lot. The sights, sounds, smells, tastes… and most of all, history. From French colonization to the Vietnam War, the people of Vietnam experienced significant trauma in the last century. It is impossible to unlearn what I’ve learned from the War Remnants Museum in Saigon and the Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi. My heart broke multiple times when I thought about what my parents experienced in Cambodia and Vietnam in the 1970s and 1980s. Visiting these museums while war is raging between Isreal and Hamas as well as between Ukraine and Russia hits a particular poignant note. I don’t understand the embers that sparked and continue to stoke the fires of hatred. Even watching news coverage of the sufferings makes me sick; how can humans live this out? Why are we so cruel to one another?
After shedding some tears, I decided that food would cheer me up. One of the best things about Vietnam is that delicious food abounds. From the creation of egg coffee to the slightly different takes on bun cha, it’s clear that ingenuity and pride run through their food.
Small ‘restaurants’ (generous word for these establishments) and tiny food carts that would not pass inspection in North America serve up steaming bowls of pho, rice and noodles for mere dollars. Often, there are no menus, as each establishment specializes in only one or two items. On more than one occasion, we see multiple generations of a family running the business, and it’s neat to observe their interactions with one another. There seems to be an unspoken love and loyalty among them as they work together to feed tourists and locals alike.
Tonight, we will take a Hanoi city tour by motorbike. It promises to bring us to hidden gems that we wouldn’t see if we travelled by car. I believe each stop will give us further insights into this multifaceted place.
Have you visted Vietnam? If so, what were the highlights for you?