A Look Back: Ho Chi Minh City & Hoi An, Vietnam
- Anna
- Jan 13, 2020
- 5 min read
Greetings All!
I am not a New Year’s resolution setter, but one thing I did want to challenge myself on in 2020 was to write more, especially in documenting my 2019 travels. In determining how best to recap such a momentous journey, my brilliant husband suggested doing a recap every Sunday of where I was one year ago during this same time. Thank you for the great idea, Bobby! This is one of the many reasons I keep him around. So here we go!
The Get Busy Living Tour started in the early morning hours of January 1, 2019. I hopped on a train out of Osceola, Iowa bound for Chicago. That evening I boarded a plane from Chicago to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. After some VERY long flights and a very short layover in Taipei, I arrived in Vietnam at 10:00am on January 3rd. I spent my first week in Ho Chi Minh City getting over jet-lag and adjusting to the notion that I was really starting this solo travel journey half a world away from everything I know and love. The first few days were a bit overwhelming and lonely; you can read about that here from one of my very few posts actually written from the road (also known as the one where I lost my underwear off the balcony).
When I was in need of a confidence boost and friendly face shortly after my arrival, I was fortunate my friend and former office mate Addie, had connected me via email to her friend Meredith before I had left. Meredith was in her second year of teaching in Ho Chi Minh City and she is a bad-ass, strong woman whose smile radiates light, love and all the goodness of this world (this is not an overstatement). On my 3rd night in Ho Chi Minh City she arrived outside of my Airbnb on her motorbike with an extra helmet in hand for me to hop on with her and ride. If you have ever been to Southeast Asia and experienced the chaotic and heavy motorbike traffic of the cities, you will understand how impressed I was to see this young American woman who had taught herself to navigate this city like the back of her hand and confidently ride with the best of them. Riding through the congested streets at night on the back of Meredith’s motorbike is one of my favorite memories of my time in Saigon. As we met for drinks with some of her lady teacher friends from around the globe and they shared their travel tips and suggestions, I was inspired by them and regained confidence to tackle this city and my solo travels.
I enjoyed Ho Chi Minh City and began to appreciate it even more with each passing day. There is a maze of tucked away side-streets that boast all sorts of great cafes, restaurants and shops just begging to be explored. As I do in every city I visit, I love strolling through the public parks to people-watch and observe the locals. Of course there is a lot of history here too to learn about. I visited the War Remnants Museum, the Botanical Gardens, the Thich Quang Duc Memorial to honor the Buddhist monk who self-immolated in protest, and the Independence Palace. I spent a day on a tour visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels followed by a Vietnamese cooking class which provided great insights into many dishes I would enjoy throughout the rest of my time in this country.
Looking back, one of the best things I did during my 8 months of travel was my choice to not plan ahead. I had bought my ticket to Ho Chi Minh City, and wanted to work my way north to Hanoi in about a month’s time, but beyond that I had no plans. I made it up one day at a time which gave me immense freedom and flexibility to follow my curiosity wherever it lead and allowed me to linger longer if I wanted. The other great thing about making it up as you go is that it allows you to explore places recommended by other travelers and locals you meet along the way. I would have missed so many of my favorite places I visited during my time away if I had planned things out and had a schedule to stick to. My next destination of Hoi An was one of these places.
At this time one year ago, I had wrapped up my first week in Ho Chi Minh City. I booked a cheap, last minute flight the same day I was to depart and hailed a ride on a motorbike from Grab (it is like Uber, except your driver is on a motorbike) to the airport. It was quite a workout to balance myself on one leg as I tried to fling my other leg over the seat of the motorbike with the weight of my backpack pulling me back. It is a small miracle I didn't tip over bringing my rather petite driver and his motorbike to a crash. With my backpack securely strapped onto my back, I rode on this motorbike for the next 30 minutes to the airport through the chaotic streets in the sweltering heat of Saigon. I soaked up the sights, sounds and smells of this city. I felt so alive!
I was off to my next destination of Hoi An, Vietnam where I spent about 4 days. Hoi An is a city on the central coast of Vietnam. It is well-known for its beautifully preserved Ancient Town with golden painted buildings and multi-colored lanterns that illuminate the night. While this city is definitely on the tourist route, and well-known for custom made clothes and leather products, its beauty made putting up with the tourist crowds worth it. I enjoyed getting up early in the morning while the Ancient Town was quiet and the tourists were still sleeping to catch glimpses of the locals enjoying their city. This city begs to be photographed even by amateurs like me. It also lures you in to grab a seat and a coffee or cocktail at one of the many upstairs open air cafes to watch the sunset and the stream of people in the streets below.
Another day while in Hoi An, I rented a bike and rode through the beautiful surrounding rice fields to a nearby beach. I have found in my travels that even in touristy towns if you make the effort you can still loose yourself among the locals. While wandering and losing myself in the streets of Hoi An, I remember a sense of calm filling my heart. I knew that experiencing little corners of the world like this was absolutely what I was meant to be doing in that moment and in so many moments to come.
Get Busy Living!
Anna
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