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5 lessons I picked up while traveling Ho Chi Minh
Traveling to new places, meeting new people and discovering cultures not only bring us out of our comfort zones; they trigger introspection about what matters most to a country and its people.
Though it is one of the booming Asean capitals, Vietnam remains under the radar for most Filipinos.
A French colony for almost a century, Vietnam is known as the "Paris of Asia." It is endowed with glorious European architecture — such as the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, Opera House, and the Old Post Office — and some of the best baguettes one can have.
The capital Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon) has a distinct charm to both Asians and Westerners.
I have traveled to Vietnam’s charming cities but recently, I returned to Ho Chi Minh as a member of the media delegation of AirAsia's inaugural direct flight from Manila to the Vietnamese city.
It gave me chance to rediscover the country and everything it holds dear, and made me reflect on values like simplicity, resilience, and taking pride in government.
1. Pride in simplicity
The Mekong river ride is one of the highlights of a visit to Ho Chi Minh. From the city, take a 30 minute bus ride to the staging point at Thoi Son island.
Its waters run from the glaciated mountains of Tibet, passing through China’s Yangtze and Yellow rivers crossing Asean capitals Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before disgorging into the South China Sea. It is home to 300 million people who belong to more than 100 ethnic groups.
The increasing tourists give livelihood to households, mostly mothers. The woman who paddled our small boat through the rich mangroves called my attention to show her house. It’s a shanty, the size of a typical Filipino toilet and I was moved by her pride to show tourists her home.
2. The presence of history in food
In spite of its Western colonial past, Vietnamese food remains a pride of its people because of its authenticity.
Vietnamese food is one of the healthiest in the region, thanks to an abundance of seafood from the mighty Mekong; it is host to more than 1,000 species of fish and ranks second to Amazon in terms of fish diversity according to the National Geographic.
After the Mekong River ride, we stopped by at Nhà Hàng Bách Tùng Viên restaurant in the town of My Tho, few minutes by bus from Thoi Son island, and sampled their signature must-tries: Fried Elephant Ear Fish and the Dinosaur Egg.
The Dinosaur Egg is a big round of empty dough to be cut and eaten with a choice of meat or fish with some vegetables.
I noticed there's been an increase of international fast food eateries and restaurants but most Vietnamese still prefer hole-in-the-wall stalls — which was how I discovered the most beautiful bowl of Pho Beef Noodles I've ever had.
The locals too, were the ones who made me realize that not all mainstream things are lame. Trung Nguyen, for instance, is a popular local coffee brand that remains a favorite among Vietnamese.
3. Silence is the loudest form of protest
The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh is a reminder of Vietnam’s colonial past both under French and Americans. There are America’s armored vehicles, bombs and infantry weapons and artillery pieces on display; a corner is dedicated to French war facilities like 'tiger cages' where the Viet Cong
A corner also displays French war facilities such as guillotines and ‘tiger cages’ used by Viet Cong (Vietnamese Communists).
But the starkest piece I saw was the distinct bravery of the Vietnamese: To remind visitors of their past, some victims of Agent Orange (the bomb dropped by Americans during war) run a store at the lobby where they make ladies’ bags and accessories. Most of the survivors have deformed bodies, blind and flattened faces.
4. Welcoming of other culture
Vietnamese sellers are rather cool about our bargaining talent. At the iconic Ben Thanh Market in District 1, they can tell if you are a Filipino by the way you bargain for an item. They are friendly and welcoming and know few words such as "mura".
5. The people know they are part of government
It’s human nature to complain or even curse the government for lack of service and bad decisions, but not to some Vietnamese.
My first visit to this country was in Ha Noi to attend a five-day forum of Asia Europe Meeting of civil society groups a few years ago. On the first day, journalists both foreign and local were told by Vietnamese organizers to leave the hotel because events are closed door. Journalists from Asean and European countries protested and eventually got in.
On the last day, there was a cultural show and saw Vietnamese journalists whom I made friends on the first day. I asked them why they were not around in events areas and was shocked at a the response of one of them. She said as a citizen, she is part of the government which decided not to open the ASEM events to media coverage. “We are part of the government, it becomes our decision too.” — LA, GMA News
AirAsia now flies three times a week from Manila to Ho Chi Minh, every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday.
