Saigon, how you have changed.

by Clea Blockey (United States of America)

I didn't expect to find Vietnam

The last time I was in Saigon, I was 19 and one of the only things I remember is my aunt’s friend Maurizio (an Italian veterinarian who specialized in camels or more specifically, the fleas found on camels), smuggling rare turtles back to Cambodia in his underpants. We bought them at the pet market and he kept them in the safe of the hotel overnight. Today that would never happen. He would for sure be thrown into jail for smuggling or would pay a hefty fine. Although, knowing Maurizio he would be able to talk his way out of it. This trip I have been stunned by how much the city has changed. It is almost unrecognizable from what it was in the 90s. Now I understand how my parents feel when they go back to places they haven't seen in decades. It also makes me feel like a crotchety old lady and that I should be saying things like, "When I was young, there weren't so many cars or tall buildings... Can you believe the traffic?" Crossing the street is still overwhelming but now there are more cars, not just scooters, hurtling in your direction. Getting from one side to the other is an exercise in zen meditation. Empty your head and keep moving. Don't look at what is zooming towards you, focus on getting to the other side of the street, they will avoid you. For the most part this worked until I went to visit a friend's family in another district and thought for sure I was going to die. I felt like no one was trying to avoid me but instead they were gunning for me. My friend's cousin had to stop in the middle of the street with his hand up and usher me across. The confidence that I had acquired and the effort to not look like a stupid tourist when I crossed the street disappeared instantly. It felt like a game of Frogger. Being on the back of a scooter is much less stressful than being on foot. You get a sense of how and why the traffic works. Yes, everyone honks but no one slams on the brakes or seems to have road rage. It is also amazing what people carry on their bikes - shop signs, building materials, luggage, dogs... I preferred being on a motorbike because I had a great view of the city and areas that I wouldn't have gone to otherwise. I did a tour called Back Streets of Saigon and saw alleyways and apartment buildings that I would have missed on my own. My guide took me to wet markets, food stands, temples and coffee shops. At the temple I learned that if your incense stick ash curls as it burns, the gods have heard your prayer. If it doesn’t, they haven’t. To combat the gods' hearing problems, spiral incense, which always curls, has been added as an option. Nothing like the industriousness of humans. As always, my favorite part of the trip was the food. Even in Bến Thành market which is known for being a tourist mecca, the food was delicious. I truly believe that it is hard to get a bad meal in Saigon. Fortunately the options are pretty healthy so I didn't feel like I needed to buy new pants to make up for overeating. My favorites were the Bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich), Phở (Noodle soup), Cơm tấm (Broken rice with pork) and Bánh xèo (Vietnamese Pancakes). I was lucky enough to have a homemade meal with a friend's family and that was by far the best food we ate. It was one of those meals where you leave the table in pain because you stuffed so much in. Not only because it was amazingly good but because you didn't want to seem rude by not eating enough. We all have places that we want to visit at least once but Vietnam is a country that I want to continue going back to. So far there is very little that I don't love about it. Traveling there finally taught me that I am good at being alone and discovering new things for myself.