Travel: Vietnam Today
by Ferida Wolff
It was in the sixties. I was recently married and worried that my new husband would be drafted and sent to Vietnam. I thought the war was wrong and I spent time protesting, marching, and writing letters. The pictures of the US military's eventual withdrawal, particularly the photos of the frantic rooftop evacuation in Saigon, were seared into my mind. I ended up working with organizations helping the people who managed to escape by boat to establish themselves in a new life here. It was a traumatic time for both our peoples.
Now, half a century later, my husband and I decided to visit the country we had so long ago feared. When I told our friends that we were going to Vietnam I could see the question in their eyes. Why, of all places, did we want to go there? They had painful memories, too. And to be honest, I was concerned about how Americans would be viewed all these years later.
What I found was a friendly welcome. There are museums and monuments that refer to our war involvement and some of that is hard to look at. Yet, for the most part, Vietnam is a country that is putting aside the past for a vibrant future. It is a communist country but one that is enjoying peace, a change from an often war-torn history.
I had imagined a land of flat fields and much of it is that, a countryside where rice fields abound. Rice is a staple in Vietnam, with several crops a year harvested. There are other parts, though; a UNESCO World Heritage site at Halong Bay where islands shift in and out of view in the morning mists and hide treasures like magnificent caves, and the winding road through the dense green hills in the center. There are also fishing villages and fish farms and islands in the Mekong Delta where coconut and banana trees are plentiful. How lovely to swim in the coral coves off the South China Sea.
But this is not a languid country; Vietnam is on the move — literally. It isn’t easy for a westerner to figure out the traffic rules (are there any?). There aren’t too many cars on the road yet — too expensive — but motorbikes abound and they are all traveling at breakneck speed wherever there is room. Six vehicles in the space of two lanes? Sure, why not if they fit? Can’t wait to get through? Move into the opposing lane. Stuck in a traffic jam? Drive on the sidewalk!
You literally have to step into the line of onrushing vehicles to cross the street. We were advised to walk slowly and steadily, be aware of the traffic coming at you but don’t make eye contact. We found the best way to get across was to wait for a native to go first and we would follow close behind. Once, while we hesitated at a curb in Saigon, a woman took pity on us. She indicated that we were to follow her and then, in a moment of compassion, reached behind her to take my hand and lead me across. I didn’t know if I felt two years old or eighty but I made it safely to the other side. I thanked her as she waved goodbye and continued on her way. We felt blessed after each successful crossing because we made it alive! But we still had the sidewalks to contend with. There was to be no slacking off in our traffic awareness.
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