February 1: Goodbye Vietnam, Hello Thailand

We had been incredibly lucky with the weather — definitely suffered from the heat and humidity, but rain did not interfere with any of our cycling or sightseeing in the 3 1/2 weeks we had in Vietnam and Cambodia. So on our last day it rained. Which was fine because all we did was take a taxi to the airport.  I said goodbye to Donna who is heading home in time for the Super Bowl (a true Pats fan!), and I had a quick flight to Bangkok. No photos from the day, but I thought it would be fun to re-visit the most memorable things about Vietnam and Cambodia… so here goes:

The traffic — motor scooters and motor cycles on the streets, riding on the sidewalk whenever the street was too crowded, and parked, valet style along the storefronts. While there were stoplights at some intersections, it seemed that they were regarded only as a suggestion, and left hand turns, which we have down to a science in LA — two cars can turn just as the light goes red — are a matter of simply sliding into it — as if all the vehicles are being shuffled in a deck at every intersection.  Terrifying for a pedestrian — the trick is to not stop when crossing.

The street food — meals being prepared on the sidewalks; everything from noodles to skewered meats to vegetables and rice. And those cooking were often squatting, so everything was down at street level. I did not try street food at all. And was careful to avoid uncooked or unpeeled fruits and vegetables, but many did and do, and say it is wonderful.  I had food safety issues with the concept, and the smells were often not appealing anyway.

The street life — haircuts on the sidewalk, scooters and bicycles carrying huge loads of various goods. And how very hard the women seem to work.

The toilet facilities. Most asked that you not put TP in the toilet, so if we brought some along, we then needed to find a place to toss the tissue. Many had a hand rinser thing — like the kind you pull from the sink to rinse off dishes; others had a bucket or sistern of water to toss in the toilet as a flush. And did I mention most involved squatting over a hole in the ground?

The people — all were so lovely, and smiling and seemingly happy, even in the throes of poverty. The children were amazing — yelling out Hello Hello and giving us huge grins. While those in Saigon didn’t speak much English, the places we visited in the north — Hanoi, Hue and Hoi An — had many who could speak some English, making it easier for we single language types. But in almost all areas they wore masks — the pollution was evident, and so many had colorful face masks.

The incredibly long history — centuries of culture and religion and temples and palaces and war and strife. How very revered Ho Chi Minh and King Jayavarman VII are — still to this day.  A reminder of how very young America is.

So, a few photos that I may not have posted earlier which reflect some of these final thoughts on an amazing adventure in these two wonderful countries.