Smiles all the way

TIN LIÊN QUAN
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“If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed,” wrote Leo Tolstoy in War and Peace. If you don’t see Vietnam, you will never realise how a country in the Southeast Asia, that has had more than two centuries of oppression, can evolve as a country with so much love and compassion. The sheer generosity, naturally exhibited by the people in Vietnam, is far from being false and a narrative describing just its people can fill pages to enchant readers all over the world.

We Indians have a creepy knack to get involved in affairs that hardly matter to us. It is there in our genes or should I say we have a history of connecting to civilisations. Despite the fact that my maiden visit to Vietnam a couple of years back was more business than leisure, I was amazed by the streets of the Ho Chi Minh City, the nearby provinces and their lifestyle and most importantly the spirit of the people around me, who unfailingly smiled on every eye contact. Smile heals they say, and these expressions of munificence can never go unrequited; at least from an Indian traveller’s perspective, I thought.

Vietnam by facts

The shape of the country gives an impression of the alphabet 'S' and this densely populated country on the South China Sea shares its borders with China on the North, Laos to the Northwest, Cambodia to the Southwest, and shares the seas across the Gulf of Thailand with Thailand and Malaysia, and with the Philippines and Indonesia across the South China Sea.

With almost 95 million people, Vietnam is the ninth most populous country in Asia. While 65 pc of its people are Buddhists, the other major religions that find existence are Hindus, Christians and Muslims. The country was ruled by the Mongolians and the Chinese for almost a thousand years, while the French ruled it for 96 years. From 1940-45, the Japanese also had a colony in Vietnam before the infamous American war (1954-75).

A corner of Ho Chi Minh City.

The capital of the country is Ha Noi, while the Ho Chi Minh City (earlier called Saigon) is the city that exhibits the most French reminisce. The population of Ho Chi Minh City is approximately 11 million out of which almost 1.3 million are Chinese origin.

You will see very few private cars here. The country is also known as the country of motorbikes. As Vietnam is yet to have a car manufacturer in the country, a potential car buyer has to pay almost 308 pc tax to buy a car. No wonder why Saigon has close to eight million motorbikes running across its roads every day.In the entire country, there are more than 38 million motorbikes compared to 2 million cars, according to the figures from the Transport Ministry.

The best time to visit Vietnam is between the middle of November to early April. From end of April to June, the weather is quite hot while the rest of the year till October it’s the monsoon and one can expect showers, storms and a humid climate in various times of the day.

The currency is Vietnamese Dong (1 USD ~ 22,723 Vietnamese Dong).

Vietnam is the second largest exporter of coffee after Brazil. It’s a lifestyle drink in the country. Coffee is strong and cheap and carrying it back with a filter coffee maker is highly recommended to retain the flavour of Vietnamese coffee alive, even when you are home.

Why Ha Noi?

Well, in Vietnam there are basically two cities that can claim to be the metro cities; Saigon or better known as the Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi, the capital of Vietnam. While there are plenty of things to do in Vietnam, a leisurely promenade through Ha Noi’s old quarter is highly recommended. “This will be my third time to the old quarters in Ha Noi,” said Floyd Cowan, a traveller and a writer, who was with me on my trips in Saigon. “Ha Noi offers you an old quarter with lots of French colonial buildings and cuisines that you as an Indian will love, I am sure. The place is typically a mixture of pagodas, food shacks, handicraft shops, restaurants and a thriving nightlife that can keep you occupied all throughout the day,” Cowan added. Some of the attractions Cowan mentioned were silently included in my tour diary for my next trip to Vietnam and they include names such as the Hoan Kiem Lake, the Opera House and the water puppet theatre.

The Opera House in Ha Noi

The city of Ha Noi is said to be a home to some bizarre clubs. Some of them are big with huge space to sit and drink on a cushioned bench and a table in front. There are shows that resemble the opulent eighties TV shows with some dancing, legs swinging and it might directly strike how the country is still under the darkness of prostitution, especially for the women. However, the ambience of the clubs is kept as decent as possible. “If you look around you will see gentlemen talking with women; no flirting or touching involved. I guess that’s Ha Noi style nightlife. I found it amusing and refreshing compared to the usual nightlife experiences but it’s depressing after all,” our guide Tony was telling me about his experiences in Ha Noi.

Like a traveller

When you travel to Vietnam you will automatically get attracted to the numerous options available for a tourist to enjoy their stay in the country. However, a local would recommend that in order to experience all that the country has to offer, you would need at least six weeks.

So what to expect in Vietnam? Everything that technically makes the entire of Southeast Asia a popular travel hotspot is on the offer in Vietnam. From serene beaches to cultural attractions such as temples and pagodas and art museums, from political and historical anecdotes attractions in cities and nearby villages to and local life experiencing voyage to any of the many tribes in the north or south of Vietnam – the country offers everything to a keen traveller.

As a tourist seeking for luxury, leisure, nightlife, wellness and more fun activities, Ha Noi and Saigon are the best hubs that can spoil you with choices. Spa and wellness, in particular, is a very traditional lifestyle of the Vietnamese local. They use natural extracts to cure and nourish a person seeking to get a foot, face or an entire body massage.

The country is growing as a major tourist destination over the years, but it could do with some more focus on the growth of sustainable tourism. Cowan, who has been travelling to Vietnam for the last 17 years, was overjoyed to see the difference that in the infrastructure and the development in terms of good roads and lavish hotels built in all corners of the city, however, he also shared his concern about the balance that the country might falter if not taken care of now. “All that Vietnam needs to do to bring up tourism is to enhance what they already have. They already have everything that can charm a seeking traveller. I feel that the sustainability will play a major role. Everyone in the country has to play their part, from hotels to the city departments to the people in the tourism businesses as well as the tourists. I feel the country should be cautious about bringing mass tourism. Maybe they can diversify what they want to offer and bring small groups to various parts of the country that will be more positive. There should be a balance,” Cowan said.

Perfect Gesture: Smile

Coming back to the people of Vietnam, I found the most amazing travel experience in knowing, talking and experiencing the real lives of the Vietnamese people. Whether it is the business meetings at convention centres  or the city tours in Saigon, and even the remote island hamlets in the Mekong Delta – the smiling faces in the country are in plenty. It takes so much off from your heavy heart that it’s hard to explain.

Friendly smile of an ethnic minority woman from Vietnam’s mountainous region.

Attempting to decode the Vietnamese smile was different from my perspective. Are they all Chaplin fans, I asked myself? There was such a long history of oppression and still that universal smile appears anywhere in the country. It might mean different from people to people but for the Vietnamese, the smile is a proper response in most situations when verbal expression is not needed or not appropriate. With a smile, the Vietnamese can show happiness, contentment, agreement, acceptance, desire, and tolerance. The same smile, however, can also show disagreement, discomfort, embarrassment, confusion, anger and even contempt. The meaning of Vietnamese smile was not easy to understand, but the people were for sure. My guide, Tony said, “You can assess a Vietnamese smile in two ways, a simple smile and an implied smile”.

As I completed my week-long stay in Vietnam, there were memories from two visits that got overlapped what I carried back home was an image of a country that can smile with or without a reason – a warm gesture they have perfected even after years of war and poverty.

How to reach

Airfares in Vietnam can be very cheap if you do your research and book in advance. For example, flights from Ho Chi Minh to Ha Noi come as low as USD 30 one-way. From India, there are no direct flights, but you can avail a connecting flight via Bangkok to Saigon.

Where to stay

In Vietnam, especially cities such as Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh City, there is a huge diversity of accommodation options. From low-budget home stays to five star properties, Vietnam is fast becoming a place for travellers of all whims and fancies.

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