Vietnam - Mopeds, Paul Hardcastle and Burying the dead plus 11 more things we learnt.
- martinlrobinson
- Aug 3, 2022
- 2 min read
There is still a north/south divide. For example, those from the South think people in the North are noisy and rude.
The Vietnamese used the Chinese writing system until the French occupiers changed it to the western alphabet.
Almost everyone owns a moped; unlike the Thai people, they also wear helmets (a legal requirement in Vietnam). About 80% of mopeds are Honda. Their Moped test consists of 20 questions and a figure of 8 driving test.
To cross the road, you can't rely on a crossing even if it existed. Ignore any lights, walk across slowly; the heavy traffic will find a way around you.
Ho Chi Minh city is still widely referred to locally as Saigon. Saigon is the biggest city in Vietnam but not the capital, which is Hanoi in the North.
Young local women "prefer" light skin, covering themselves up during the daytime and even using skin lighting products. Quite the opposite to UK tourists.
They tend to bury their dead, unlike in Thailand, where they cremate.
No one really won the Vietnam war; it was arguably about reducing the spread of communism, which is why the Americans supported the South. Millions died, more civilians than soldiers. It was horrendous for everyone.
As Paul Hardcastle in his record '19' said, the average age of the [USA] combat soldiers was "19". They endured horrific gorilla tactics from the Vietcong, including traps with rotating spikes and fighting in a thick hot jungle.
More bombs were dropped by the Americans than in WW1 and WW2 altogether. They also used Napalm and something called Agent Orange to clear foliage. It is a poison and linked to birth defects and cancer.
You can be a millionaire here as 1,000,000 dong is about £36. A short taxi ride costs about £2, a local cafe meal £2.50. They also love their coffee and have many coffee shops selling local favourites, including Egg Coffee.
They use chopsticks (Thailand doesn't unless it's noodles).
There is a severe problem with pollution in the sea and dumped waste, particularly plastic. Most of the beaches we visited were like this, and 'Beauty Spot' Halong Bay is spoiled by both.
Their national dish is Pho, a soup with noodles, generally served with meat or fish, herbs/spices.
M&J
IMAGE: HALONG BAY, NORTH VIETNAM.
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