We awake from our brief reprieve in order to take advantage of the free hotel breakfast whose non-negotiable close time is 10:00 a.m. Today would be our first official day in Vietnam. After our meal, we assemble in the hotel lobby as a group awaiting the instructions for the day. The plan would be to spend the first few hours scouring the city, exploring the market just down the street or heading to the French quarter to view some historic sites.
Initially, we were all market-bound to see what excitement was in store. Heading into the experience, I figured that I already knew how I’d feel. I understand that the purpose of such an area of commerce is to bargain for deals. But how, I thought, could I possibly come to a country that has such need and haggle to get a price down from cheap to nearly free, when I have such an abundance of resources? Surely I would need to be very generous.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the Cho Ben Thanh Market. The hustle is in full swing here, let me tell you.
Under the strict instructions of our group leads, we are encouraged to remain in at least a pairs and to protect our valuables. I branch off with my roommate Stasa to explore. I had quite of bit of money on hand and was prepared to shop ‘til I drop. However, in the mania of the market, I suddenly felt very intimidated. It is a truly a wild sight. Hot and humid like a pressure cooker, crowded with people and kiosks, workers in full denim jeans, socks and long-sleeved shirts serving giant vats of steaming hot soup. Never in my life have I seen such a place.
As we make our way through the crowded aisles, eager people at each little kiosk attempt to halt us, hoping to tantalize us with their merchandise and the promise of ‘best price for you’. I decide quickly that I had better hold off on purchasing for a few reasons:
- It is very difficult to determine what the price is in Canadian dollars as 16,000VND = $1CAD, so definitely lots of opportunities for screw ups
- I am easily pressured in situations that involve math that I can’t figure out on the spot
- I’m not always sure what people are saying to me
- I’m suspicious that I may not always be getting the actual ‘best priceI have already been bamboozled into paying $30USD above our group rate by a very persuasive hotel staff member this morning so my confidence is low
Essentially, I felt very exposed walking through the market; like a fool prime for the taking. I figured I better wait until next time.
This is maybe the difference of the market that I hadn’t anticipated. Bargaining here is less about trying to take advantage of someone less fortunate, and more about trying not to get taken advantage of. Certainly the market kiosk owners are after the best price for their merchandise. And why wouldn’t they be? I decided that overall, I need to return to this place with less of a bleeding heart and more cunning related to currency conversion and bargaining tactics.
Meanwhile, Brent, Hareishun and Stephanie decided to go for a hunt for history and adventure. They walked through the French quarter and past the Notre Dame Cathedral. After wandering the streets, they arrived at their targeted destination – the Pho Binh Noodle House. It seemed like a humble spot that could easily be missed, but was mentioned in Lonely Planet, prompting their journey.
The noodle house was the secret meeting place for the Vietnamese Communist Party where the revolution was planned in 1968. The upper level is a museum dedicated to the men who gave their lives during the revolution and the men who planned the revolution. The noodle house is still owned by a family member affiliated with the revolution.
From there they quickly walked back towards the hotel. During their journey, they got to walk past Independence Hall where the prime minister lived prior to being conquered by the Communist Party. A very busy couple of hours considering they were on foot the entire time, dodging unyielding mopeds while covering serious distance.
The entire group returns to the hotel and boards the bus to head to the Binh Quoi Tourist Village. Unbeknownst to us at the time, we are embarking on more of an adventure than we thought. This park area is a luscious green space with flowers, exotic trees, and activities for all.
We climbed bridges made of skinny sticks over green ponds that definitely would not be allowed in Canada…
Enjoyed sugar cane drinks…
Swung with friends…
Even had little naps…
The Vietnamese folks sure enjoyed taking Brent and Harieshun’s picture while they slept.
Now luckily for us, this afternoon in the park was about to turn into a full-fledged celebration. Occasionally on weekends and then on New Year’s – which had just passed – for the low price of 27000 VND you can tour around a 70 station buffet of Vietnamese cuisine enjoyed in a seated area in the park.
It was fabulous. Incredible, authentic Vietnamese food everywhere you turned. It even included some delicacy dishes such as Ot (snails) and Hot Vit Lon (half hatched duck eggs).
Here is Christian enjoying both!
Much to our surprise, the evening didn’t finish here…
A traditional dance with dragons began. It was an amazing spectacle of acrobatics and thermodynamics (for the guys inside the costumes).
Dancing together…
And dancing on a fairly precarious table-stage…
Children and adults offer the dragons money in red envelopes by feeding them, which in turn grants a new year filled with good fortune and prosperity.
Even little Sébastien was brave enough to feed a dragon!
And the party continued until the show was over!
And by the time we arrived at the end of our evening, everyone was completely exhausted and ready for bed.
Except for the guys who napped in the park. They enjoyed the Saturday night lights on the roof top of the hotel with a cold beer in hand.
We awoke refreshed the next morning with a day of travel ahead. Many of us had opted for an early bedtime complete with a lazy morning and breakfast at a medium pace. But not our fearless and motivated trio: Steph, Brent, and Hareishun! Off they went for an early morning tourist run. They jogged through the French quarter, saw the psychedelic helipad and dance club (still not certain who gets to land there – it’s a hell of a way to make an entrance to a night club). Along the Saigon River they traveled to see the abundance of boat traffic. During the trip back, they spotted the US Embassy, which is heavily surrounded with parking/safety pylons/barricades to avoid approaching with a car. It is in the same location as it was in the 1960s. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get a view as it is still surrounded by high walls with barbed wire. Their early morning jump-start capped-off perfectly with iced coffee at the local market. The early bird sure catches the worm!
Our team reassembled and we started our journey to take us to Long Xuyen, where our teaching symposium would be held.
We managed to track down another friend on our way out of Ho Chi Minh City.
Please welcome Dr. Dave Easton – Adult Intensivist.
After a couple of hours of driving we made a little pit stop… at the most restful and relaxing location possible…
The Snake Farm!!![]()
This unusual and interesting attraction boasts numerous snakes in a variety of areas, as well as a zoo-type experience complete with animals native to the area, as well as animals that are native to other countries (like deer, wolverines, bears with huge amounts of hair). I’m not totally sure how some of these guys found their way here.
I admit that I stopped taking pictures after being pooped on – not once but two times within fifteen minutes. I’m quite sure it was at the hands of a dainty little bird in the trees. That being said, I’m really not into anonymous bomb-drops of unidentified Vietnamese birds. Everyone keeps telling me it’s lucky. I remain unconvinced.
Following an hour spent taking in the marvels of the snake farm in the baking hot sun made the group crave one thing, and one thing only – HOT SOUP FOR LUNCH!
We file back into the bus for the long road to Long Xuyen. You would think that leaving a major city and driving to another site would thin the traffic. The city centres have incredibly thick volumes of moped traffic, steady at all hours. Weaving in and out – every nook and cranny that can narrowly accommodate their dimensions – they are there. A manic tapestry of little horns and big horns used as constant communication of your location and intentions. You would think that this would be less and less so as you leave a city centre. I was fascinated that it is more of a constant state. All the way to Long Xuyen the bus rumbled along registering approximately 1-2 beeps of horn every 1-2 seconds, politely encouraging the little mopeds to give way.
Perhaps my favourite part of the day was loading our bus on to the ferry. There were three dense, slow-moving lines that lead to the two-dock ferry loading area. Thankfully, our group “knows somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody” and we got into the fastest moving line.
Our giant bus lumbered its way onto the tiny little ferry and we were (as always) surrounded by dozens of tiny mopeds, carrying anywhere from 1-5 people.
We had the good fortune of watching the sun setting over the water on our brief and exotic ferry ride.
We arrive at our final destination at approximately 7:00 p.m. We have new friends waiting for us at the hotel. Please welcome:
Dr. Joanna Webb – Family Medicine Physician; Dr. Aaron Webb – Emergency Resident; and their son, Louie.
Weary and stiff from our lengthy road travels, we disembark the bus to a beautiful, thoughtful, Valentine’s Day surprise…
Dr. Rang Nguyen (pictured above) and Dr. Trung Pham and his team awaiting our arrival, with beautiful, single red roses in hand for each of us.
I suddenly have a moment of realization.
Over the past couple of days, we have grown as a group and enjoyed so much fun together. Today marked a change in our story as we have arrived at the city where we will begin our symposium. This is our purpose for coming here, but it becomes so easy to fall into a certain frame. I felt reluctance for the following day. We would be working. I am nervous as I have never taught non-English speaking people in a foreign country. I had slowly started to change my focus over the past couple of days, thinking more about myself and my own comfort… unconsciously and without recognition.
Stepping off the bus and being met by a group of smiling, excited, and grateful physicians and team members put everything into perspective. This is what I had come here for. Although I was on the brink of doing something that I had never done before and was plagued by the uncertainty of exiting my comfort zone, the force that was even stronger was the realization that this act was one of meaning. We have arrived to assist health care providers in a developing country learn how to help more people in new ways. As much as this is a mission of challenge, it is also a mission of hope and possibility. This beautiful Valentine’s Day gesture is a reminder of the incredible bonds that can be created when we transcend our own personal barriers to make meaningful connections with people from other walks of life.
I held my precious red rose in my hand and watched as our group intertwined with theirs.
This is the start of something big.
I can feel it.