Jurnalul de calatorie in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh

Jurnalul de calatorie in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh

Multi dintre voi asteptati acest jurnal de calatorie, asadar, sa incepem…
EN: Many of you have been expecting this travel journal, so, let’s begin…

M-am gandit la o calatorie cu Vlad in Vietnam de cand ma plimbam pe plajele din Thailanda ori prin templele din Cambodgia, cu o primavara in urma. Prinsesem curaj, cu un copil atat de atras de continentul asiatic. Mi-am zis in gand ca “daca pentru Vietnam nu se cer vaccinuri suplimentare sau daca nu va avea cine stie ce alte interdictii, in vacanta de iarna din 2018 acolo mergem!”. Am facut documentarea necesara si, daca nu ma insel, de prin octombrie – noiembrie am inceput sa ii spunem lui Vlad ca vom vizita aceasta tara, vecina cu destinatiile lui preferate de pana acum – Thailanda si Cambodgia – si foarte asemanatoare, din multe puncte de vedere. Pana pe data de 1 ianuarie cand am avut zborul, ne-a zapacit de cap cu Vietnam in sus, Vietnam in jos, dar cand plecam, dar de ce nu plecam mai repede samd.

De ce 1 ianuarie? Pentru ca atunci am gasit cele mai ieftine zboruri, dar si cu escale decente. In general pe 31 dec (cand prinzi Revelionul in zbor sau printr-un aeroport), dar si pe 1 ianuarie dimineata sunt cele mai ieftine zboruri, ca sa stiti! Am zburat cu Qatar, cu escala in Doha (la dus de 1 ora jumate – ideal – , la intoarcere 6 ore peste noapte – greu, nenica). Qatar mi s-a parut foarte bun si foarte atent cu copiii. Vlad a primit la fiecare zbor o gentuta a lui cu carte de colorat si jocuri, creioane si alte treburi care sa ii faca zborul mai placut. Iar cand s-a plictisit de ele, am bagat un film sau un joc pe televizor si orele au trecut relativ repede. Am ales special ca zborul sa fie pe timpul noptii, pentru a dormi mai usor.

“Vlad, te rog mult sa fii rabdator si sa ma asculti, pentru ca in vacanta din Vietnam vom schimba in total 8 avioane!” ii zic eu cu o expresie ingrozita, din cauza unei cifre atat de mari. “10! Vreau 10, mama!” imi raspunde calatorul meu.  Asadar primul zbor cu plecare in 1 ianuarie din Bucuresti si cu aterizare in 2 ianuarie in Ho Chi Minh a fost mai usor decat am sperat.

Stiind ca vom avea mai multe avioane interne, am incercat sa facem un bagaj cat mai mic. Am luat din nou caruciorul lui. Incercasem sa mergem in Thailanda fara el, iar dupa 2 ore in Bangkok deja eram intr-un mall cautand un carut de cumparat. Pentru ca Vlad il prefera inca, dar si pentru ca altfel nu ar rezista sa mearga mult pe jos si ar trebui sa ne cocoseze pe noi, de data aceasta nu am mai ezitat. Si bine am facut, pentru ca in Ho Chi Minh, si datorita schimbarii de fus orar, adormea cand nu stiai si o putea face foarte ok in carutul lui, fara sa fim musai in camera noastra. De altfel, cand i se facea somn, ne si spunea: “Vreau in carut sa fac un pui de somn. Doar un puiut.” Isi tragea copertina, ne ruga eventual sa ii acoperim caruciorul si cu un sal sau altceva cat sa ii facem intuneric si… vise placute. Iar ne-a surprins de cum poate dormi in zgomotul unui trafic infernal sau intr-o piata incarcata de localnici si turisti.

Bun, deci am avut caruciorul, dar si un rucsac Thule Elite Sapling, special pentru copii mai mari, cu care poti face trekking. De fapt, poti apela la el atunci cand accesul cu caruciorul e dificil spre imposibil – cum a fost in insula, de exemplu. Atunci am folosit mai mereu rucsacul, in care din cand in cand adormea. Seara il luam intentionat la o plimbare pe plaja si, dupa nici 10 minute de mers leganat, …..vise placute. Acest rucsac are si spatii de depozitare, asa ca in el caram de obicei schimburile lui Vlad (caci intotdeauna trebuia sa avem la noi minim 2 seturi), plus mancarea si bautura lui.

Iar hainele familiei au incaput toate intr-un rucsac de vreo 12 kg la dus si vreo 15 la intors. Am mai avut in plus doar un rucsac foarte mic, mai mult pentru jucarii si carti pe avion. Dar am incercat sa reducem cat de mult bagajele, ca sa fim mobili. Traseul a fost Bucuresti – Ho Chi Minh – Ha Noi – Hoi An – Phu Quoc – Ho Chi Minh – Bucuresti. Fiind foarte multe de povestit, am sa impart acest jurnal de calatorie in 4 parti, in functie de cele 4 zone in care ne-am oprit. De aceea incepem azi cu Ho Chi Minh (sau Saigon).

Noi nu mai vizitasem Vietnamul, asa ca m-am documentat inainte cat am putut (tripadvisor ramane in continuare cea mai buna sursa), ca sa pot decide traseul, ca sa imi aleg cazarea care ni se potriveste, ca sa stiu ca pot profita din plin de cele 3 saptamani de vacanta. Da, aceasta a fost durata pe care am petrecut-o acolo, pentru ca daca tot e drumul atat de lung, macar sa merite. Daca aveti doar o saptamana de vacanta, chiar nu merita efortul. Abia te acomodezi cu schimbare de fus orar.

In Ho Chi Minh ne-am dat intalnire si cu un alt cuplu (acelasi cu care am calatorit in India) insotit de o adolescenta, care veneau din Thailanda, dar si cu o alta prietena de-a lor, o backpacker-ita adevarata, care trecuse deja prin Indonezia si Singapore. Asa ca am cautat o cazare pentru toti 7. Si am gasit-o prin airbnb. Am calatorit cu airbnb prin tara, prin Europa, prin Australia, dar niciodata pana acum prin Asia, dar a fost perfect! O sa detaliez imediat de ce.

De cand am iesit din aeroportul din Ho Chi Minh, am inceput sa zambesc. Caldura, lumina, oamenii si freamatul orasului i-au transmis pe loc creierului meu ca “AI AJUNS IN ASIA, UNDE TI-E BINE.” Am luat un taxi (parca vreo 17 dolari pana la destinatie) si i-am aratat soferului unde e cazarea noastra rezervata prin airbnb. Ne-am dat seama destul de repede ca vietnamezii nu cunosc foarte bine engleza. Adica nu la fel ca thailandezii, nici precum combogienii. Dar sunt foarte draguti si amabili, asa ca nu ai cum sa te superi pe ei, nici macar cand iti incurca mancarea.

Cazarea noastra era de fapt un bloc intreg. Un bloc de 4 etaje, foarte ingust, pe fiecare nivel fiind doar doua camere. Pot dormi pana la 11 oameni, asa ca noi ne-am lafait. Iar la ultimul etaj avea 2 terase absolut perfecte. Dupa o zi de mers continuu prin oras, o seara cu kile de fructe exotice, o bere si o priveliste ca cea de acolo erau tot ce iti puteai dori mai mult. A stat cu noi, intr-una din camere. si gazda. Vlad ne-a anuntat, strigand: “Sta o fetita cu noi. Imi place foarte mult de ea, imi zambeste tot timpul.” Fetita era de fapt o femeie de peste 30 de ani, cel mai probabil, dar micuta de inaltime si slabuta, incat copilului i se parea ca e o fetita, cam de varsta lui, cu care se poate juca. Fetita – caci asa i-a ramas numele in grupul nostru – a fost minunata. Cand l-a vazut in prima zi pe Radu, obosit dupa drum si nedormit, i-a spus: “Oooo…you look so tired” si i-a sters transpiratia de pe frunte. Radu a ramas blocat. Era un jest atat de intim pentru noi, europenii, dar facut atat de firesc, ca si cand se stiau de o viata. Vlad s-a indragostit de Fetita, langa care putea sa stea linistit ore,  urmarind-o cum calca, de exemplu. Iar in ultima zi, chiar inainte sa plecam de la ea, dupa ce Vlad ii stricase din greseala si o etajera de lemn, a venit langa el, s-a asezat in genunchi, l-a privit cum doarme si ne-a spus: “May a kiss him? I will miss him.” Si nu era teatru pentru turisti. A fost chiar emotionant.

Ho Chi Minh e ca o sticluta cu esenta pura de Asia. Cladirile inghesuite, uneori foarte sarace, alteori intrerupte de zagarie-nori impozanti, milioanele de scutere, pietele cu fructe si legume, tarabele cu mancare si sucuri din strada, lumea zambitoare … toate acestea definesc imaginea Saigonului in mintea mea acum. Pentru cineva care nu a mai fost in Asia pana acum, orasul acesta ar putea fi obositor si mai greu de descifrat. De aceea cred ca trebuie sa ii dai timp. Noi de aceea nici nu ne-am propus sa bifam musai anumite obiective turistice. Am ajuns, desigur, si la ele, dar mai mult am vrut sa ne plimbam pe unde vedeam cu ochii si sa ne bucuram de aceasta sansa de a fi acolo. Multa lume m-a intrebat daca e murdar Vietnamul? Peste tot pe unde am calatorit, am dat de zone mai sarace, unde si mizeria era mai mare, dar nu asta defineste o tara. Mi se pare aiurea sa nu iesi din resort si sa traiesti aceasta experienta, sa incerci sa intelegi o cultura noua. Efectiv in Ho Chi Minh mergeam, mancam, mergeam, mancam, mergeam, mancam. De dimineata si pana seara. Cand mancam fructe pe terasa. Vlad era disperat dupa longan, rambutan, mangosteen sau banane mici. Statea in carut si manca fructe continuu.

Scriam pe instagram ca singurul carut pe care l-am vazut in Ho Chi Minh era al nostru. Nu va imaginati ca isi purtau copiii in sisteme ergonomice. Nu, ii purtau in brate pe scutere. Incap chiar si 5 pe un scuter! Unor copii le improvizau un scaun de rachita asezat chiar in spatele ghidonului, intre picioarele soferului, ca sa sada mai comod. Ce mai, un fel de scaun cu isofix.  Iar uneori am vazut ca ii legau cu un cordon ori curea de ei, in timpul mersului. Un fel de centura in 5 puncte…. Dar asta e lumea lor si sa-i judeci ar fi complet nedrept.

Citeam pe alte bloguri de travel ca in Ho Chi Minh trag de tine pe strada sa iti vanda diverse. Nu ni s-a intamplat. O singura data ne-a oprit mai insistent un vietnamez, ca sa aflam ca de fapt ne avertiza sa nu facem poze prea aproape de strada, ca ne pot fura mobilul direct din mers, de pe scuter.

Totul se negociaza, iar asta e chiar dragut. Nu te poti supara daca nu obtii cat ti-ai propus, pentru ca oricum e ieftin. Mancarea e mult mai ieftina decat in Thailanda, de exemplu. O masa pentru noi 3, cu tot cu bauturi, era in jur de 10 dolari in pietele cu mancare. Existau si restaurante mai scumpe, fireste. Intr-o seara am fost pe rooftop-ul unui zgarie-nori, intr-un bar-restaurant cu preturi ca in Romania, de unde Vietnamul se vedea complet diferit. Deci exista si aceasta zona bogata, dar nu intelegi nimic daca nu iti iei rucsacul in spate si nu te plimbi peste tot, printre casele lor ori prin pietele de localnici. De aceea ne si placea atat de mult cazarea noastra, pentru ca era ascunsa intre casele lor. Dimineata si seara ne salutam cu vecinii ca si cand am fi trait acolo de mult timp.

Nu ne-am simtit nicio clipa in pericol, indiferent de ora la care ne plimbam pe strazi. Nu am avut probleme cu mancarea, chiar si daca mancam adesea de pe strada. Pe Vlad il stergeam adesea cu solutie dezinfectanta, dar stiti si voi ca un copil cand iese pe afara, tot negru ajunge pe botic si haine. Cu toate acestea, nu a avut nicio problema de sanatate. Nici macar una. In Bucuresti e mereu cu nasul infundat, acolo brusc era bine. Nu i-am facut veaccinuri suplimentare, pentru ca nu sunt necesare in zonele pe care le-am ales, dar are la zi vaccinurile obligatorii.

Am stat 3 nopti in acest oras, de unde am zburat apoi cu low-cost JetStar (in jur de 50 euro de persoana) spre Hoi An.

Doamne, sper ca ati citit pana aici, ca sa nu fi scris romane degeaba. Acum nu ramane decat sa astept comentariile si intrebarile voastre legate de acest oras. Mda, mi s-a facut dor…

Toate pozele sunt din Ho Chi Minh City.

EN: I have been thinking about a trip to Vietnam with Vlad, ever since I was walking on the beaches of Thailand or through the temples in Cambodia, last spring. The fact the he was so attracted to the Asian continent gave ma a lot of courage. I thought to myself that “if you don’t have to take any extra shots for Vietnam or if there aren’t any other interdictions, that’s where we’ll head to for our winter vacation 2018!”. I did the necessary documenting and, if I’m not mistaken, since October- November we began telling Vlad that we are going to visit this country, a neighbor of his favorite countries so far- Thailand and Cambodia- and much alike, in many aspects. Until the first of January when we had our flight, he drove us crazy with Vietnam, when are we going to leave, why don’t we leave any sooner etc.

Why January 1st? Because that’s when we have found the cheapest flights, but also with decent layovers. Usually on December 31st (when you have the chance of spending New Year’s Eve in air or in some airport), but also early morning on January  1st you can find the cheapest flights, just so you know! We flew with Qatar, with a layover in Doha (on our way there for one and a half hours – ideal – , on our return flight 6 hours over night- tough, man).  I thought Qatar was really good and very child friendly. On each flight Vlad received his own bag with coloring book and games, crayons and other things to make his flight more pleasant. And when he got bored with them, we watched a movie or a video game and the hours went by relatively quick. We especially chose the flight to be during the night, so he could sleep more easily.   

“Vlad, please be patient and listen to me, because during our vacation in Vietnam we will change 8 flights!” I tell him with a mortified expression, because of such a high number. “10! I want 10, mum!” my traveler answers. So, the first flight departing on the 1st of January from Bucharest and landing in Ho Chi Minh on the 2nd of January was easier than expected.

Knowing that we’ll have more internal flights, we tried packing as light as possible. We took his stroller again. We had tried travelling to Thailand without it, and after 2 hours in Bangkok we were already in a mall looking to buy one. Because Vlad still prefers it, but also because he can’t handle walking for too long and we would have to carry him, so this time we didn’t hesitate. And we did a good a thing, because in Ho Chi Minh, and due to the jetlag, he would asleep at odd times and it was very pleasant for him to fall asleep in his own stroller, without having to be in our room. Whenever he would get sleep, he used to say: “I want in my stroller for a quick nap. Just a quick one.” He would pull his sun cover, ask us to cover the stroller so he could be in the dark and…sweet dreams. He managed to surprise us again how he is able to sleep no matter how loud the traffic is or while we are walking through a market packed with tourists.  

So, we had the stroller, but also a Thule Elite Sapling backpack, especially made for older children, which you can trek with. Actually, you can use when the access with a stroller is difficult or impossible- like it was on the island, for instance. That’s where we used the backpack most of the time, and he would fall asleep in it every once in a while. In the evening we took it for a walk on the beach on purpose and, after less then 10 minutes walking,…. sweet dreams. This backpack also has storage pockets, so we used to pack Vlad’s changing clothes (because we always had to have at least 2 sets), plus his food and drinks.  

And all our family’s clothes fit into a backpack which weighed 12 kg on our way there and 15kg on our flight back. We also carried a small backpack with toys and books for the flight. But we tried to pack as little as possible, so we could be mobile. The route was Bucharest – Ho Chi Minh – Ha Noi – Hoi An – Phu Quoc – Ho Chi Minh – Bucharest. Since there is so much to tell, I will split this travel journal into  parts, according to the 4 areas we stopped in. That’s why today we start with Ho Chi Minh (or Saigon).

We had never  been to Vietnam before, so I did a fair share of research before (TripAdvisor is still the best source), so I could decide upon the itinerary, to choose accommodations, so I could make sure we can fully enjoy our 3 weeks of vacation. Yes, that was the duration of our trip, because since the flight is so long, at least it should be worth it. If you only have one week of vacation, it’s not worth the trouble. You can barely adjust to the local hour.

In Ho Chi Minh we met another couple (same one we travelled through India with) accompanied by a teenager, coming from Thailand, but also another friend of theirs, a true backpacker, who had already crossed Indonesia and Singapore. So we searched for accommodation for all 7 of us. And we found it through airbnb. We have travelled through airbnb through the country, Europe, Australia, but never before in Asia, but it was perfect! I’ll tell you why right away.

Ever since I exited the airport in Ho Chi Minh, I began to smile. The heat, the light, the people and the vibe of the city have instantly communicated to my brain that “YOU ARE IN ASIA, WHERE IT’S PERFECT.” We took a taxi (about 17 dollars until our destination) and we showed the driver where our accommodation is. We could tell right away that the Vietnamese don’t speak English too well. Unlike the Thai, or Cambodian people. But they are very nice, so you can’t get upset with them, not even when they mix up your food order.

Our accommodation was actually an entire block of flats. 4 stories high, very narrow, with only 2 rooms on each level. It can accommodate up to 11 people, so we had plenty of room. And on the top floor there were 2 absolutely perfect terraces. After a day of constant walking through the city, an evening with tons of exotic fruit, a beer and a view like that was all you could wish for. The host also stayed with us, in one of the rooms. Vlad announced “There is a little girl staying with us. I really like her, she smiles at me all the time.” The little girl was actually a women in her 30s, but very petite, so she looked like a little girl to our child, about his own age, so he could play with her. The little girl- because that’s what we called her- was wonderful.  When she saw Radu for the first time, tired after the trip, she told him: “Ooooh…you look so tired” and she wiped the sweat off his forehead. Radu was struck. To us that was such an intimate gesture, but done so naturally, as if they had known each other forever. Vlad fell in love with the Little Girl, he could site quietly next to her for hours, watching her iron for instance. And on the last day, right before we left, after Vlad had accidentally damaged a wooden rack, she came next to him, got down on one knee, watched him sleep and said to us:”May I kiss him? I will miss him.” And that wasn’t theatre play for tourists. It was really touching.

Ho Chi Minh is a like a little bottle of pure Asian fragrance. The crowded buildings, sometimes very poor, other times interrupted by impressive skyscrapers, millions of scooters, the fruit and vegetable markets, the street food, the smiling people…everything defines the image I have had in my mind about Saigon until now. To someone who has never been to Asia before, this city might be tiring and hard to decipher. That’s why you have to give it time. That’s the reason we didn’t plan to do much sightseeing. We managed to see a lot, but we mostly wanted to walk around and enjoy our chance of being there. A lot of people have asked me if Vietnam is dirty? Everywhere we travelled, we did get to see poorer areas, where there was dirt, but that’s not what defines a country. I find it odd not to leave the resort and miss out on this experience, not to try and understand a new culture. In Ho Chi Minh we literally walked, ate, walked, ate, walked, ate. From morning until evening. When we ate fruit on the terrace. Vlad was desperate for exotic fruit. He would sit in his stroller and eat fruit all the time.

I wrote on Instagram that the only stroller we have seen in Ho Chi Minh was ours. Don’t imagine they were carrying their children in ergonomically baby carriers. No, they were holding them on their scooters. They can even fit up to 5! For some children they would improvise a chair placed right before the handle, between the driver’s legs, so he could sit more comfortably. Some sort of isofix seat. And sometimes they would tie them with a belt. Like a 5 point seatbelt… But that’s their world and to judge them would be completely unfair.

I read on other blogs that in Ho Chi Minh they try to sell you different stuff on the streets. It didn’t happen to us. Only once we were stopped by a Vietnamese who was trying to explain that we shouldn’t take pictures too close to the street, because they could steal our phone while driving by on a scooter.

Everything is negotiable, and that is actually nice. You can’t be upset if you don’t get what you bargained for, because it’s cheap anyway. The food is much cheaper than in Thailand, for example. A meal for the 3 of us, drinks included, was about 10 dollars in the food markets. Of course there were also more expensive restaurants. One evening we went to the rooftop of a skyscraper, in a bar-restaurant with prices like in Romania, from where Vietnam looked completely different. So there is also this rich area, but you don’t understand anything if you don’t take your backpack and walk around everywhere, along their houses or locals’ markets. That’s why we liked our rented apartment so much, because it was hidden in between their houses. In the morning and evening we would greet our neighbors as if we had been living there for a long time.

We never felt in any danger, no matter the hour we were wondering the streets at. We didn’t have any problems with the food, even if we often ate on the street. We used disinfecting wipes for Vlad, but you know that once a child is out of the house, he inevitably ends beingdirty around his mouth and clothes. Still, he didn’t have any health problems. Not even one. In Bucharest he constantly has a stiffed nose, over there he was suddenly just fine. He didn’t take any extra shots, because they’re not necessary in the areas we have chosen, but he has all his mandatory shots done.

We stayed for 3nights in this city, and from there we flew on a low-cost JetStar (about 50 euro per person) to Hoi An.

God, I hope you made it this far. All I have to do now is wait for your comments and questions about this city. Yes, I miss it…

All the pictures are from Ho Chi Minh City.