by Jenise Holloway
Age at time of travel: 24yr old female
Companions: a 25yr old Caucasion Female and a 24yr
old Caucasion male
Occupation: English teachers residing in Japan
Purpose: Leisure
Cities visited/Length of stay:
Ho Chi Minh(Saigon)-5 days,
Hanoi (including Halong Bay)- 9 days
Sapa (mountains) - 4 days
Hue (coastal) - 4 days,
Danang - 1day
Travel Dates: Dec 23-Jan 5, 2001
with the animosity I
anticipated. Most of the people we met saw meeting
us as an opportunity. We were people to be educated
about the actual events of the War. The general
expectation held was a belief in our ignorance about
the events that took place thirty years ago. The
people of the younger generation all know
someone who was affect by the war, and now those
same people had the language and opportunity to tell
those stories to others.
People from the older generation in Vietnam are
French speakers, but those 30 and under speak
English. A traveler to Vietnam should expect to find
a beautiful, tenacious, and clever people.
heavy tourist track) encompasses two extremes. The primary reactions were eagerness to please or
anger depending on whether or not we were willing to relinquishing our almighty American dollar! In
any travel adventure a tourist will meet the best and worst of people. Place value in all experiences and
learn from them, but be careful to prevent yourself from making sweeping generalizations. Be prepared
to have your mind opened and your heart moved by the character of the people. Also be prepared for
some gruesome evidence of past historical events such as common encounters with the deformation of
people and children from that tragic era.
With regard to travel plans, expect to do organized tours unless you know the language. Tourism is
tightly controlled by the government; therefore, comparative shopping is a waste of time. The only other
way around this problem is to know someone who lives in country. Also arranging to have a driver can
often lead to adventures off the beaten path as well.
In Vietnam, higher prices and a faster pace of life are more characteristic of the southern cities than their
northern counterparts. For the tourist, haggling and being accosted by vendors is a constant occurance.
No matter where you are, in the train, on the street, in a bar you are of course a TOURI$T.
If asked, NEVER admit to being American. The vendors will immediately see green.
Do not stop to talk, rest, or think on an open street. Even just halting while walking on the street is
viewed as an open invitation for vendors to swarm around you. Try to keep moving and act like you
know your destination or stop to check out your map in an enclosed area. Above all don’t panic when
surrounded by vendors physically and aggressively tugging on you to sell you their wares. The people
are just very “touchy” even with individuals with whom they lack familiarity. Obviously if you have
problems with loss of personal space, maybe Vietnam is not the type of country you would like to visit.
One other very important note: Like in most major tourist locations, there is always the constant threat
of pick pocketing. In the event that you find yourself in a confrontation, try to avoid letting the situation
escalate into a serious problem. Travelers to communist countries should remember that often the
policing system is very corrupt. Simply announcing your American passport can actually lead to more
trouble. In general it’s best to avoid conflict at all costs, since involving police officials may not lead to a
more favorable outcome.
more toward the familiarity of my brown
skin than that of my Caucasion counterparts
who I happened to be traveling with.
Unfortunately, this familiarity even with skin
color led to more incidences of attempting to
intimidate me as well. Generally the size of
American males makes them less of a target
for this type of physical intimidation, but for
women that is usually not the case-
regardless of size.
The biggest hurdle for me, as a woman, was
feeling a loss of empowerment.
Without a home government influence, a
well warranted.
may never be able to do that in the US! More importantly, your money buys you safety, Air
Conditioning, a friendly atmosphere, and someone else to combat the leacherous vendors as you stand
at the door. Budget accomodations generally run from $6-$9 but are often very unsafe. Sometimes
these lower budget accomodations don’t even have locks on the doors!
the meat products you choose to digest. Meat and other
perishable food products are not cared for in the same
sanitary conditions that we are used to in the US.
Kitchens can be open and preparation can be in close
proximity to bathrooms. All of which creates bacteria
that the average American digestive system will have
trouble combating. Shrimp should also be placed on the
“no-no” list. The shellfish there does not always come
from the cleanest of waters. On the other hand, feel free
to indulge in cooked veggies and the sweetest fruits you
could ever imagine. Cabbage and bananas are staples
here for any or all meals during the day.
A general rule of thumb is expect older generations to speak French and the thirty-somethings and under
to speak English. Vendors catering to tourists, however, speak multiple languages including Japanese.
Remember vendors also display the mannerisms reflective of the culture of that language. For example,
the harsh rigid haggling using English will lead to negotiation. The soft- spoken Japanese language yields
polite refusal to budge on price. Bottom line, if you want a lower price -use English.
Flight travel to all the destination cities I visited was less
than $200 total. For local travel around cities and
villages, you can always hop into a rickshaw and cross
your fingers. You can see your life flash before your
eyes at a cost of less than a $1!
Being a Black American Traveler
Sometimes it’s the small things that really stand out.
With regard to the squat toilets, expect your hips not to
be as narrow and to have to do some serious
repositioning.
bring attention to the differences between your body
and those of the Vietnamese. My experiences also
revealed a fascination from males of this country
(Asian countries in general) with chest size. Groping
incidents were most likely to result in a physical
altercation. The most outstanding example of being
African-American in this country was in the treatment
with regard to males. I was more likely to be
approached, harassed, or physically intimidated than
my female or male Caucasion counterparts. I guess that
since my brown skin was so close to theirs, it evoked a
familiarity with how the Vietnamese deal with each
have been reflected in the apparent "appreciation" or "sense of authority" conveyed through very overt
sexual advances from some of the men.
Despite some of these negative impressions, the majority of the experiences I had were quite comical,
very thought-provoking, and certainly invaluable. A visit to Vietnam is definitely worthwhile. At least
now you can consider yourself much more educated than I was before my trip!