Two years ago, my husband and I traveled to Vietnam on a 2-week trip. It was our first visit to that country. As I was browsing through my laptop to do some much-needed spring cleaning, I chanced upon some blogs that I had written on the Healthy Indian’s Instagram and Facebook pages. With severe travel restrictions in place, I thought this would be a good time to do some armchair traveling and I would like to take you on a journey to this beautiful and exotic place through my eyes.

I didn’t write every day, but I tried to capture what I had experienced and what touched me the most. The country was a visual treat – the sights, the sounds, the warmth, the timelessness all combined. I’ve had a hard time picking just a few photographs for this blog (these are taken from my old iPhone). That said, the photographs are not-so-great since I was (still am) a not-so-great photographer. But I hope they convey the emotions and joy that I had felt when I clicked them.

 

Vietnam Diaries #1:

 

I mulled about writing this series, especially since I know I will be dog tired when I sit down to write my travelogue at the end of the day. Let’s see how this attempt goes…. 14-hour flight from Dallas to Tokyo, 8 hours from Tokyo to Singapore, 2.5 hours flight from Singapore to Da Nang, Vietnam. 36 hours door to door! The world didn’t seem like a small place when I tried to stick my swollen feet into my shoes!

A car and driver met us at the airport and drove us to Hue via the Mandarin Road. The fatigue disappeared as the scenery started to unfold in front of us. Stunning coves, lagoons, bays, old marine outposts, green mountains lush with tropical flora, and friendly faces – what a warm welcome to Vietnam!

The pictures from today have been taken during various stops along the drive between Da Nang and Hue and in Hue, as we walked around in the evening to get our bearings.

 

Happy 2018 Chinese New Year – the Year of the Dog!

 

Vietnam and other Asian countries are celebrating the Tet (new year) holidays and the streets are filled with families eating colorful street food, and people sitting on the porches of their homes playing traditional games. Singapore’s Changi Airport is celebrating it with eye doggling (my pun on the Dog!) floral displays. Locals smiled and wished us a happy new year everywhere we went. It made me feel nostalgic for the festival season in India, which is also family oriented like these folks.

 

 

Vietnam Diaries #2:

 

As I am waiting for my dinner order to arrive, I start thinking – why am I writing this? How is this remotely connected with what Healthy Indian stands for?

To me, travel opens up doors that I had never imagined even existed. It affords me the opportunity to learn about the country – its history, its food, its people and traditions – up close and personal. It gives me the chance to walk and hike and climb and eat new foods and venture into new adventures. Travel takes me away from my daily humdrum and allows me to connect with my spouse without distractions. Traveling to a new culture puts me out of my comfort zone and encourages me to think out of the box. It allows me to meet people of different colors, creeds and religions on their own turf.

And at the end of the day, I come home with the realization that despite our borders and political differences that seem to separate us, we are all people trying to live as good, decent humans. And this realization is what makes me a “healthy” Citizen of the World. Would you agree? Or agree to disagree? What else is “healthy” about travel for you?

We spent the day going around Hue and nearby royal tombs and drove 3 hours south to make our bed at Hoi An. UNESCO seems to have taken over several of the amazing places of interest to renovate them in Hue. Here are a few glimpses into our day.

 

 

Vietnam Diaries #3:

 

I heard someone behind me angrily mumble: “we came all this way to look at this pile of rubble?!” The person’s companion replied “honey, can’t you see the grandeur in your mind’s eye?”

We are at My Son, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Housed in a lush jungle valley surrounded by mountains, My Son was the Hindu capital of the Champa Kingdom and in use from the 4th to 13th century AD. In its heyday, there were 70 grand temples in this valley. After the fall of Champa, the temple complex lay hidden under jungle bramble, until French archeologists worked tirelessly and brought them to life. Unfortunately, the USA launched carpet bombing in 1969 to flush out the VietCong rebels hidden there and destroyed much of the temple complex. You can see huge craters made by the bombs around the temples. Today, rebuilding efforts are in progress but slow since there are scores of un-exploded land mines around the area.

Do I see rubble, or do I see the richness and splendor that once was? Do I see peace and prosperity or the horrors of war and the heavy price this nation has paid? I think of both the good and the bad, but it is my choice to not dwell on the bad past and move on – just like this country has.

 

 

Vietnam Diaries #4:

 

Can’t believe I managed to write 3 days in a row! Writer’s block should’ve set in by now. Reader fatigue must’ve definitely set in, no?

Today, my stereotypical notions about how people behave in the developing world were dashed to the ground.

We rented a motorcycle to move around in Hoi An. It is a lot of fuunnn, besides being practical (no Uber and hard to find taxis during Tet new year) but not for the faint of heart.

By afternoon, we had got quite cocky with the motorcycle and were in a hurry to get to a performance. We found some vehicles parked in a corner, so we parked ours alongside. An hour later – motorcycle missing!! We sweated profusely for a while, played the typical blame game, and then gathered our wits to act.

Despite a major language (and accent) barrier, some helpful street vendors directed us to the nearest police station. While we were debating on what our $ damages would be for a. Theft (in case someone stole it) b. Towing (in case of illegal parking) and c. Bribes (for getting out of situations a and b), a policeman listened to our story, says “follow me” and starts walking us down some very narrow, uninhabited lanes. First thought that comes to mind: potential mugging!

 

Breaking the Stereotype!

 

As we are hurrying to keep pace with the cop, my husband is feverishly moving his high value currencies to a secret pocket! Finally, we reach a “towed vehicle lot” and the cop helps us locate our motorcycle. Yay, we find it finally! We barely have the words ‘thank you’ out before he smiled and walked away. Not a penny demanded or paid! And here we were fearing mugging, police harassment and what not. We just assume and form opinions so quick, don’t we? This incident could have gone either way and we are relieved it went in our favor.

Enjoy some random pictures of Hoi An. It is a lovely city and those of you that plan to visit Vietnam must bring yourselves here.

 

 

Vietnam Diaries #5:

 

While walking along the streets of Hoi An, Vietnam, a few months ago, I was mesmerized by an art gallery-cum-museum that was showcasing HUGE photographs of old people. The charisma they exuded was just too much to ignore, and despite being late for a show, I walked in.

The story I heard from the lady at the front desk was endearing. While traveling in Vietnam, a French photographer named Réhahn (no last name) met an elderly lady by name Bui Thi Xong, who was 74 years old at that time. Because she was embarrassed by her smile, she covered her mouth when he took her picture. What followed is the incredible story of an impoverished Vietnamese lady that has today become an iconic figure of Vietnam after posing for this picture.

The photographer promised the lady that if his book became successful, he would buy her a new boat because the old one she had, would scare off tourists. Réhahn used her portrait as his book cover because, for him, it represented the joy of life despite old age and poverty. After 6 months, the world recognized the hidden beauty behind the photo – Mrs. Xong became the most famous woman in Vietnam and, with her new gift – a boat, her tourism business is thriving as never before.

 

The Amazing Réhahn

 

Not only is Réhahn one of the best portrait photographers in the world, he’s also a wonderful blogger. These words stayed with me “The paradox of the billion-dollar beauty industry is that it profits on the fear of growing old. It’s constantly trying to ‘reverse’ the signs of aging. I don’t have to tell you how many companies use that word in their advertising. How can we reverse the signs of aging if we can’t reverse time itself? Surely the only thing that can be reversed is our attitude towards ageing. Physically, we can’t reverse time, but we can become more mindful and make choices that will be better for our health, but even this is no ‘reversal’ of the ageing process. Who was the person who said the aging process can’t be beautiful?”

Following the philosophy of his Giving Back Project, the photographer aims to make his subjects living conditions better. It started with Madam Xong and extends to supporting the education of several children he portrays.

Check out his collection here and I hope you are as entranced as I am. The photos below are photos I took of the photos he took. 🙂

 

 

Make sure you check back and read the soon-to-be-publish Part 2 of my Vietnam Travels. 🙂

Love travel blogs with a heart attached to them? Read our candid narration of…

• A once-in-a-lifetime cruise to Antarctica.
• Closer to home, follow us on a culinary trip to the colorful Southwest – Santa Fe.

 

Do you love our posts and recipes? We’d LOVE to see your creations so click a photo and tag us on Instagram with the hashtag #healthyindian3 and please give a star (★) rating below. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube & Tumblr for healthy, easy and delicious recipes and lifestyle tips.

 

*There could be affiliate links in this blog. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.