I’m now in Chau Doc, Vietnam. I left Phnom Penh at 7 this morning, took a mini-van and then a boat, and seven hours later, here we are! I hesitated to come to Vietnam so soon; I would say that 9 out of 10 travelers have told me that people here are not friendly at all. So floating into the country I expected to see nothing but hard-faced stares. I’m happy to report that so far this has not been the case. Maybe the Vietnamese generally are not as quick to smile as the Cambodians, but there were lots of people smiling and waving at us from the shore. Folks were friendly when we got off the boat and a woman even stopped to ask me where I was going when I was trying to find my hotel. I’ve also heard that people are less friendly in the north, so maybe I’ll encounter some of these “mean people,” but so far so good. No two people experience anything the same way, so it’s important to not take others’ opinions to heart until you form your own. There are so many things that can affect your perception - maybe you’re sick, tired, or in a bad mood when you arrive somewhere. All of these things can cloud your judgment. There’s also a lot to be said for past travel experiences. I bet a lot of these people have never been to India. I kind of feel like if I can travel in India, I can travel anywhere.
Another thing I heard about Vietnam is that the coffee is really good here. This could be dangerous for a former addict like myself. I’ve been having coffee occasionally on this trip, maybe once a week. I decided to try an “icy white coffee” at the visa checkpoint when we got into Vietnam, basically iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk, like Thai iced tea. First of all, add sweetened condensed milk to anything and you’ve got yourself a pretty good treat. Well, all I can say is: better than Starbucks. I’m not shaking or anything, but that is some strong stuff. Another thing I’m pretty psyched to find here is the coconut candy that my traveling companion in Vientiane, Laos had with her. I was reading about where this candy is made and have added that to my list of places to see. I don’t think anything can compare to Thailand in terms of culinary delights, but I’m willing to find out if Vietnam can give it a run for its money.
