Monday 3 May 2004, 9am
By Angelica Cameron

Visiting Vietnam: The reality of a Third World

Angelica surveys the scenery of rural Vietnam. (Photo: Miho)

My first afternoon in Vietnam took all the courage and strength I had just to get through. All the responsibilities I had, and just traveling felt so new to me, when I walked out of the airport it was such a relief to find Miho and Neha, my travel companions for the week.

I had had no idea what to expect, so everything was a shock to me.

Using local public transport we found our way from the airport to the “Old Quarter” of Hanoi. Here the streets were narrow and crowded. It was very noisy, the motorbikes were constantly tooting at each other, this was something that took a few days for me to get used to. There didn't really appear to be any road rules in the streets of the Old Quarter.

Crossing the road was one of the biggest challenges. The countless old motorbikes seem to ride straight for you, and you just have to keep walking across the road, as if they are not there. This was easier said than done, but by the end of my stay I managed to cross the road without hesitation. On the footpaths sat old, old men, or children, talking, playing or just watching as the afternoon drifted by.

Miho and Neha, Angelica's travel companions, walk down a street in Vietnam. (Photo: Angelica Cameron)

On every street corner there were men with their motorbikes, offering to take you wherever r you needed to go, usually at a very low cost. Little children followed us and tried to sell us postcards and books.

I felt terribly overwhelmed, and I was relieved when we found the Real Darling Café, a backpackers hostel recommended by both my Lonely Planet guide book, and Miho's Japanese guide book.

We found a nice room and I just sat down. I really needed some time to relax and compose myself. That night I wrote in my journal:

March 26,

I have promised myself to make the best of even the most trying difficult situations, so I will do my best. I hope I will sleep well, and as the sun rises over Vietnam tomorrow, let it take my spirits with it.

The next day I wrote:

Click on the above photos to view larger images. (Photos: Angelica Cameron)

March 27,

Well I think I must have woken up smiling. I have had a wonderful day, and now I find myself getting comfortable for the next nine hours on an overnight train, all the way across northern Vietnam, to Lao Cai.

This country is full of real things, the food, the places, the people, and their pain.

We spent the day wandering around the maze of streets, which make up the Old Quarter. Here the tooting of horns and general morning bustle was fast to wake me up. I had slept well, and we all felt great. We ate soft, fluffy, moist, white bread with meat and spices inside for breakfast, bought from a woman selling them on the side of the road. This was followed by countless other amazing Vietnamese delicacies during the day. In one of the markets I saw live frogs, eels and big fish, sitting in tubs of water waiting to be sold and eaten!

It really was a great day, as I slowly began to feel more comfortable.

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