Taking the Long Way Home

So one observation we made while we were in Vietnam... the vendors are extremely assertive (bit of a euphemism,) and even more gifted at separating you from your hard-earned dong (Vietnamese currency). They are extremely talented bargainers, and even better at convincing you that yes, you do want to buy that trinket/bracelet/leg-hair threading treatment/pineapple/grilled lobster at your beach chair. Things get ugly, though, the minute the traveller suspends one of the time-honored Rules of Purchase:

1.) If you say "maybe later" to a vendor on foot, especially in a situation where you are stationary and they are walking (say while on the beach,) they WILL come back to your chair. Don't get angry if they do.
2.) If you raise your voice and lose face while bargaining, there is a good chance the shopkeeper or vendor will, too.
3.) Pick your item carefully. Once money changes hands, there are absolutely no refunds, exchanges or returns. Period.

We witnessed a gross violation of the Rules while chilling out in the beach-side town of Nha Trang, a coastal city with a population of about 300,000, eight hours north of Saigon or so. But more on that, later.

We had selected Nha Trang because of descriptions like this one from Wikipedia:

"It is well known for its pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving and is fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers on the Southeast Asia circuit. It is already very popular with Vietnamese tourists. Nha Trang Bay is amongst the world's most beautiful bays. Tourists can participate in Sea Festival and August- Nha Trang Rendez- vous Festival every 2 years."

While the beach at Nha Trang was nice enough, we probably would not categorize it as "amonst the world's most beautiful bays," especially after spending time in Indonesia, French Polynesia and Thailand. It is a bit built up with nondescript, concrete-block shaped mid-range motels and hotels lining the shore. There is also an extremely tacky resort being built offshore, with plans to connect Nha Trang beach to it by gondola lift. It was also perhaps one of the least restful beaches we've visited on account of the extremely opportunistic and shrewd sellers plying the beaches constantly with their items for sale. Regardless of all of this, though, our time at Nha Trang was not without humor, and we enjoyed the local food, a very clean and friendly guesthouse, and pretty easy beach access.

Pictures of Nha Trang:

waves breaking on Nha Trang Beach, Vietnam

eating lobster and crabs on Nha Trang Beach... tough life, eh?

Nha Trang Bay

When we first arrived, we headed down to the beach to spend a few hours relaxing by the sea. Typically anywhere in Asia, a local guy will own a small fleet of beach chairs and umbrellas. For a few bucks, you pay him to usethem for the afternoon. We did just that and were relaxing when the ladies began coming by, showing trays of cheap jewelry, temporary tattoos, food goods, etc to tourists lying on chairs. Three girls from Spain were sitting in beach chairs behind us. We happened to notice them bargining with one particular vendor for a while, closely looking at her selection of anklets. All of the sudden, a commotion begins. The tiny Vietnamese vendor, no more than five feet tall in a large conical hat, is up and yelling at the girls while they prance around their chairs singing taunting songs. Vietnamese vendors are coming out of the woodwork to join the original vendor in the cursing of these three girls. A circle of curious tourists begins to ring around the whole bizarre scene. Tangential to this whole thing is a large-ish lady screaming bloody hell about a frog cell-phone charm- like one of those dangly ornaments (sometimes larger than the phone itself), that people hang off their cell phones as decoration. We learn that apparently the original vendor had just sold the girls three bracelets (which they selected themselves from her tray.) Apparently, once money had been exchanged, one of the girls realized that her bracelet was broken or somehow defective. When she realized this, she pointed it out to the vendor and asked for a refund. Of course the vendor said no. As a result, the girl snatched a fistful of the vendor's wares, hid them in her pockets, and started taunting the vendor, saying she wouldn't give them back until the vendor gave her her money back. The vendor summons all of her little vendor friends, who started dropping f-bombs and threats at the girls liberally, and the whole thing is on the brink of fisticuffs- so much for the pleasant, peaceful slice of sand of which we'd dreamt. Anyhow, the original vendor starts pushing the girls, who push back, then the slapping starts, and the guy who owns the beach chair business runs in to get involved, because violent vendors are frankly bad for his business. The three Spanish girls start to stalk off (still holding the stolen goods in their pockets,) and a veritable mob of female Vietnamese vendors parades off on their heels. It gets ugly at the carpark, where the girls have parked their motor bikes- the vendors swarm the girls, steal their bikes, and say they won't give them back until the girls give back the stolen merchandise. Total stalemate, and I'm wondering if pretty soon one of them will start taking human hostages. On top of all of it, apparently the fat lady says that in addition to stealing the bracelets and anklets from the original vendor, the girls have also made off with her "froggy cell phone charm," which was a "gift to her from a nice tourist." The police come down and get involved just as it seems as if the Spanish girls are going to get a total beat-down from the mob. They sort of side with the tourists (basically because they've been instructed to err on the side of tourists in these sorts of situations- tourism is an important part of Nha Trang's revenue.) The bikes and bracelets are grudgingly exchanged. End of drama.

This sort of situation, we felt, whether it was fair or not, was the fault of the three girls. Rules are different while travelling in developing countries, especially when buying from vendors in cash. They should have more carefully examined the goods before ponying up the cash. Still, though, a humorous afternoon. And the fat lady got her frog back afterall. Good old Vietnam.

The fat lady, triumphant with her frog cell-phone charm

Chinese symbol for luck in Hoi An, Vietnam

We arrived in Hoi An, Vietnam via a surprisingly pleasant, reasonably priced bus from Hue. The journey took about four hours, and we arrived in the middle of a full-on downpour of rain. We had given our names to our guesthouse in advance of travelling to be sure that someone would meet us at the bus station. Somehow, though, through the magic Vietnamese travel gods that be, a representative FROM our accommodation showed up on our bus with a handwritten sign with our names on it, and proceeded to drive us straight to the guesthouse. Talk about door to door!

Hoi An is a lovely Vietnamese city, perhaps most famous, and rightly so, as the tailoring capital of SE Asia. The master tailors here can crank out made-to-measure clothes at a fraction of western prices in less than 24 hours... and as we were to discover, also provided the added benefit of a completely amusing and unique bargaining experience to boot. Catt's plan was to get a few tailor-made suits and shirts. Megan's plan was a little less practical- getting a few fun party dresses and a stylish winter coat (probably not to be worn for another 12 months, as we are following summer for a year, here. But practicality, schmacticality, right?)

We spent a few hours scouting out a good tailor (there are literally hundreds of shops, all offering seemingly similar prices and a mind-boggling amount of fabrics, buttons, options, etc) and finally decided upon a small shop run by some of the liveliest and most mischievous girls we'd ever encountered in our travels. Catt purchased two cashmere-blend suits (one in darker brown and one in thin white pinstripe on navy,) and some dress shirts, and Megan selected a black and white cotton dress, as well as a knee-length silver, silk dress with capped sleeves and a white, cowl-neck wool coat. After outlining on paper your choices, you are then taken upstairs to pick fabrics. We were like kids in a candy store. They literally bring you into a room with hundreds of fabric options, and you pick your lining, buttons, zippers, and just about everything else. Prices were negotiated, and then they proceed to try to goad you into buying more shirts, dresses, whatever. "Two more for YOU!" they'd shriek, slapping you on the butt, pinching your cheeks, etc, and then draping unwanted silk and wool over your head/arms/waist. The whole scene was quite comical, but worth it, because in the end, they did a fabulous job. We are really bummed that we didn't get any pictures with our salesgirls, because we got to know them quite well over the course of our few days in Hoi An.

"Old town" Hoi An was designated a UNESCO world heritage site as "a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences." During our visit we also had a chance to explore some of the historical temples, homes and museums, as well as wander the charming alleyways enjoying delicious Vietnamese coffee and deserts, crafts, and fresh fruit. There is a very evident Chinese influence in Hoi An, primarily due to the large Chinese community there. Here are some pictures.

a to-die-for desert from a street-side cafe in Hoi An

The rains pretty much continued for the duration of our visit to Hoi An, which was okay, since thankfully most of our activities in Hoi An were indoors. The entire ancient portion of the port (water-front harbor) flooded in the evenings, making for a messy tangle of cyclos, dogs, vendors and tourists.

Hoi An street in the rain

Chinese assembly hall

conical-shaped spirals of incense, Chinese temple, Hoi An

alter in a Chinese temple, Hoi An

purple lotus flower, Hoi An

paintings for sale in Hoi An, Vietnam

waterfront view from the Japanese Bridge in the rain

Hoi An flooding in the rain

boat woman in Hoi An

some elderly ladies lighting up in Hoi An

the national symbol of Vietnam, the motorbike, was alive and well in Hoi An

carrying a palm tree through town... you know, normal stuff

Hoi An locals at the market

Hoi An local carrying baskets over her shoulder- this is a very common way to transport items- especially produce- in Vietnam

A great addition to our Hoi An experience was getting to spend time with our Spanish friends from Ha Long Bay, Jose, Valle, and Luis once more. We coincidently were staying at a guesthouse right next to theirs, and met up for coffee and a tasty buffet dinner one night. The spanglish and beer carried us to the wee hours, and it was a wonderful end to a relaxing few days of retail therapy on the coast of Vietnam.

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to pass on a quick link... an article was recently written about our travel experience and philosophy in the February 4, 2008 edition of the Cavalier Daily, UVA's main student newspaper. We were contacted by a reporter there who was interested in our unorthodox career descriptions on facebook, she asked us some questions over email, and voila! You can read it at the following link:

http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=32256&pid=1678.

I've also cut and pasted it below.

Globetrotting after graduation
Travel provides University students an alternative path after college

Danielle Blundell, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer

Spring semester has sprung, which means fourth-year students have about 15 weeks left to turn a B.A. or B.S. into a J-O-B before waving goodbye to the University. While some students are interviewing for corporate positions or facing uncertainty about their futures, for others graduation presents an opportunity to travel abroad, whether for recreational, teaching or volunteering purposes.

Statistically speaking, the exact number of unemployed University graduates -- whether caught in limbo somewhere between the college experience and the "real world" or between jobs -- is difficult to determine. Ladd Flock, director of Arts & Sciences Career Services, said the rate of unemployment following graduation is unknown because those without jobs are unlikely to respond to the Career Service survey, "Final Destination of Recently Graduated Students," which begins circulating at the conclusion of the academic year.

"Students tend to respond once they land a job," Flock said. "We see our highest response rate in July because many employers don't make their hiring decisions until they have actual positions to fill."

Some students' paths don't fit neatly into the survey's fixed categories. Some call taking time off to travel adventurous, others impulsive. Whatever the connotation, exploring distant areas and unfamiliar cultures increasingly has become a panacea for the "quarter-life" crisis, a concept that captures the feeling of recent college graduates lacking a firm grasp of who they are or what they want to do.

For 2001 College graduate Catterson Oh and his wife, 2003 College graduate Megan Lantz, traveling initially took a backseat to entering the professional world, mainly for monetary reasons.

"We never considered travel immediately post-grad," Lantz said. "It was simply too expensive, and the idea of 'entering the real world' a year or two later than my peers in debt and with no job experience seemed too daunting."

Despite their initial hesitations, Oh and Lantz developed their impetus for traveling on the heels of a quarter-life crisis, which prompted their desire to see the world while still in their youth and to have an experience together that would teach them about themselves and perhaps inspire friends at home.

Six months and nine countries later, Oh and Lantz find recent college graduates increasingly attracted to -- but apprehensive of -- making a similar decision to theirs.

"It seems like this is something so many people in our peer group and demographic want to do, but for some reason, they justify their way out of it," Oh said.

Part of that justification, Oh said, is fueled by fear in its most general sense. Lantz also cited the pressure college graduates feel "to keep up with their peer group in terms of salary, purchasing a condo, getting married and going to grad school."

If graduates-turned-travelers overcome their hesitations, they have a wide array of potential experiences awaiting them. According to Lantz, the traveling-abroad clichés that often serve as dinner party fodder are true: Traveling seems to be an eye-opening time of reflection, during which those who take the plunge really do learn about themselves and others while fine-tuning their individual definitions of happiness and rewarding experiences.

"Money is certainly not corollary with happiness," Lantz said. "When we traveled through Laos, one of the least-developed and poor countries in Southeast Asia, we were constantly met with warmth and friendliness, and the strength in community relationships there -- despite the poverty -- was palpable."

Beyond emotional discovery, travel also can test the bounds of physical strength, revealing what it actually takes to survive. Lantz said her own reliance on material comfort and possessions has been significantly diminished through travel.

"Because we carry everything on our backs, being a minimalist is essential," she said.

Through their travels and encounters with others, Oh and Lantz also have dealt with unfavorable perceptions of Americans. Lantz said she sees contact with people of different nationalities and backgrounds as a possible solution for revising negative images of America.

"You have to have tough skin and realize that unfortunately that is the perception, and only by getting out there and traveling can you change it," Lantz said.

At present, Oh and Lantz's journey has brought them to New Zealand, where they are currently working on a kiwifruit farm to finance their next move to South Island. They said their exposure to citizens from countries far and wide has emphasized the common humanity of all people.

"The open-heartedness that people seem to have while traveling is amazing," Lantz said. "It is a reminder of how closed you are whilst in the safety and familiarity of your own community."

Gigi Davis-White, director of Education School Career Services, reflected this same sentiment in describing another alternative post-graduation option open to college graduates regardless of their schools or majors: teaching abroad.

"A big motivator for students is to experience a global culture and a multicultural society," Davis-White said. "Of course, we have multiculturalism here in the United States, but it is a very different experience to be one of few, rather than one of many."

While Oh and Lantz said they encourage students thinking about experiencing life abroad to take the plunge, they also advise students to use their time to acquire new skills and make connections.

"I'm not saying you should be reckless with your money or career, but taking a calculated risk to travel for a year almost always pays off," Lantz said. "Travel will inevitably open up new ideas and help expand your international professional network."

Flock also noted the importance of keeping track of what is transpiring at home while country-hopping.

"If you take an alternative career path, like traveling and volunteering or social work and overseas education, just continue to build new skills," Flock said. "While taking time off, it is important to pay attention and stay connected."

When asked what advice she would give to students on the verge of graduation, Lantz offered these comments.

"Don't feel like you have to rush into any particular graduate program or career path, and don't feel like all is lost if you don't know what you want to do with your life as soon as you finish walking the Lawn." Lantz said. "The quarter-life crisis is a phenomenon that seems to hit everyone these days, and you will probably feel that pressure at some point, post-grad."