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Day 9: Bangkok — A Curious Concoction

“The allure of Bangkok lies in its ability to surprise and inspire at every turn.” — Unknown

View of one of the many side streets in Bangkok’s Chinatown [8/23/2023]

I landed in Bangkok in the afternoon on August 23rd and took the bus to the public transport. An average person would have probably just called a taxi, but I like to challenge myself to see if I can navigate to my destination like the locals. Also, I just really love riding metro systems.

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t expect much of Bangkok’s metro system, but to my surprise, it seemed modern, clean, and efficient. I was able to find the station, buy a ticket, and navigate to my destination with relative ease.

Comparing it with my baseline of Vietnam, at first impression Bangkok is it’s a tad more dressed up and modernized than Saigon (in some areas). I am staying in the Chinatown neighborhood of Bangkok, which is quite exciting and bustling with life. The Chinese have a long history in Thailand and have been migrating here for hundreds of years. And of course, this reality makes for both cultural and culinary conglomerations.

A Chinese-Thai restaurant in Bangkok’s Chinatown [8/24/2023]

Like Saigon, The abundance of food in Bangkok is overwhelming. Only here, the wok is king. Many street food carts have multiple giant woks ready to go at a moment’s notice. In the blink of an eye, the vendors take orders, and all in one motion, throw the ingredients into the blisteringly hot woks. Like an angry dragon, flames shoot out from under the food while the cook shakes and stirs the contents vigorously with a metal spatula, cooking it to perfection at an astonishing speed. A mixture of steam and smoke instantaneously emits, filling the air with a distinct aroma which usually consists of meat, fresh herbs/spices, and of course, Thai chilis. A true match made in heaven.

The sound of this process is jarring as well; with an initial sizzle so piercing that it could make an unsuspecting patron leap out of their chair. In fact, one will undoubtedly see and hear many bewildering things here. But don’t be alarmed, this is Bangkok.

The shock and awe here seem to be part of the character of this city. Perusing around the streets, something (or someone) is bound to catch your eye and make you realize that you’re not in Kansas anymore — this is about as far from American suburbia as one can get.

While intense and at times unrestrained, the people here are also kind to their core; they have deeply rooted Buddhist traditions that emphasize dignity and respect for fellow human beings. People want to ensure you are happy, fed, and cared for. When saying “thank you” it is customary to join hands and give a bow, which I find incredibly endearing. It also tears down barriers and helps you feel connected to the person on the other end. And street vendors are often happy to serve foreigners; when sharing how much you enjoyed the meal their faces often light up with excitement and joy.

As someone who loves to sit and simply observe foreign societies, Bangkok is like Disneyland for me. I could sit for hours on a busy street corner and take it all in. The sights, the sounds, the food, there is so much going on; there is a story happening everywhere. There is also an elusive aura here that I am having difficulty understanding, perhaps this is due to my biased Western lens of interpretation.

I’ve never been exposed to something quite this exotic.

One of the many Buddhist temples in Bangkok [8/25/23]

Day 5: Saigon — Never Looking Back

“The best way out is always through.” ― Robert Frost

View of District 4 through a rainy window [8/23/2023]

Through only five days, I can say that Vietnam is a wonderful country that I developed a connection with. But it would be a blatant lie if I said I even came close to comprehending this complex and convoluted place. However, it takes little time for some aspects of Vietnamese society to be realized and appreciated.

First of all, the radiance of its people. They are some of the kindest and purest souls I’ve ever met. Helpful, curious, and always willing to serve you up something absurdly delicious, their warm demeanor puts you at ease and helps you feel right at home. Even with the extensive language barrier between us, these attributes naturally pour out of them.

Secondly, the food. It boggles my mind how many street food stalls and restaurants one can stumble upon in Saigon. But we must keep in mind that many Saigonese eat primarily on the streets, and with over 8.9 million people, that’s a massive demand to cover. On the ground level, this makes for a truly staggering amount of street vendors and food operations. Walking hungrily down the streets is a full-body experience for us food-obsessed travelers.

While aimlessly exploring, I came across various markets of food stalls and restaurants, which often veered off into surrounding street food-infested alleyways, which in turn opened up into a new market, which also contained completely undiscovered food-lined mazes. And it seems like one could just repeat this process in an endless loop; the number of culinary options here is virtually limitless.

Finally, the unique energy and ambiance this city possesses. When you arrive in Saigon, there is no middle ground; you are met with a multitude of extremes: The traffic has the ferocity of a starved predator; cars and motorbikes veer around pedestrians and one another with only millimeters of room to play with. Stray dogs run amiss beneath your feet. The ears fill with the yelling of merchants, attempting to sell or barter whatever it is they have. Live caged chickens await slaughter only footsteps away from luxury hotels. Street children with tattered clothes beg on the sidewalk while unfazed onlookers stuff their faces with food. Multimillion-dollar construction projects tower over dirty and decayed apartment buildings.

A true city of contrasts and intensity; it isn’t for the faint of heart.

Growing pains are inevitable for someplace developing this rapidly. Saigon is changing; this much is evident when one simply sets eyes on the city. While confronting extreme poverty here is still impossible to avoid, there is also money flowing, and opportunity. The Vietnamese have fought incredibly hard to get to this place, and they now have a chance to progress — they have hope for the future.

It is uncertain what the Vietnam of tomorrow will look like. But what is certain is the character and strength of its people. They have put aside their unimaginably difficult past — through pure grit, tenacity, and forgiveness, they have resurrected their homeland into the Vietnam of today. With that, it also will be their duty to confront and overcome the new challenges they will inevitably face, shaping their country’s future. And if history tells us anything, it’s that they will prevail.

If there’s one thing we can learn from Vietnam, it’s to never look back. Leave it all in the rearview.

Motorbike cruising, leaving District 4 [8/21/23]

Saigon, until we meet again…

Day 1: Saigon — Vibrant, Unpretentious, and Delicious

“A day of traveling will bring a basketful of learning.” — Vietnamese Proverb

View overlooking Saigon’s District 1 [8/18/2023]

I arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport rather disoriented and disheveled. After over 30 hours of continuous travel, I was ready to hit the ground running. I went through customs and quickly found the public transport bus to make my way towards the city center.

There is an interesting sense of informality and lawlessness here, especially when it comes to traffic patterns. The constant beeping and zooming of the vehicles all around me was impossible to ignore. While chugging along in the public bus likely from the 90s, I could already feel the electric buzz of this Southeast Asian mega-city — it was almost palpable. I was now at the mercy of Saigon.

And oh, the mopeds. They are everywhere here. And I mean everywhere. There is an endless sea of them, looking out onto the asphalt, they never stop coming; no matter the time of day. Think you can take refuge on the sidewalk? Think again, that “pedestrian” area is free game for them as well. I learned this all too quickly after not glancing over my shoulder before I stepped onto one… close call.

I also noticed almost immediately the sheer size and importance of the informal economy here. Drivers pull to the side of the street in busy traffic to have a chat with the street merchants, or to buy up whatever it is they happen to be selling. And people are selling everything here. From clothes, scrap metal, souvenirs, magazines, the daily newspaper, shoes, hats, literally about anything you can imagine can be bought off the side of the road. Street vendors are the true heartbeat of this city.

Also, the food. My god is it everywhere. I’m like a kid in a candy store here. Except the candy store spans farther than the eyes can see and has candy varieties whose names I can’t pronounce. Down every alley, every street, every last crevasse of the city, you will see a vendor selling something delicious.

Another thing that sticks out is the kindness and hospitality of the Vietnamese people. Now, I know about three words in Vietnamese, but this didn’t stop me from trying my hand at ordering something when I first landed. You would be surprised how far you can get by body language and pointing alone; I’m making due. And my taste buds have thanked me greatly for it so far.

For my first dinner, I decided to enjoy some nem nướng cuon (grilled pork spring rolls).

The way this dish works is, they give you all the ingredients (rice paper, meat, various herbs/greens, and a plethora of sauces) and it’s up to you to construct the roll. The older woman in charge of the restaurant was watching in concern and suspense and I attempted to assemble my first roll. And I have to admit, I was a bit intimidated. After witnessing my struggle, she soon came over to lend a helping hand and kindly showed me a more efficient method.

When I finally made one in success, I could tell both she and my waiter were elated. They expressed genuine joy that I was able to now fully experience the meal in its purest form. I think there was something beautiful about this moment, and it speaks volumes about the Vietnamese people. They are extremely proud of their food culture and love to share it with others. I won’t forget this brief instant of shared happiness. What we couldn’t communicate with words was made up by the connection of simply being human.

Don’t be afraid to look like an idiot, it’s how experts begin.

Saigon’s District 4 on a Friday night [8/18/2023]

Prelude: Why Do We Travel?

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” ― Mark Twain

~30,000 feet over America’s Heartland 8/17/2023

When I was a young child, my parents put an enormous map of the world on my wall. They would often point to each landmass and have me recite the names of the various countries that make up our planet. Even as a child, I was overwhelmed and mystified by how vast the world was. I quickly realized that I was only existing in a small sliver of it. From early on, I found myself completely enveloped in trying to make sense of the world around me. This small exercise helped to ignite my innate curiosity and interest in traveling.

It feels nice to be comfortable. In control of your environment and those around you. Basic things like ease of communication are taken for granted at home. There is also comfort in predictability and familiarity, we often prefer to be in the driver’s seat. There is nothing inherently wrong with this; it’s part of human nature. However, I’d like to argue that there is such a thing as becoming too comfortable. And that there is enormous value in making yourself uncomfortable and exploring an entirely new environment that challenges you to your core.

Travel has an ability to make you experience this distinct uncomfortableness, especially when it’s to a place which is vastly different from what we are familiar with. A place where many contrasts can be encountered: language, food, culture, norms, customs, religion, architecture, etc. Everything must be relearned, our known rules no longer apply. You feel like a toddler again, discovering how to successfully navigate this new environment you’ve been thrust into. Caught up in our daily routines, we often forget that there is a world outside of ours; many, many, worlds. Each with entirely distinct features and attributes that make it unique and beautiful.

While this feeling of being out of place can be extremely stressful, I challenge you to change your perspective during these situations. Not being in control, and being vulnerable, can open your mind to entirely new perspectives on the world and the people that make it up. While it can certainly be frightening to not know the local language, for example, it can also be reframed into an exciting mental exercise. Making you work and learn to do things that are entirely seamless in your world.

Doha, Qatar International Airport 8/17/2023

So then, to address our question at hand: Why do we travel? Of course, this question can bring many different answers, and there are no right or wrong ones. There are many different types of situations that call for different types of travel. But most often I think we look to travel as a relaxing escape. Where we don’t have to think much or make difficult decisions. Where we may be waited on hand and foot. Visiting a fantasyland that is procured to put us at ease as we’re treated like some kind of God because we bought the deluxe premium package.

Now, I’m not completely knocking this style, and we all do need to travel simply to relax and recharge. But I argue that we need to explore the other side of travel as well. The side that pushes you into unfamiliar territories with unfamiliar people doing unfamiliar things. You are certainly capable of having an experience like this and overcoming the various difficulties that come with it. Watch as you emerge from the other side as a more complete person, with a newfound perspective, a heightened sense of empathy, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.

This is a prelude to my month-long journey and may help to explain why I am embarking on it. And why I feel that everyone reading should try their hand at something similar.

Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. The Exotic East: Each Asian nation offers something entirely unique. I will be completely out of my element in each. I intend not to show you only the glitz and glam side of each country, but also the real, raw, and unfiltered version. Join me along the way as I seek to uncover and share the various intricacies and realities of each society I find myself in.

Saigon, Vietnam 8/18/2023