The Surprising things about vietnam
Cyan and I currently sitting in a coffee shop in Da Nang, dedicating a few hours of work to 20 Minute Strength, before we catch a Grab taxi to our next Airbnb in Hoi An which is, thankfully, just a 45 minute drive away. At this stage, I think we have done our fair share of 10+ hour sleeper buses.
We still have 10 more days of our trip left, with Hoi An being our penultimate stop. We will spend 4 nights there before flying to Ho Chi Minh City for the final leg of our Vietnam tour. We plan to do a few day trips from HCMC as well as just soak up the atmosphere of the city.
Even though we still have loads of time left in Vietnam, last night in Da Nang felt like a moment for us to reflect on our trip so far.
There are a few things that have surprised us most about Vietnam. One of these has been the awesome beauty of the country. From looking at pictures prior to our trip, we knew there were going to be some incredible views that cameras simply won’t do justice. What we didn’t expect was just how the beauty permeates through every aspect of Vietnam.
The scenery has been jaw dropping. From atop the Truc Lam Phat Tich Pagoda in Cao Bang, the views of the rice paddies with small villages nestled into the side of the hills in Sa Pa, the towering cliff faces in Lan Ha Bay and Trang An, Ninh Binh. These are the no-words-can-describe kind of beauty that we couldn’t wait to see. But then, you have the in-between landscapes that you see out your window as you drive from one city to the next, that could have been painted by a mid-century artist. You have the idyllic serenity of a local cycling past you on a quiet street with the Vietnam flags dancing above in the wind. You have the synchronised chaos of food stall after food stall on the streets of Hanoi, feeding the most delicious food to the masses. It is everywhere you look.
And that brings us on to another thing that surprised us about Vietnam: Just how relentless the collective work ethic is. The women working these food stalls is another level of hard work. Then you have the amount of work that each Airbnb host has clearly put in to their property to make sure you have a perfect stay. And bus operators jumping on and off moving vehicles to collect you, stow your luggage for you and making sure you have your complimentary bottle of water for the journey. This last one is not recommended at all but, highly admirable all the same. It’s enviable. It’s contagious.
The last thing that has surprised us about Vietnam is how active they are as a population. On our first morning in Hanoi, we walked around the Ho Hoan Kiem lake, a centre point between the Old Town and French Quarter that holds cultural and spiritual significance. We were stunned by the number of groups of women taking part in dance classes, smaller groups of women just moving their joints through various twists and turns and swings, two or three friends going for brisk walks and then even people by themselves thrusting their hips, performing some sort of Tai Chi or using the equipment at the countless outdoor ‘fitness stations’ that are everywhere we go.
If Bondi Beach is arguably the most active postcode in the world, Ho Hoan Kiem Lake has got to be a close second.
It was inspiring to see for several reasons; we know that in many western societies, women are less likely to participate in sufficient physical activity with inactivity becoming more and more impactful, the older we get. This, combined with the fact that this is one demographic which has the most to gain from physical activity, made it that much more amazing to see the local gals dancing and moving wherever we have been in Vietnam. The social aspect of physical activity here really does make it a complete antidote for one’s health and fitness. But, what maybe caught our eye the most were those individuals at the lake or in the park or at the local outdoor fitness station who were moving their bodies like nobody was watching.
In these moments, my own British inclinations gently simmered to the surface. Imagining myself in those individual’s shoes, I would be paralysed by the idea that someone would see me thrusting the air in the name of health. But, at least from the outside looking in, these intrusive thoughts didn’t seem to enter their minds. They were outdoors, they were keeping their joints moving, prioritising their health and it posed the question of why aren’t we all doing this?
It speaks to the different approach that people seem to have to Health & Fitness here. The priority is to stay active, remain healthy and be able to do the things you want to do or need to do on an everyday basis. Not to break records, or be the fittest person ever or make drastic changes to your aesthetic. It’s just to be fit enough to lead a healthy and happy life.
All the best from Vietnam and keep your eyes peeled for the next one!
Matt (& Cy) x
