Viet Nam-Hanoi Tet Holiday 2010

Chinese New Year means happy celebrations when families get together to welcome the new year. Everybody travels back to their family home for this most important holiday. Which means that millions of people are on the go, and as ex-patriots one should either stay put or leave China. As Philip had a week off we decided long ago to take the second option. Vietnam was our destination: First some days in Hanoi including a 1-day bike-trip there followed by a flight south to Saigon or Ho Chi Min City as it is now officially called, where we would take a 4-day trip in the Mekong Delta on bikes, followed by a day of sightseeing.

The folly of choosing as destination another country with Chinese traditions came to light as we had trouble finding a guide for the one day Hanoi bike tour. Vietnam also celebrates the same New Year Holiday holiday, calling it Tet. Luckily (for a little bonus) we were finally able to secure a guide on the first day which was the preparation day leading up to the festival. As soon as we landed, we realized that this was going to be different from Beijing. Scooters and motorbikes were buzzing around us even at 3 Am, each carrying numerous passengers, huge blossoming peach trees as decorations for Tet, giant containers of produce and flowers etc.

Next morning we were picked up by our guide. By now we are pretty comfortable riding in Beijing, this though was something totally different . Making a left turn across scooters 10 deep with no apparent rules other than trying to criss-cross with the other cyclist was an act of total trust in our guide. Soon we crossed the river by barge and were in the country-side, seeing busy markets selling live fowl, fruit, numerous flowers and trees, and everything else imaginable. and everyone busy preparing for the holiday. Rice fields and poor villages dotted the landscape.

Soon we changed course and returned to the city. On one busy our guide and I lost Philip. Our guide went back and found Philip at the last Y intersection, he was ok other than bruised hands and ego having flipped off the bike into traffic after an abrupt stop by a taxi. Biking around the central big West lake, our guide told us that only foreigners live in the beautiful French villas by the lake, no Vietnamese can afford it. This is a contrast to Beijing where we have a lot of poor people, but also quite a few extremely wealthy Chinese citizens. Our tour then went to the administrative area of the city, situated on big, tree-lined boulevards with French architectural mansions, now mainly housing embassies. A giant park surrounded "Uncle Ho's Mausoleum", but we did not have time to go in. A lone soldier guarded the garden and tribute to the grave of the unknown soldier, at the entrance a sign was posted, warning that there was no admittance. The guarding soldier for some reason beckoned us to enter, opened the gate and suggested that Philip light some incense. - An extended hand in forgiveness for our past.

As we entered the hotel after the tour, we were handed an invitation to a New Year's Party with dinner that evening. As we had no other plans, we asked about the price. No, we want you to be the guests of the hotel owners was the answer. Bewildered we looked at one another, and decided to go. So did most of the fifty other guests, and we were treated to a banquet with numerous tasty holiday dishes, free-flowing champagne, happy guests from around the world and a gracious, smiling host exemplifying the Vietnamese hospitality. For New Year everyone should eat a festive meal, which we did thanks to our very generous hotel owner. As we exchanged the greeting: Chuc Mung Nam Moi, we felt the warmth and hospitality of our Vietnamese host.

The next day we were invited to lunch at the home of one of Philip's Beijing patients, her mother was also present. Again we had to marvel at the hospitality as we tasted special New Year treats. The mother did not speak English, but at the end of the meal she turned to face Philip, and it was clear she did want to say something. Looking directly at Philip, and being translated by her daughter, she timidly, but directly asked: " And what are your memories of the American war with Vietnam?" (in which she lost her only brother) The last question came right to the point: "Why did such a big nation like yours see the need to attack a small country like ours?" Despite it all, she extended an open hand to citizens of the country whose former behavior she could not understand.

The next day we spent walking around the city of Hanoi. Everywhere we were met by Chuc Mung Nam Moi. We really enjoyed the city and it's people tremendously, and found it very different from Beijing. Hanoi in many ways appears as if 50 years behind the present date. Very few high rises, instead lower buildings of individual houses. The majority of people seemed to have enough to survive, a moped or two, but not much more. Looking into the stores that were closed for the holiday, we saw people sitting around their dining tables which were in the middle of the store, common living and commercial space . And the precious mopeds were also parked inside.

As we left Hanoi Monday evening, we really wished we could have stayed longer in this city where the past still seemed to exist in it's elegant French government quarters and parks, it's somewhat shabby older city living quarters and an open hand in forgiveness for shameful deeds by our country not too long ago. As our guide put it: We believe two crazy leaders were responsible for the war, we like the people of America.