Backpacking to Vietnam — Almost Stepped on HUMAN POOP!
Last 3 weeks, I went backpacking to Vietnam, just to use up my annual leaves. It was a not properly planned trip, but duhh.. I'm a random-minded human.
Why Vietnam? Because Ili said it is a chill country (?). Let's see.
Once I reached Vietnam and checked in the hotel (around 2pm++), I slept until 8pm. Guess it really made you chill. The view from my hotel looks like a view from a Korean rooftop house in Kdramaland.
The Environment
Unlike Malaysia, Vietnam's shops don't provide walkway corridors for the passerby. So, when it's raining, people will get wet.
These photos were taken on Sunday evening, thus the roads were quite empty.
Bubble tea is the current hype in Vietnam. I guess, they're 6 months behind Malaysia.
The streets look pretty clean to you? Actually nope. I took these pictures on the cleaner sides. That's why. In real life, the walkways smell like urine. And I almost stepped on a HUMAN POOP on the asphalt. Tell me, who the hell would shit on the pedestrian walkway? Stupid asshole, or sympathetically speaking, he might be a patient of the rehabilitation center for those people whose rectum had been ruptured.
Because there's not many skyscraper, the highest building there looks pretty surreal. And the building also copying 'Menara TM' in Bangsar. Ho Chi Minh has it own 'Bukit Bintang' also, which looks like this:
They don't have LRT, MRT or even Monorail here. Only 30% of the entire people in Vietnam owns a car, the rest of the traffic there are made from motorcycles — mostly scooter.
During the peak hours of weekdays, the traffics all over the places is hella bad. Depressing. Most of the Vietnamese are wearing face masks during their commute because the air quality is worse than Malaysia's.
The Traffic
Sucks.
People
They are chill people, working chill jobs. Based on my observations, teenagers as young as 14 - 17 years old already hustling hard at the industrial factories. It reminds me of my Converse sneakers with the tag – made in Vietnam.
These (shoe shiners)? — I don't know the term to describe their job's name — but they will gangsterously charge you 400,000vnd (around 80myr) just for this kinda service. If you refuse to pay they will follow you and make noises non-stop.
The Food
Vietnam is famous for its cheap, delicious food, according to TripAdvisor. HOWEVER, looking for clean food is a serious business here. Like seriously! You can see a lot of roadside food stalls along the road, selling phò (beef/chicken glass noodle with soup) or bahn mi (beef/chicken sandwich) as cheap as 10,000vnd (around 1.70myr) but trust me, the hygienic level of those stalls are not even 1/10. They only wipe the used bowl with a towel. Ewww. There's not even a water pipe to clean them properly. I would recommend you guy to go to a proper restaurant.
Thanks to the Champa Malay, the minority ethnic in Vietnam for providing us with Halal restaurants, providing clean food but sadly, pricey. Okaylah. I eat phò almost every day. It costs me 80,000vnd (14myr) for a bowl of proper phò. t Champa Malay, the minority ethnic in Vietnam for providing us with Halal restaurants, providing clean food but sadly, pricey. Okaylah. I eat phò almost every day. It costs me 80,000vnd (14myr) for a bowl of proper phò.
I actually risked my tummy and also tried the Bahn mi sold by the motorcycle food-seller. Because it looks pretty convincingly cleaner than those on the roadside. Okay lah, tastes good, but seriously Halal food here is very expensive, guys!
Vietnam is also famous for it's coffee culture. You can see a lot of coffee shops everywhere here. The texture is very thick. I suspect, they use thick milk or add some thickener. But they do add egg inside some of the coffee — but not my taste ah!
Conclusion: 4D3N, I spent almost RM600 (return flights, budget hotels, and foods). Okaylah, a chill country, a bit dirty, bad traffic. Will I come again to Ho Chi Minh? Maybe nope. Thanks. Bye.
Why Vietnam? Because Ili said it is a chill country (?). Let's see.
Once I reached Vietnam and checked in the hotel (around 2pm++), I slept until 8pm. Guess it really made you chill. The view from my hotel looks like a view from a Korean rooftop house in Kdramaland.
The Environment
Unlike Malaysia, Vietnam's shops don't provide walkway corridors for the passerby. So, when it's raining, people will get wet.
 |
| The cable management here surely sucks. |
These photos were taken on Sunday evening, thus the roads were quite empty.
The streets look pretty clean to you? Actually nope. I took these pictures on the cleaner sides. That's why. In real life, the walkways smell like urine. And I almost stepped on a HUMAN POOP on the asphalt. Tell me, who the hell would shit on the pedestrian walkway? Stupid asshole, or sympathetically speaking, he might be a patient of the rehabilitation center for those people whose rectum had been ruptured.
Because there's not many skyscraper, the highest building there looks pretty surreal. And the building also copying 'Menara TM' in Bangsar. Ho Chi Minh has it own 'Bukit Bintang' also, which looks like this:
They don't have LRT, MRT or even Monorail here. Only 30% of the entire people in Vietnam owns a car, the rest of the traffic there are made from motorcycles — mostly scooter.
During the peak hours of weekdays, the traffics all over the places is hella bad. Depressing. Most of the Vietnamese are wearing face masks during their commute because the air quality is worse than Malaysia's.
The Traffic
Sucks.
People
They are chill people, working chill jobs. Based on my observations, teenagers as young as 14 - 17 years old already hustling hard at the industrial factories. It reminds me of my Converse sneakers with the tag – made in Vietnam.
Vietnam is famous for its cheap, delicious food, according to TripAdvisor. HOWEVER, looking for clean food is a serious business here. Like seriously! You can see a lot of roadside food stalls along the road, selling phò (beef/chicken glass noodle with soup) or bahn mi (beef/chicken sandwich) as cheap as 10,000vnd (around 1.70myr) but trust me, the hygienic level of those stalls are not even 1/10. They only wipe the used bowl with a towel. Ewww. There's not even a water pipe to clean them properly. I would recommend you guy to go to a proper restaurant.
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| Dirty phò stalls |
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| Phò with medium-rare beef slices is the best! |
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| Bun cha also tastes good, but too dry. |
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| Also costs 80,000vnd (14myr). |
Vietnam is also famous for it's coffee culture. You can see a lot of coffee shops everywhere here. The texture is very thick. I suspect, they use thick milk or add some thickener. But they do add egg inside some of the coffee — but not my taste ah!
They don't have 7-Eleven there, but 24hrs FamilyMart and Circle K are everywhere. So, a bit convenient for us.
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| There's also Tealive, our Malaysian pride. But the price is hella expensive. Plain milk tea w/o bubble is 50,000vnd (9myr). |
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| Their Starbucks got Sunflower Seed Tile which is soooo delicious! |
Conclusion: 4D3N, I spent almost RM600 (return flights, budget hotels, and foods). Okaylah, a chill country, a bit dirty, bad traffic. Will I come again to Ho Chi Minh? Maybe nope. Thanks. Bye.