If I had to summarize my overall experiences in Vietnam, it would be an acronym called ‘PVM’. Nope, I’m not referring to ‘Players versus Monsters’, which many of my gamer guy friends would know. In fact, I’m referring to ‘Poverty, Vietnamese beauties, Motorcycles’.

 

Before I go into specifics on why I would classify Vietnam as ‘PVM’, allow me first to tell you some background information on my decision to travel to Vietnam SOLO.

 

As the world ushered in the new year of 2019 at midnight, I suddenly felt a surge of emotions flowing through my body. It was a strong and compelling desire to try out new things, seek out new experiences, and meet more new people. It was the first time I’ve experienced such a feeling, and these emotions eventually led to my decision to travel SOLO (and also my first drawing of 2019).

 

Having traveled to 11 locations around the globe with my family and/or friends,  I decided that it was time to start traveling alone. There are many perks to traveling alone. One of the best perks of traveling alone is that you can literally be spontaneous, book a flight and hotel room, and explore the vast world immediately (almost). Most of my overseas trips, thus far, were usually more of the ‘budget’ type (*ahem* I previously was a poor college student – still poor now though ☹). Forget top-end flights or luxury hotels, think more about budget flights and hotels; yes that’s how most of my travel experiences have been!

 

This trip to Vietnam has been nothing short of memorable. Before I landed at the airport of Ho Chi Minh City, I was greeted by a plethora of colorful and vibrant buildings (yes, those who have been to the city before will notice this). Unlike all the airports I had been to before, this was the very first time I’d seen an airport surrounded by that many colorful buildings. Navigating out of the airport was an easy task as the airport itself wasn’t big. Before I knew it, I cleared through immigration, took a local taxi, and headed to my Airbnb accommodation.

 

As I stood outside the entrance of the airport and waited for the taxi to arrive, I decided to look around at my surroundings and soak in the atmosphere. Yes, this was the very first time I was alone in a foreign country – the experience felt surreal. As a working adult – I am responsible for my actions (e.g. bills, living expenses, meals, etc) and having that purpose in my life – which is to visit as many countries in the world (FYI, that’s just one of my purpose in life :P). At first glance, one would notice the huge sea of people crowding outside the airport; all interspersed within the various landmarks outside of the airport (taxi stands, eateries, waiting lobby, etc). I was also greeted by the constant and noisy honking of vehicles which brought a rude awakening to my ears (yes, be prepared for that if you ever come to Ho Chi Minh). The weather was hot and humid – and as I was waiting for my cab to arrive; droplets of sweat came trickling down my neck, chest, and back.

 

My taxi soon arrived a couple of minutes later. In that 20-minute cab ride to my accommodation, I momentarily took a peaceful nap and woke up to immerse myself in the beauty of my surroundings. Ho Chi Minh City was a ravishing beauty combining the old and the new – old rustic run-down buildings with a sort of a Victoria Charm to it, interspersed within stunningly new skyscrapers and buildings. It was a refreshing view compared to Singapore, which in my opinion, mainly consisted of plain old sky-rise buildings :(.

 

After checking into my Airbnb, I began my journey with PVM (Poverty, Vietnamese beauties, and Motorcycles). So allow me to elaborate on why I classified Vietnam as PVM, but take note the beauty of Vietnam is much broader than PVM itself! You can view my photos below to appreciate the charm that this country has to offer!

 

Poverty: If one were to take a stroll along the streets of Ho Chi Minh, he/she can easily identify many beggars sitting on the pavements, waving pitifully at passers-by for spare change. One street beggar who caught my attention was a mother carrying a deformed baby; her baby’s head was so huge that it was about the size of two soccer balls. As I learned more about the history of Vietnam in my later days of the trip, I realized the baby’s deformation could be due to the effects of ‘Agent Orange’ – a chemical used by the US troops during the Vietnam War; with its effects still long-lasting & prevalent in many areas of Vietnam today. My heart broke when I saw the scene of her waving for spare change, and I wanted to give her some spare change, but before I could reach her, she packed up her belongings and walked off, blending in with the crowds of people that strolled along the Benh Tanh Market Shopping Street, never to be found again.

 

Vietnamese Beauties: Well, I guess many guys (or girls) would know that the girls in Vietnam are known for their beauty. Many of them do have their own unique and distinct charm (I will explain later). But to put things straight first – when I say Vietnamese Beauties, I do not just refer to their physical appearance. My definition of beauty goes beyond skin deep – to focus on physicality alone shows how superficial one’s mind is; true beauty is not just defined by looks but also by the mannerisms, attitude, and class which a lady exudes, and that to me, is very charming indeed.

 

Moving on, there was one day when I booked a one-day tour to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels of Vietnam and when I went in, I spoke to one of the available booking agents (a female). When she spoke to me in Chinese, I was taken aback initially – the reason being her Mandarin was flawless. As I spoke to her more, I realized she was actually of Vietnamese-Chinese origin, and we had a nice conversation about my country, her country, and the local cuisines that should be tried before the tour guide arrived. This beauty she exuded wasn’t in her physicality; it was more of the way she presented herself – her flawless Chinese, ladylike mannerisms and elegant attitude. Also, when strolling through the various attractions of Vietnam (see photos below), one can easily identify a myriad of Vietnamese Beauties, dressed in their attractive traditional costumes called Ao Dai. Each Ao Dai seemed to be custom-made and tailored according to the measurements of each lady. Based on my observation, each costume complemented the curves of each lady perfectly. The ladies dressed in Ao Dai walked along the streets with grace, confidence, and charisma – exuding an alluring sense of charm! If given the chance to head back to Vietnam, perhaps they could be the inspiration for my next artwork!

 

Motorcycles: I guess anyone who has been here can universally agree that traffic congestion is a problem in Vietnam, given the numerous amounts of motorcycles and cars prevalent in the streets. It was a rude awakening when I saw the horrendous amount of motorcycles and heard the incessant amounts of honking on the road. The traffic experience here was really bad – in fact, it was the worst experience of all the countries I’ve been to. It took some time to get used to the chaos of the vehicles; and much courage to jay-walk across the streets with numerous vehicles zooming past you.

 

Of course, as mentioned earlier, Vietnam is beyond just ‘PVM’. There are many things to see, smell, hear, touch and taste! Look at my photos below (not arranged in order; random) and go on an adventure of the five senses of Vietnam! Enjoy!