As an expat living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Sherry wanted to embrace life as a local, which included learning to navigate the hectic streets by motorbike. For many countries, motorbikes are the main source of travel – it’s not uncommon to see people transport livestock, refrigerators, and families of 5 or more on two wheels, even during a monsoon. And rather than just become another passenger, Sherry decided that she wanted to take control of the motorbike.

Though her rented bike spent it’s first weeks parked in her living room, Sherry eventually got over her fear of taking it on the road, even obtaining a “license” in hopes of being a legal driver.

In her “Motorbike Diaries”, Sherry opens up about the ups and downs of this experience, with witty observations of the motorbike culture in Vietnam. And within time, she finds herself to be fitting right in – masks and rain ponchos included.

And in her “Expat Adventures” Sherry shares what it’s like living in a dust bowl of pollution, tasting new cuisines, the literal price one pays being a foreigner, and dealing with a foreign hospital system.

Through these experiences, Sherry gained insight into a unique culture, which helped her to develop a “Saigon City Guide” for the Indie Travel Podcast.  She has even been spotted on the streets of Saigon by backpackers who listened to the podcast! “Three travelers came up to me while eating and ask if I did a podcast on Saigon – I said yes and they let out a collective burst of joy. They apparently had listened to the podcast and were following my Saigon tips during their vacation in Vietnam! They even asked to have my picture taken with them…CRAZY!”

So even though you may not have a year to get to know Saigon, Sherry’s tips are a great resource for your visit.

8 Questions – Northern Vietnam
When I decided to go to Vietnam I realized that besides seeing a few Hollywood movies about the war, I knew very little about the country and the American history there. This was really the first country that I visited so far in my travels that was tightly intertwined with US History – all within my lifetime. I felt that I needed to educate myself if I was going to be traveling in such a hotbed of history.  Read More

One Man’s Pet is Another Man’s Dinner
I’ve seen my share of markets during my travels – I feel like I”m pretty seasoned when it comes to seeing every imaginable type of veggie or fruit, smelling every fowl odor that comes along with the fish markets, and I’ve been exposed to cuts meat and parts of animals that will shred your stomach. Every market still seems to have a surprise to it – and that’s what draws me in. The Bac Ha market in Northern Vietnam is tucked away high in the hills and it’s full of local flavor. Read More

Hanoi – the City that Sleeps
Hanoi is a large metropolis of 3.1 million people. Yet there are no sky scrapers. However, there are about 100 motor bikes for every one car! In cities of this size we tend to think they they never sleep – that they are always bustling. However I was stunned to find out that Hanoi did sleep – it shut down around 11PM and got it’s beauty rest – and that’s when I arrived. Read More

How to Cross the Street in Vietnam
The first time I went to Rome I was in awe of all of the motor bikes – zipping around – I thought it was great in a chaotic sort of way. When I arrived in Bali this year and thought, Rome is for amateurs! I’ve never seen so many motor bikes in my life – and families of 4 riding on one motorbike. I really thought that I had seen it all. I landed in Vietnam and I think I have now entered the motorbike capital of the world. I read in a magazine that there are around 100 motorbikes for every car in Hanoi…and I completely believe it. Read More

Hue – Where My Luck Finally Ran Out
Out of the train and into the sauna of Hue. We traveled by train through the night into what is considered as South Vietnam. Hue is a small town of about 300,000 people (I’m not being sarcastic) and it holds a very prominent place in Vietnam history. The first and most important thing to know is that Hue is pronounced ‘way’. Read More

A Stitch in Time – Hoi An
I have been a clothes hound my whole life. I still remember my favorite outfits from when I was a little girl (the blue holly hobby top). My mom used to sew me outfits, yet she never passed that sewing skill on to me – I preferred to simply shop for my clothes in the mall! Clothes have always been memorable to me. I like to play this game with my nieces where they model clothes and shoes from my closet and I tell them what city and store I bought it from. So when we pulled into Hoi An – the tailoring capital of Vietnam (and maybe SE Asia) – I felt like I had come to the promised land! Read More

The City with Two Names – SaigonI always wanted to change my name. When I was about 8 years old I told my brother and sister that I was no longer going to answer to being called Sherry anymore; from this point forward I would be going by the name of Farrah. I idolized Farrah Fawcet and used to re-enact every episode of Charlies Angels each week with my neighborhood girlfriends Donna and Jenny. I of course was Farrah every week – apparently this re-enactment was going to my head. Saigon had a similar identity crisis in the 70’s. Read More

Goodbye Vietnam
You can’t come to Vietnam and not recall Robin Williams famous words “Goooodddd Moorrrnnninggggg Vietnammmmm!!!” I had spent one month in Vietnam – the longest in any one country yet (besides my SE Asia home base of Singapore). I had high expectations for Vietnam, and I’m happy to say that they were met. Read More

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Vietnam…Scooters…Everywhere.  They are your first impression when entering the country and a lasting one throughout.  After all…they are everywhere.  The best part about Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) were the scooters.  If you weren’t zooming around the city on back of one, you had to dodge them.  And what fun that was – just like a live action game of Frogger.  And since the few sidewalks that are around turn into parking lots for the scooters, you are forced to become one with the traffic.  Add on top of that cyclos, bicycles, and the occassional bus or car, you’ve got fun every step of the way.  This all goes for the rest of Vietnam as well, on different levels – but it’s all part of the charm.

It’s difficult to sum up my time in Vietnam as there have been so many impressions made and experiences happened.  As I made my way South to North – Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Halong Bay, Hanoi – each step has been a journey in itself.

HOW I GOT AROUND

1. Scooter – of course.  Whether zooming through the streets of HCMC or the villages of Nha Trang and Hoi An, it was an exciting way to travel around Vietnam and visit places tour buses or Westerners never go.  Another person from my group and I rented a motorbike one day in Hoi An and visited villages where we were greeted like celebrities.  Women huddled together gossiping would point and laugh – field workers would stop and stare – and kids would jump up and down shouting hello.  It was all very humbling.

2. Boat – being paddled through the maze-like jungle of the Mekong Delta.  Visiting floating villages and markets, where the locals lives revolve around the water.  Relaxing on top of a boat as we cruise the various islands off Nha Trang, sometimes snorkeling, sometimes swimming with our host as he served up drinks from the floating bar.  Floating down the Perfume River in Hue aboard a boat on which the family lived, visiting Pagodas and Royal Tombs along the way.  And sailing to Cat Ba Island in Halong Bay, past the numerous islands and caves that make up this World Heritage Site.

3. Bicycle – In Hoi An, our guide took us out for dinner to a “local” place, only 30 minutes away – on bike.  Imagine 12 of us riding in pitch blackness on village roads.  Just as you get used to the darkness, a scooters headlight blinds you and you hope you don’t run off the road, or into someone else.  A similar challenge was met in Hue, but instead of darkness, it was rain.  Add heavy traffic into that, and it was quite adventureous.

4. Trains – Three in total – two at 12 hours, one at 18.  Plenty of beer could ensure a good nights sleep – for some.  And the adventure to get the beer, walking through endless compartments filled with locals sitting in hard seats (or lying underneath them) made our berths seem extravagant.  But no one enjoyed being woken up at 4:30am by blaring Vietnamese Muzak.

AN ENTREPRENEURS DREAM

Want to open your own business?  Welcome to Vietnam.  Do you have access to a CD burner and photocopier?  You can open your own record shop.  A two litre bottle for petrol and a bicycle pump?  You’ve got yourself a road side station.  Are you an ambitious restauranteur?  All you need is some knee-high plastic chairs and table and a kerosene stove.  Want to open a market?  A stick with two baskets on either end to hold your fruits or veggies and your in business.  And of course the land of tailors – Hoi An.  For $100 you’ve got yourself a whole new tailored wardrobe in one day.  It’s addiciting!  Myself – I got tailored two trousers, 3 shirts, a 3/4 length wool coat, a traditional Vietnamese dress, and two pairs of shoes custom made for that price.

THE WAR

As an American, there is no escaping the “American War” here.  And after seeing primitive yet highly effective booby traps, the extensive underground tunnels of the Viet Cong, and the density of the jungles & rivers, it is no surprise that America lost the war.  And as the only American on the tour, our local guide was always quick to point things out to me only — “that’s the old CIA headquarters”…”the US Embassy used to be there”…”what did you think of the War Crimes Museum?”  But there are no hard feelings, as this country has only been at peace in the last 10 years after hundreds of years at being at war with various nations and itself.

AND THE CREEPIEST EXPERIENCE AWARD GOES TO….

Uncle Ho.  Yes, Ho Chi Minh himself.  Or should I say, his well preserved yet utterly creepy body.  He arrived back in Hanoi just in time from his annual “preservation” trip to Russia.  But as freaky as seeing his body was, it was the pomp and circumstance surrounded by the visit that made it truly unique.  The rules included, no bags or cameras allowed inside the Mausoluem – dress respectively, no hats or shorts – walk quietly in pairs – and you can not put your hands in your pockets.  Walking up the red carpet inside the darkened tomb with guards surrounding him, it ironically felt like I was in line for a ride at Disney World.  Bring on “Uncle Ho’s Magic Roller Coaster”.

ANNOYANCES

See Cambodia

Of course I haven’t even touched on the vast beauty of the endless rice fields, the charm of Hanoi and Hoi An, the Vietnameses freaky obsession with Karaoke, and the food, oh glorious food.

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