Mar. 13 - Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City, Differences & Similarities

We travel from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City. We exchange $100 US and get back over 1,500,000 Dong. We have never held a million of any currency! We take our wad of bills and head to our hotel. On the way, we see that cars in Vietnam drive in one direction on lanes. (In Cambodia, the rule was drive anyway you want just don’t hit anyone. It was surreal in Cambodia to drive into oncoming traffic only to see it part, in the nick of time, like Moses and the red sea, for us to drive through it). Ironically, we see more accidents in Vietnam than in Cambodia. In both countries, however, it is hair-raising to cross the street. You can tell who the foreigners are, because we’re the ones with panic-stricken faces, linking arms, laboriously trying to get across. We let out a sigh of relief as we pat ourselves alive on the other side. Then, we brace ourselves for the next street, (deep breathe in…) Thank goodness garbage is thrown in bins in Vietnam! (In Cambodia the bin was the ground—outdoors and indoors, except in homes. Ma and I refused to throw stuff down. In fact, at Uncle Meng’s wedding, ma went around picking up garbage worried people on the dance floor would slip on it. “Ewe ma”, I said, “stop”. She continued). While other differences exist between the two countries, sadly corruption exists in both. In Vietnam and Cambodia, we were asked for tips by official immigration officers. Enjoying SE Asia today requires relaxing your ethical standards, expecting poor environmental practices, and learning to navigate traffic. I can’t say I am good at any of these.