A Feast for the Senses

There have been but a handful of places for me that have had the same soul-stirring impact as Vietnam.  I might even go so far as to say that no other place I have ever visited was as captivating to my senses, reinvigorating to my creator within, and nourishing to my sense of self as this staggeringly beautiful country.   Whatever wounds I was still licking from my career taking a hard pivot and waves of remorse, what-ifs, and self-pity I was still sloshing through, Vietnam seemed to calm and quiet them like a miracle drug or secret salve. 

Not only was I instantly present, it was impossible not to be thrust into scenes and slices of life playing out before me in hurried unfamiliar ways, but I was also overflowing with adrenaline inspired gratitude and joy. I can still remember that first day taking it all in from the backseat of my taxi thinking we might say New York is the city that never sleeps but it is no match for the motorbike choreography and sheer full-tilt congestion of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.  Everything around me was churning and moving at a feverish, hypnotic rhythm that terrified as much as it mesmerized and more than anything just seemed to work.  It was an urban poetry slam, a Baz Luhrmann musical and an acid trip all rolled into one.  In other words, it was AMAZING.

The more I turned over my mind to process what was in front of me the less time I had to dedicate to dissolving attachments and misgivings of my life before I got here.  I was soon swept into a flurry of new tastes (I am embarrassed as a self-proclaimed, self-indignant non-picky eater that I had only tried Vietnamese food once or twice), new ways to cross the street (does it matter if my eyes are even open? ), new ways to take my coffee (egg coffee be still my heart), and new ways to pick a restaurant (chairs? - there are no chairs at some of these delicious, hole-in-the-wall spots, just a rainbow of short slung stools to drop down on, to dig into, and slurp out the most delectable, where-have-you-been-my whole-life recipes).  After a few days, I’d come to experience firsthand, time and time again this was a country that was bursting with freshness, color and most of all flavor.  In just a matter of days, I was totally infatuated.

I’m not proud of this but up until I actually set foot in Vietnam all I really knew about it was what Oscar winning directors like Coppola, Stone, and Kubrick packaged up for me.  It’s fair to even say I learned more about Vietnam from film school and cultural references on TV than I was ever taught in a proper history class - ever.  Being in the country now made me desperate to close the knowledge gap and hungry to learn more.   In looking back, I can’t recall any place I have visited inspiring such sudden curiosity.  How was Vietnam Communist but it felt no different than any other capitalist city I had visited? Why didn’t it feel like communist China?  Was it safe or was big brother watching and listening?  How do they really feel about Americans? Why didn’t they have homeless people?   How is it that the meat in a $2 bowl of Pho in a random streetside shop can be so mouthwateringly tender and gristle free?  And the biggest question of all - how is it that nobody crashes into each other on these motorbikes, I mean seriously!?

To more immediately satiate mind and stomach, I took food tours on foot and vespa, a boat tour around Ha Long Bay, a guided tour through the Cu Chi Channels and a very solemn self-guided tour through every floor of the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.  Whether the tour was food or history in nature, I was continually reminded and struck by both the humanity around war and the man-made ignorance and egotism of it.  I was also struck by the openness of the Vietnamese people to engage with Americans at all.  At times, I was outright embarrassed of my country and at others I was beaming with pride for it.  There was just so much to take in and process against my own education, preconceived notions and values. And I wonder if it is because Vietnam asked so much more of me that I in turn got so much more meaning out of Vietnam. 

After all, it was here that I would first take note of and register the impact of intentional travel on my well-being. While I wasn’t able to articulate it then, I see it so clearly now. If and when we allow ourselves to travel with eyes, mind and heart open, travel goes from transactional to transformational. How much we get out of where go has everything to do with how we show up and nothing to do with if we got the upgrade, what class of travel we flew in, or how many photos we posted to Instagram.  Travel can point out in a world where it’s not always obvious that we’re all simply human. We all dream, worry and love.    It’s reinforced and force multiplied every time we proverbially break bread with a local.  I’ll be forever grateful to Vietnam for showering me with this lesson in mindfulness.

Hanoi was the first city I visited with a plan to start in the North of Vietnam and work my way down and around to its Western side.   From Hanoi, I’d spend the New Year in Hoi An, which after only a few hours of wandering its magical streets shot up my list as a top three destination in the world.  Ho Chi Minh in stark contrast took some warming up to and I’ll admit while we had a slow start I feel like I still have a lot more living to do there.  My plan was always to wrap my Vietnamese travels up in Phú Quôc beachside, but I’ll admit a cheesy contrived university themed JW Marriott was the last thing my awakened mind and enlightened tastebuds wanted any part of.  Instead, I wanted to cling to every last taste of a culture and cuisine I had come to love.

One of my more steadfast and prolific travel addictions is the rush that comes with exploring a city’s neighborhoods and streets for the very first time.  There’s this unreplicable, extraordinary sense of mystery that transfixes us in the here and now as we walk, wander and abandon ourselves to unfiltered discovery and curiosity.  We are unapologetically present.  We are undeterred in our mission to just be right where we are.  When I think about exploring old town Hanoi that first time and every time thereafter, I think about days and hours spent coming to realize - truly realize - what the idiom feast for the senses actually means.  There are layers upon layers of big bold, fresh tastes and smells coming from modest, unassuming stands and storefronts; there’s this romantic dichotomy of old French and new Vietnamese identities coexisting to create an entirely new aesthetic; there’s this sense of urgency and promise of calm always scooting around us as we dance between motorbikes and people; and there’s this engine revving hustle playing out against hushed sips in cafes, nibbles off lakefront ice cream treats and deep sighs in sites of spiritual, cultural and historical significance. 

It's not just that food tastes better here, it’s that I have never even had food that tastes like this until I got here.  What a special treat for my adventurous tastebuds after I’d unknowingly deprived them of the real thing for 45 years!  The richness in $2 Pho broth, the unforgettable textures in Bun Cha, and the crunch of the Bành Mí - a real Bành Mí.

Beyond the food, there are local shops teeming with local art and designers. I took goodies home from the super chic Rue De Chats, the gorgeous lacquer artisans at Hanoia, and the more accessibly priced Tired City.  There’s vintage travel and propaganda poster stores everywhere and coffee shops artfully serving divine creations like Vietnamese egg and salt coffee – try both and at least one at Loading T café.

Perhaps my most special memory in Hanoi is after a chaotic day of navigating the old town streets and markets, I slid into Manzi Art Space for a cup of tea. The art on display here! The depth of emotions showcased in these pieces is in and of itself an exceptionally intimate way to feel the struggles and journey of this country.  I was spellbound by artist after artist across genre after genre.  What a respite and reward.  I’m deeply grateful to have filled up my cup of creativity and mindfulness here and in so many unexpected corners of Hanoi.