Oh Vietnam. Exotic, picturesque, delicious…you have so much to offer–but boy are you a tough cookie! Our non-stop series of shystery encounters really left a bad taste in our mouth, but in the process of putting these Vietnam blogs together, we found a soft spot in our heart for this complex country. The mystical islands of Ha Long Bay, an unforgettable New Year’s in Ta Phin, a magical full moon in Hoi An, the floating markets of the Mekong, delicious shrimp summer rolls…Vietnam’s got a lot going for it. Once you get past the commonly gruff exterior and learn to count your change thrice, you can see the beauty and the comedy in this crazy place. Here are some of the moment’s that made us laugh and say, “You know you’re in Vietnam when…”
– Electricians are really magicians with a day job.
– Everything looks cooler in a pointy hat.
– Canned chicken looks like something from a zombie buffet.
– Motors are dressed to impress.
– Penguins are the unanimous choice in trash receptacle design. (Watch out for the man-eating variety!)
– Motorbike helmets often resemble Yankees baseball hat or a Harris Tweed cap, and they offer about as much protection.
– Wooden beams and a stone bowl are the official KitchenAid mixer of Ta Phin.
– A garage is in the eye of the beholder.
– Foo is Foo-food and Fido is Fried-o! Eeek!
– Sidewalks are more commonly referred to by their proper name…parking lots.
– Bike tires + patio furniture + a heavy dose of resourcefulness and Grandma’s got herself a new wheelchair!
-“Fresh beer” goes for 20 cents a glass, the only catch is you have to fit in a plastic child’s chair to drink it
So which was the silliest, scariest, or most poignant You Know You’re In Vietnam? Leave a comment below!
I’ve never been to Vietnam but one of the things that comes to mind is that just about everyone has the same surname (Nguyen).
You must be hanging out with a lot royalty! Hue’s Nguyen dynasty must have had an offspring or two.
Fabulous photos!! I also love getting shots of the funny side of exploring other cultures. Keep ’em coming!
Amazing what’s normal other places…sure the average Vietnamese person would think America was totally nuts! We’ve done You Know You’re In for every country we’ve visited….check it, some funny ones for sure! out https://www.honeytrek.com/tag/you-know-youre-in/
Hahahaha I love these pics!
I’m not sure if the motor dress or the lawn wheelchair gets me more. Which one was your fave?
Fun to read. Surprised you didn’t mention the kiddie chairs! Just shared your packing/gear video with Jaspar and Jeri who you’ll hopefully hear from soon 🙂
Deb! You are so right on the kiddie chairs and now that you bring up the national bar stool…how could we forget bia hoi: the best 20 cent beer in the world!?
FYI. We added an homage to bia hoi and kiddie bar stools in your honor 🙂
Hilarious! Love the canned chicken!
That canned chicken makes you hungry right? Yikes! The food in Vietnam was actually really good…just have to choose from the menu very carefully ; )
Super list, all so true! Though I never saw a wheelchair like that before!
That wheelchair was a gem of resourcefulness! Glad we aren’t crazy with list and that you concur! Thanks, Charlie!
Oh I just love this. Too funny. Great job on the creativity with the photo captions.
It’s amazing what you see in a given day in Asia. If you like our You Know You’re in’s… we have one for every country we’ve traveled https://www.honeytrek.com/tag/you-know-youre-in/. Check em out and let us know your faves! Thanks!
I;m hooked! 🙂 I will be checking them out for sure. We will be heading that way the end of July and plan to trek around for a year or so. As of now our only plan is flying from Europe to BKK, and i am researching the rest. As a family of 4, we need to take it a little slow and on the cheap. Thanks.
Heidi, that’s so exciting you and your family are taking a year-long trip! We’d love to help you prepare for you RTW and show you how we got free flights, lodging, and learned all sorts of money-saving tips that kept us traveling for two years. Check out our Trip Coach service and please let us know how we can help! https://www.honeytrek.com/tripcoach/
Great thanks Mike. We will meander you site. We sold it all and moved to Southern Spain Aug 2012. We have explored Europe and once this school year is complete we will be a bit more nomadic in Asia.
Shystery… what a fantastic word! 🙂 This post really made me want to revisit Vietnam and all it’s quirky glory!
Shystery had never been so apt! Vietnam is actually a great place once you get to know it. Did you see any of these crazy scenarios in your travels, Britany?
Awesomely true list! Other Asian countries seem to follow suit too 🙂
Following you guys on Twitter now, so hope to see you there sometime!
Yeah lots of overlap with Laos and Cambodia 🙂
Awesome list – funny and also true. It bought back some of those quirky little memories of Vietnam – of things that surprise you and make traveling so interesting. Have you been to India? It takes crazy and quirky to a whole new level!? Just walking down the street will blow your mind! I love it – for me, it’s the little things that make travel so special
glad you like it, and it brought back some fun memories. yeah we went to India (but on a prior trip)….loved it. and yes, it DID blow our minds, big time. india and china are like no other.
This is great. Would love to visit.
you totally should it is a great country!
So true! Love it. How about intersections with 40mph traffic, no stop signs and no traffic lights? Or, floating in bath-tubs = party-time?!
You know youre in Vietnam when your right calf is bandaged up and everyone says to you “motorbike accident?” That really happened to me. 13 stitches in Hoi An and better cheaper medical care than i get in Chicago. Loved Vietnam!
Great post guys, we spent some time in Vietnam and can relate to lots of things you mentioned.