Crossing the border from Cambodia to Vietnam via bus was a nerve wracking experience. The bus driver asked everyone for their passport so that they could send the passports in bulk. Looking back on it now, the trip was not as stressful as I made it out to be in my head.
Once in Vietnam, we went to get dinner and see the sights. We landed in Vietnam right before Tết or Vietnamese New Year. The whole city of Ho Chi Minh was decked out to the nines. There were Vietnamese flags of various sizes strung along balconies as well as displayed on buildings. There was a real sense of pride of the people for their country.
At the countdown to midnight there was a fireworks display held along the river that many people attended.
The following days we were able to tour the outer regions in Vietnam. One of the main places we visited was the Vĩnh Tràng Pagoda on our way to the Mekong River Delta from Hanoi. We were able to see the Laughing Budai and Guanyin at the pagoda.
These statues are a part of a larger Buddhist temple complex called the Vĩnh Tràng Temple. The Budai is known to bring people fortune and abundance with the help of his bag. Guanyin is associated with compassion. Their name is short for Guanshiyin or “the one who perceives the sounds of the world.”
On the tour, we were also able to see the Mekong River Delta, which is a large river surrounded by lush foliage which supplies much of Southern Vietnam’s agricultural nourishment. We rode in gondolas through the river. Many of the boats were pushed by women, as it is one of the main ways the women can make money for their families. We were fortunate enough to receive hats from them as well!
Taila