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A Local Gifted Us a 6-Pack Beer on a Beach — Vietnam
He didn’t speak English
Communicating for travelers is a big deal in Vietnam. The only local word I learned throughout my trip was Cảm ơn which meant ‘thank you’.
That, and weird hand gestures, were our communication limits wherever we went — local travel agencies, shops, and Grab taxis. We pointed stupidly at the things we wanted and paid those price tags.
Even the numbers proved to be trouble.
The street vendors (who charged us based on our appearance) found it easier to show us the currency cash notes to tell us prices.
One vendor charged 10,000 ₫ for a water bottle while another said 15,000 ₫ for the same. Since we weren’t the ones with power in hand, we didn’t mind it. Every day was an interesting adventure.
Like just about any country you’d visit in the world, Vietnam was a mix of people. Most locals were friendly and some were indifferent to foreigners. We came across a few racists as well.
Overall, it was a well-rounded experience.
With the language barrier, we resorted to making friends with plenty of other foreigners, local kids learning English, and the few Vietnamese in touristy regions who spoke little English.
Yet the most memorable interaction we had was with a local man who couldn’t communicate with us.
A Beer, a Beach, and a Hushed Evening Breeze
I and my close bud (who I was touring Vietnam with) bought a couple of beers from the drugstore closest to our hotel in Central Vietnam.
We hadn’t spoken much after an exhausting day at Ba Na Hills, Da Nang. Melancholy stuck to the evening air as we walked to the beach right in front of our hotel and the drugstore.
Da Nang was a scenic spot but we’d just flown in from Saigon the previous night. And boy, Saigon was something. We should’ve stayed longer there, the thought lingered in our minds as we settled on the sands with our cans.
