Finding a Comfortable Place

I got out of Hoi An in a hurry. In the end, all of the tourism and the price-gouging just got on my nerves. There’s something about tourism that changes people in a really negative way I think. Not just the obnoxious tourists – of which there are many, but the locals – especially in less-developed countries. I’ve seen it in China, in Myanmar, in Morocco – when rich and clueless tourists collide with poor local people who realize that many of those tourists think “well, it’s just an extra dollar,” you get outright lies, deceit, and otherwise unfortunate behavior which does not reflect the real principles of the locals exacting this tourist toll. At every turn in Hoi An, I felt like a chicken waiting to be skinned and quartered. Lies about transportation schedules, about tourist packages, about distances – I know it’s par for the course when you go somewhere like Hoi An, but I don’t like it and it gets tiring very quickly.

Danang has been a welcome change, and a reinforcement of my initial positive vibes towards Vietnam. Given that there’s basically nothing to see here outside of a single small museum devoted to Cham sculpture (which is worth visiting), there are basically very few tourists. Which means Danang is just a slice of life here in Vietnam – and a pretty nice one I think. The traffic isn’t so bad, the honking is less prevalent, price gouging takes place on a smaller scale, moto-bike driver attacks are less frequent, and people are generally pretty nice. They are naturally curious – the small food stalls I’ve eaten at have all genuinely been interested in my reaction to their food (positive!) and smiles are readily forthcoming. In my search for a cheap hotel, I had multiple reception desk personnel point me in the direction of more affordable options. The only place I felt like a tourist was in the large central market (which does see some tourists) and despite being physically grabbed to look at products, I still didn’t feel uncomfortable. It was a theater that they and I acted out, and their telling grins told me as much.

Indeed, I found myself (in spite of the head cold I’ve had all day) smiling as I walked down the streets of Danang. For perhaps the first time since I’ve gotten to Vietnam (including my time in Hanoi) I have felt really relaxed. I think there’s certainly an aspect of the fact that there’s no pressure to actually SEE anything tourist-sight wise, but there’s also an aspect here of the fact that I travel for different purposes than many others. Being in Danang has sort of clarified my suspicions – I like to travel not for the tourist-sights, but to be able to see how normal, average, people who have concerns like me, live around the world. I realize that *I* am not average (how much more privileged can one be, to travel around the world in pursuit of a self-help personal project?) and that many of the residents of Danang are far from the median in Vietnam. Yet, being able to observe how they live, the interesting habits and unique solutions to everyday problems (low occupancy and limited moto-bike parking? No problem, turn the first floor of your house into a parking lot!), watching parents pick up kids from school – this is what I travel for. I think it feeds into some sort of deeper desire for community and a sense of being settled that lies within me – it’s something more profound that I’ve not yet worked out, but that I hope will become more clear as this trip proceeds. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the rest of my time in Danang. I like it here.