Alone And Adrift In A Foreign Country

As I mentioned in last week's post, travelling solo in Asia had its fair share of challenges.

My only experiences with travelling in the past had been with family or with friends on exchange for school. Heading into a foreign, developing country with no friends or no solid schedule was a little daunting to say the least.

When I arrived in Vietnam on my first day, my senses were instantly overwhelmed. Even as my flight (after 30 hours of travel) descended into Ho Chi Minh City, I felt my body temperature quickly rising as I was introduced to a more hotter and humid climate. The minute I stepped out of the airport, half awake and sweating profusely, I was surrounded by dozens of cab drivers yelling at me in Vietnamese or broken English. I'd read several articles warning me about taxi scams in Vietnam, so it was nerve-wracking being unable to know which one was trustworthy. 

Somehow through sheer luck, or I was able to hop on a bus that took me directly to my hostel. I basically begged the poor receptionist at the front desk to take me to my bed ASAP so I could get some sleep and sweet, sweet AC. After such a whirlwind 30 hours, I was getting more and more anxious. Did I make a mistake coming here?

Luckily, those fears quickly went away that evening. My hostel hosts took me to a local market to grab dinner, I interacted with other travellers who were more than happy to give me all the tips about Vietnam, and I was just overall shocked at everyone's generosity and kindness. It was the best possible slap in the face to be reminded how compassionate and friendly people could be. As the smell of burning incense filled the air when I returned to my hostel, I knew I made the right choice.

Stay tuned for more updates from my travels! x

- Fraser (Communications Coordinator at With Love Darling)