Another 4/30 - 5/1 weekend in the books here in #Vietnam. For those who do not know, the weekend of April 30th (Reunification Day) and May 1st (Labor Day) is the biggest domestic tourism weekend for the country. You absolutely do not want to go anywhere near most of the typical #tourism destinations (if you can even get a room or transportation), but the little understood secret of the matter is that it is absolutely the best time to stay in the cities. They are quaint, beautiful ghost towns.
@conradcole Is it similar to #ChineseNewYear in #Taiwan? Does #Vietnam do much for the #LunarNewYear?
If the weather is nice, stay in the city during Chinese New Year because everyone is going to the touristy spots (it's a good time to visit #Guangdong in #China because everyone there goes home). Same goes for long weekends. Go to a department store instead.
If you want to go out on a long weekend here, go on the last day. Everyone is going home, so you'll mostly have the place to yourselves.
@SlowRain The big difference between Tết and this most recent holiday is that Hanoians MUST stay in #Hanoi for the first day or two of the New Year. The city is emptier in that all the recent transplants are back in their ancestral villages, but the city is far from dead. Especially now that so many Hanoians are car owners. They all feel the need to pack up the family and drive around to see other relatives in the city. Massive traffic jams (all cars) during the new year.
@conradcole Yes, it's a travel holiday for most after the first initial day, with very few traditions. Some families are still traditional enough to go to temples during that time. It's more traditional in Chinese villages, too, than it is here. #MidAutumnFestival is a nice family holiday here, though.
@SlowRain #MidAutumnFestival is celebrated here as well, but it is mostly very kid oriented. Not nearly as formal as Tết.
@conradcole Mid-Autumn Festival in #Taiwan is mostly about barbecuing with family & extended family.
One creepy thing during Chinese New Year's Eve is how dead the streets are at 5:00-8:00. Everyone is eating dinner, usually at the grandparents' house.
@conradcole Taiwan's political holiday is the recent Feb. 28 Peace Memorial Day.
@SlowRain The recent holiday is largely of political significance. April 30th marks the end of the civil war in '75 and May 1st is international labor day (big Party holiday, obviously). There are no major family responsibilities, so everyone, Hanoian and transplants alike, split. The city is much quieter during this most recent holiday than during Tết.
@conradcole So, then, what did you do during the holiday?
@SlowRain Research. A big tourism weekend means I need to see how the expanding road network is affecting what used to be distant destinations. It's on those edges of what is just now becoming "convenient" in the public eye where my level of investor or client is likely found. I don't really deal with the behemoths who come and Disney-fy a place after it is going.
Thí weekend, I split my time between a few lakes in the highlands near Bắc Kạn.
@conradcole I can respect not being part of the corporate juggernaut. But, given the nature of your work, do you ever get the feeling that you can't switch off & just enjoy a holiday?
@SlowRain I get plenty of down time, just not during "holidays" per se. I have intensive periods of work, then there might be weeks off. I also find the slower periods of work fairly relaxing. I'm mostly driving around and getting to know locales and the decision makers associated with them. It's the kind of thing I enjoy anyway.
When I completely want to shut off, I tend to visit foreign cities for a week or so and just get lost in them.
@SlowRain The stressful times are when it looks like I've got something that might work for all parties and you need to get it over the line before somebody gets cold feet or the sands shift somehow. It happens often, so you tend to get a bit obsessive about those final days.
@conradcole Seeing as your focus is out-of-the-way areas in Vietnam, then, yes, I'd assume a foreign city would "filter out" the noise. Got any favorite cities?
@SlowRain #HongKong remains my favorite quick fix antidote to #Vietnam. It is organized without being sterile. Great food. Great beer. Most importantly, it is a fantastic walking city (except in the height of summer).
Nobody really walks much in Vietnamese cities. It's so hot and the sidewalks are all just used as a type of public space where walking is an afterthought. I miss walkable cities. #Taipei can be very good for that as well. Ditto #Kyoto, #Tokyo, #Seoul...
@conradcole I don't travel much, but I love Hong Kong.
@SlowRain I don't know how I'd feel about it if I had to live there paying those rents for those tiny apartments, but it is a wonderful place to visit. Never been disappointed with a trip there.
@conradcole I haven't been to #HongKong in over 10 years. I'm sure it's not the same anymore. Not only the rent and Chinese tourists, I imagine the political situation has killed the mood a bit, too.
I've been to #Macau a couple times the last little while. I liked it better before the Vegas-style casino invasion. The older parts are much nicer than the tacky, new parts.
@SlowRain #LunarNewYear (Tết) is a much bigger deal here than I remember it being in Taiwan. I mostly remember Taiwanese using it as an excuse to take family vacations and the like. There is a lot of ceremony and rites surrounding it here. That is declining, but it is still very strong.
The idea of using it as a time to do some serious traveling is very, very recent (last five years), but it gets more popular every year. It has been more popular in Saigon for some time.