Xin Chào, JFC-ers!

A week ago, I stepped off a plane in London Heathrow to be greeted by temperatures little above freezing. A stark contrast to the 30 °C+ I’d been experiencing in Ho Chi Minh City just 16 hours earlier, to say the least! 

Between enjoying copious quantities of phở and soaking in lantern-lit streets, I was delighted to meet fellow JFC-ers who had been summoned by the call of Vietnam. Both by the pool and on the streets, we found ourselves surrounded by like-minded travellers, many spending a month or more traversing Southeast Asia.

In fact, my friend Rachel and I had the good fortune of arriving in both HCMC and Hội An just a couple of days behind JFC-ers Kate & Bex, whom I first met in Bari’s rather depressing ferry terminal during last year’s Lupine Race to Tirana. Lucky for us, they’d already sussed out great spots for beers with a view by the time we touched down (the first place we met in Ho Chi Minh was very literally called ‘The View’).

There’s nothing quite like getting travel tips and advice from other JFC-ers. All the recommendations I got from you to head up the coast to Da Nang and Hội An instead of Phu Quoc are a major part of what made my trip so memorable. The weather may not have smiled down upon us so much, but we were delighted just to spend hours getting lost in the historical old town.

And that leads me to the next ask. We’re on the lookout for a new Senior Full Stack Developer with a deep understanding of Python to join the Jack’s Flight Club team! We usually find that the best candidates are already JFC-ers, so if you or anyone you know fits the bill, apply via the link above.

Happy travels and safe landings,

Lesson number one during any trip to Vietnam is crossing the road.

It sounds mundane, but honestly, it’s far from it. Who needs to go skydiving, bungee jumping, or canyoning when you can simply cross from one side of Ben Thanh Market square to another.

Doing even a little research on Ho Chi Minh City will quickly tell you that motor scooters/mopeds are a way of life here, not just a means of getting from A to B. They’re truly vehicles for the whole family (and their dog). In a densely-packed city of around 9 million, that makes for some seriously chaotic roads. But at least there are pedestrian crossings…

Before I travelled, I watched a video on “How to Cross the Street in Vietnam Like a Pro” — the fact this exists was enough for me to take it seriously. 

In the video, a local tour guide explains things like moving slowly and predictably, don’t back-track or stop abruptly, don’t run, etc. All fairly straightforward tips. But then there’s the advice to raise your hand as you cross the road to make yourself more visible. In fact, she says that this is now law and raising your hand is essential when you step out in front of traffic.  

There’s also the buddy approach, where you smile awkwardly at a local and hope they’ll shepherd you across, or the defensive line, where you hide yourself at the far side of a large group, essentially using them as human shields. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t employ that last tactic on more than one occasion. 

With all this in mind, and having witnessed the sea of scooters weaving around our car from the airport, I felt apprehensive about taking those first steps out of our hotel on day one. Apprehensive, but about as prepared as I could be, I suppose. I’d just step out, raise my hand and go. 

The reality check came immediately, when we attempted to reach the coffee shop directly across the street from our hotel. We made our way to the crossing (no traffic lights, just lines painted on the ground), took a few deep breaths and waited for a gap in the traffic. 

“Okay, 3, 2, 1… go!”

Rachel and I launched out onto the crossing, hands raised, attempting to keep our eyes open while vehicles came hurtling towards us. We were met with horns blaring, as a large car and 5 scooters rushed down our “quiet” side street. More than few expletives escaped from my mouth at that moment, but we persisted. 

Once safely* on the other side of the road (I’ll come back to this later), we debriefed. None of those drivers had any intention of stopping for us, despite the marked crossing. The horns — why?! We did what we were told. Then I remembered that video; while scooters will weave around you, cars can’t, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stop. Basically, avoid cars at all costs.

We caught our breath and bravely pulled ourselves together before heading into the coffee shop where we’d meet our future holiday romance: Vietnamese iced coffee. 

There’s really no right or wrong place to drink coffee in Vietnam, it’s all great. But ultimately this was the beginning of our love affair with Highlands Coffee — a local chain more prolific than Starbucks in the West. You could say that a chain is the wrong place to sample the local produce, but the condensed milk to coffee ratio there was the soothing hug we needed to tackle more simple pedestrian activities.

As we continued along our route towards Ben Thanh Market (approximately 5 minutes’ walk from our hotel), we tested our nerves on a couple more small crossings. We waited for the cars to pass, looked both ways a thousand times, and only stepped out when the gap in the traffic seemed great enough for us to make our presence known. We survived.

Then we turned onto the big street. The huge street. We were on one side, the market was on the other. More expletives.

But here we had two things on our side: other pedestrians and traffic lights. This felt like it could be a game changer, so we gathered in among the crowd of other tourists who were vibrating anxiously at the side of the road. The moment the man turned green, we stepped out en masse. 

It turns out that the human shield/defensive line approach was the right one for our first Big Road. Like much of the rest of the world, you’ll find that in Vietnam, traffic can still turn the corner into the lane you’re crossing. When that’s 30+ scooters weaving around and among you, it is intimidating to say the least, so we learned to stay close to the pack.

Another thing that quickly became apparent was the lack of raised hands — in fact, the only other people raising their hands were clearly tourists. Not once during our two-week trip did I spot a local doing it. Part of me suspects that may be by design. After all, it’s we tourists who are the unpredictable pedestrians, the ones locals really need to look out for.

After a few days in Ho Chi Minh City, we were less intimidated by the roads. We developed rules that worked for us, like never rushing to catch the end of a green man — always wait for the next one, wait until you’re both fully prepared to step out, and if in doubt, throw your arm in the air and hope it helps. And wherever there was the option, always use a crossing with lights.

Now for that caveat about being “safely on the other side of the road.” With so many vehicles comes a huge demand for parking. And where better than on the pavement? We frequently found ourselves scrambling between parked mopeds, but it was not unusual to have to walk out along the edge of the road to get by. Somehow, this was less scary than crossing.

During our trip, we’d meet other foreigners at crossings and in central reservations, all taking deep breaths and looking around frantically, like rabbits in headlights. Like us, most would steady themselves and step forth. But the one tactic I never saw twice came from a woman who raised her arms and released high-pitched noises similar to a siren as she darted across with purpose. She made it across just fine.

All this to say, if you thought you knew how to cross the road, you’ll never truly learn until you visit Vietnam (or, perhaps, India). Even in smaller, partially-pedestrianised tourist hubs like Hội An, throngs of pedestrians are at the mercy of the next scooter-rider rushing home for dinner. 

But it’s not an impossible challenge to overcome, and the beeping of horns quickly becomes a soundtrack to your trip. And in those moments where you’re beginning to wonder whether the treasures that lie across the other side of the road are even worth it, just remember there’s probably a Highlands Coffee waiting to give you a soothing hug just a few yards further along.

Hi there, reader! I may be biased, but I think a trip to Scotland sounds like a great plan, and May is about the time when a little sunshine should make an appearance.

I previously wrote up a suggestion for a week-long road trip around Scotland, so have a look at that for some all-around Scottish destination inspiration. But with only 3 or 4 days on the ground in Edinburgh, you’ll find yourself with plenty to do without even leaving the capital. 

I’d suggest honing in on what you want to see there first — maybe the castle, the underground streets, the views from Calton Hill or Arthur’s Seat? If you’re fans of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code, you’ll probably need to schedule in a visit to Rosslyn Chapel, too.

It’ll be tough to work out a way to squeeze it all into a couple of days, but obviously I’d suggest visiting Glasgow as well (I’ll even show you around!). The two cities are less than an hour apart by train, which makes the trip incredibly easy. Alternatively, you can head to Stirling to see its historical castle and the Wallace Monument — and maybe pop in for a dram at the Curly Coo whisky bar. 

With so much to see in Edinburgh alone, you’ll probably want to stay pretty centrally. But hotels can get pricey, so you may want to look closer to Haymarket station than Waverley. That’ll keep you within reasonable walking distance of the main sights, while also in a convenient spot for catching buses and trams.

On that note, I would suggest leaving your car at home if you can. With LNER trains connecting Edinburgh to London via York and Doncaster, you should hopefully be able to find a convenient route north.

Plus, for only a few days in the city, you really won’t need to drive. Buses, trams, and trains will be able to take you anywhere you need to go, usually with a simple tap of your card or a conveniently placed ticket machine. 

Hopefully this has answered a few of your questions, reader! I look forward to hearing how your trip goes, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you decide to visit Glasgow :-)

Do you have a question or idea you'd like to see in the Detour? Let us know below!

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• It’s been another scary week for aviation, as a Delta Air Lines plane found itself landing upside down on the runway in Toronto. Thankfully, all those onboard have survived, and now Delta is offering up $30,000 compensation.
  
  
• Passengers flying from New York to Dublin last weekend were treated to an impromptu weekend on the Canadian island of Newfoundland. Luckily for anyone attending Mass on Sunday at the nearby cathedral, passenger Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, found himself with plenty of time to kill.
  
  
• If all this leaves you feeling more than a little anxious about flying, take a look at these expert suggestions on managing your fears.
  
  
• And finally, first came the fake pandas, then came fake tigers, and now there’s fake snow. Unseasonably warm temperatures at China’s Chengdu Snow Village meant that this year’s Lunar New Year celebrations were less blanketed in snow and more blanketed in cotton wool. Despite all apologies and offering refunds, it could take them a while to live down that flake news.