Customer Reviews

Hitchhiking Vietnam : A Woman's Solo Journey in an Elusive Land

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I am the "Jay," mentioned through out the book. I traveled with Karin for four months in Vietnam. I was stunned, first of all, by the book's subtitle, "...solo journey...." During our travels together, it was a rare moment, when Karin was "out and about" on her own. On the other hand, aren't we, all, on a "solo journey," once we leave the womb? It is a fact, that many parts of the book are fiction and much of the truth concerning her travel companions and their adventures together in Vietnam are omitted. when the "solo" story line needs reinforcement, the travel companion, simply, get "left behind," when in fact, her traveling companion is right there, too! Perhaps if one were to read the book at it's face value, one would think, "Wow, what an adventure." Yet, when you know the truth, you might think, "Wow, what egotism!" Perhaps, this can be explained away by "poetic license." Isn't that what makes a good travel book? Some facts, some fiction, and many serious omissions.

Of the many miles the author allegedly traveled in Vietnam, contrary to the book's title, very few were by hitchhiking. Instead she traveled for the most part on the back of a more seasoned traveler's motorcycle (whom she met along the way) and to a much lessor degree by bicycle, train, or on foot. I initially liked the book because the author is a good writer, but was a little surprised at how many people around her, both other tourists and Vietnamese, were described as self centered, cruel, or complete idiots. I recently spent two weeks in Northern Vietnam and found the people very intelligent and friendly. She portrayed "Jay", the owner of the motorcycle and four-month travel companion, as being lazy and indifferent to the Vietnamese people (In truth, Jay has made six trips to Vietnam to experience their culture). In this book Muller takes credit for all that is good and blames others for all that is bad. After I read the book I saw the author speak at a National Geographic Lecture series in Seattle. She presented herself as a woman traveler constantly up against the odds of traveling "alone" in a hostile communist country. The first slide she showed was of Jay's motorcycle and then told the audience that it was her bike, stating that she traveled around Vietnam solo. That confirmed my suspicions that this woman is a phony. This book belongs in the fiction section!

I watched Karin's video before I read the book, both of which were passed on to me by an acquaintance who is in the travel business. I'm always intrigued by women who have the mettle to travel alone, and the fact that she was in a country that is as mysterious to me as Vietnam was irresistible. I found Karin's writing style to be entertaining and descriptive, and I thought that she did an impressive job for a new author. However, I couldn't ignore some very evident inconsistencies with this work. The first is the title, claiming that she is on a solo hitchhiking journey. Hmmm. Sounds like she was traveling with Jay quite a bit. And I believe that the majority of the trip was done on motorcycle or train or bike. Where's the hitchhiking? Second, she seems to be trying to convince the reader that she is a seasoned adventurer due to her Peace Corps stint and European birth. Her narrative of her trip through Saigon and the Mekong Delta left me with the distinct impression that she was not a very savvy traveler. But, I am sure a new author wants desperately to make a good impression on her audience, so I believe that Karin is just suffering from the very human trait of self-consciousness. Perhaps she felt that her wanderings in Asia didn't measure up to what she thought was good adventure writing and embellished a bit here and there. I would tell Karin that good writing comes from within and doesn't depend on heroics to attract an audience. She's got the tools to be a good writer. With experience, I hope, will come insight, and the need for self-aggrandizement will naturally fall away.

A friend of mine gave me this book because I'm a Vietnamese American and have been to Vietnam several times. Since Muller isn't a fluent Vietnamese speaker, I decided I would give her plenty of leeway. However, she came off as very smug and confident about her interpretation of Vietnam and its culture. Naturally, she's wrong most of the times. One of her most egregious errors was when she said that a Vietnamese trucker only made a few dollars a month--the equivalent the price of international postage from Vietnam. Truckers make some of the best wages in the country, some where in the neighborhood of several hundred dollars depending on their seniority and workload. I also had a chance to hear Muller read and talk in person. Again, she made several comments about Vietnam, Vietnamese etiquettes and mannerism that made me winced. I wanted to correct her but I didn't want to make her feel bad in front of a crowd. Later, when I read her companion, Jay's comment on the book (here on Amazon), I got a better picture of Muller. Too bad, she felt she had to put in so much half-truths and bravados. The book would have been better if she had just focus on writing. This is no definitive book on contemporary Vietnam. Just a definitive work on the author's arrogance.

After reading this book, I would never consider a trip to Vietnam. Ms.Muller showed no redeeming features to the country and there has to be some! All authorities were corrupt, some people were thoughtful and friendly but most came across as mean and selfish and unhelpful. The author may have looked at her actions as adventurous but I looked at them as being unprepared and at times, even stupid. Can't recommend this book to anyone.

I think some reviewers are being too hard on the author. I didn't get that she was being egotistical and untruthful, but that the trip didn't live up to her expectations and she was being honest. She brought out the corruption in the government, and the difficulties in getting around, including being on a bike that kept breaking down, riding in back of a smoker (which she hated), a traveling companion that she wouldn't have chosen if anyone else had wanted to go, but she couldn't find anyone. She purposely didn't stay in tourist hotels, wanting to see the 'real' Vietnam and so she had to deal with a lot of inconveniences. She got the flu twice and also scurvy. She didn't complain a lot, but just reported what happened, Some experiences were good, some bad, and she was positive about the villagers, she just reported their living conditions with honesty.

I got a very positive view of the people and she said that they treated women well due to their Buddist beliefs. She was treated like a sister by the men and women alike. We can't be surprised that there is poverty and poor living conditions in Vietnam, especially among the minority peoples, such as the Hmong, of whom she reports prejudice from the Vietnamese people. All she wanted to do was be in a village which she kept having trouble getting to do. Because of government restrictions she was not allowed to stay with the villagers, a rule that she broke when she could, preferring to stay with them. They were extremely hospitable.

Also she tells of her sadness that all the animals are gone, eaten or used in traditional medicine or sold on the black market. And she never said she was fluent in Vietnamese, but she did learn some. She is also a good writer which made the book enjoyable.

Would I want to travel to Vietnam after reading this book? No, but I already knew about the living conditions there and didn't want to go anyway, but isn't that one major reason we read travel journals--to be an armchair traveler and let someone else have all the discomfort so that we can read about far-off places?

One small experience that stands out for me is when she went to have a meal and she said that as soon as the proprietor saw her he took out his wok and began preparing her favorite dish. She had gotten a disapointing letter and cried, then closed her eyes. When she opened them, a cake had been put in front of her and she saw the proprietor smile and go back to his work. She figured he had seen her tears.

I am not sure what it was, but after finishing this book I have a bad taste in my mouth. I applaud the intentions of the author and the subject matter is irresistibly interesting. However, it was hard for me to get into at first because the book kind of rambles and it takes a while to get into her style. The style ended up suiting the journey very well as it was a slow and haphazard journey through the various aspects of Vietnam.

Karin suffered many difficulties on her travels and I got very frustrated for her. She made it seem so difficult to travel around Vietnam (and she speaks Vietnamese!) that I am not sure that I want to go anymore. She experienced horrible guides that only wanted to squeeze as much money out of her as possible and a motorcycle that I was frustrated with and would have ditched long before she ever did! After reading some of the other reviews, I can now see why others would say that she is arrogant and haughty. It is almost as if she tries so hard to say that she isnt, that she comes across as being so...

It was hard to get a feeling for her relationship with other people. She was an excellent observer and I really enjoyed her colorful metaphors and descriptions, but was frustrated because I was unable to grasp her feelings for Jay and her Mom. She has a strange journey with Jay and I couldn't quite figure out how they interacted together. Also, she talks about her Mom incessantly, but never really discusses her Dad.

I was also very frustrated with her attempt to rescue some endangered species. She decided to support the illegal black market trade in endangered species because she felt that she could save a few animals. I was very disappointed with the reception that she received from the nature reserve, but am not really sure how she could have resolved the situation any better.

Karin has an interesting writing style, although it may seem forced at times, and I was impressed that she did not romanticize her trip. She provides an honest portrayal of her backpacking experience and I definitely want to check out her documentary and the website to gain a more accurate portrayal of her journey and who she is.

I read this book for research for my own trip to Vietnam this summer. Although it's not the best travel book I've read, it's helpful by giving readers insight into Vietnamese everyday life. Although Muller sounds sort of whiny at times, her writing isn't cursed with the naive wide-eyed wonderment typical of a lot of travel writers. The book is both interesting, but at times unsettling...I couldn't help feeling at times that the entire nation of Vietnam existed solely to rip off foreigners. But, maybe I took it too personally because I'm half Vietnamese. Her advice on bargaining is something I haven't found in any of my guide books--most tell you simply to do it, but they don't explain HOW to do it. I would recommend this book to anyone who is planning their first trip to Vietnam, but I would hate for someone to base their opinion of the Vietnamese people solely on Muller's observations.

I did like this book. It is not one of the best gonzo travelogues that I've read, but it made its mark for a number of reasons:

-Karin did most of the travel on her own - I think that a woman traveling alone has more fears to confront than a man, and in this case, she handles them extremely well;

-She went native - eating the food her hosts ate, sleeping in their huts, suffering the same parasites, and learning their language;

-She kept her sense of humor;

And most importantly, her writing style was very "approachable" and fresh - a style which mirrors the subject of her affection (Vietnam) well.

My friend and her husband are going to Vietnam to adopt two girls. We read "Hitchhiking Vietnam" as part of our book club and were very disappointed. I was amazed at the similar reactions other readers had (at Amazon.com). We thought it was highly self-promoting, forsaking the experience of foreign travel for an ego trip. I was annoyed by the author's condescending attitude towards Vietnam's people, wildlife and land. The most I can say for it is that it did generate a lot of discussion! It certainly did seem like a lot of truths were left out of this story...