*カオスな熱気こそがアジアの一人旅の魅力
私は若い時ソフトウェア会社で働いていたが、当時は夏休みが10日くらいあった。夏休み中は航空券が高いが、どうしても旅がしたかったので近場のアジアを中心に旅をしていた。この年はたまたまTVでアンコールワットの番組を見てコレだと閃いてしまい、その翌日には速攻で航空券を手配しに行った。そして、10日間でベトナム～カンボジア～香港を巡る旅に出た。
ベトナムは服や雑貨が安くご飯も美味しい、ということで当時から日本人女性に人気があり、特にホーチミンは多くの観光客がベトナム料理やショッピングを求めて訪れていた。ホーチミンはベトナム南部にある経済の中心地。この街はMotorbike Cityと呼ばれていてオートバイが異常に多く、しかも三人乗り、四人乗りや信号無視が当たり前の状態だった。路上に並ぶ食堂や店も綺麗とは言い難いが、街に住む人々は非常にバワフルで熱気があった。路上でも市場でも、どこでも声を掛けられる。「お兄さん、安いよ～」「お兄さん、どこ行くの～」どうやら日本人は貴重な収入のようだった。
マーケットに行く途中、怪しさ爆発のバイクタクシーのお兄さんがいた。「私、安心。ほら見て。推薦状。」そう言って日本語で書かれた推薦文を見せてきたが、その姿は地球の歩き方に書いてあった怪しい人そのままだった。そうやって並んで歩くこと2～3分。目的のマーケットに着いてしまったので、お兄さんは一言「マーケットは悪い人一杯。カバン気をつけてね。」と言って去っていった。色々ツッコミ所はあるが、このやりとりを楽しめるかどうかが分かれ目で、このカオスな熱気こそがアジアの一人旅の魅力だと思う。
*The Chaotic Energy of Solo Travel in Asia
The chaotic heat is the charm of solo travel in Asia. In my younger days, I worked at a software company, and I only had about 10 days of summer vacation. During this time, plane tickets were expensive, but I was determined to travel. So, I focused on exploring nearby Asian destinations. One year, while watching a TV program about Angkor Wat, I had a sudden inspiration. The next day, I hastily booked my plane tickets and embarked on a 10-day journey through Vietnam, Cambodia, and Hong Kong.
Vietnam was known for its affordable clothing, goods, and delicious food, especially popular among Japanese women. Ho Chi Minh City, the economic hub of southern Vietnam, was a city filled with an extraordinary number of motorbikes, with riders often carrying three or four passengers and disregarding traffic signals. While the streets and shops may not have been pristine, the people were vibrant and full of energy. Whether on the streets or in markets, you'd constantly hear calls like, "Hey, mister, it's cheap!" or "Hey, mister, where are you going?" It seemed that Japanese tourists were highly valued sources of income.
On my way to the market, I encountered a motorcycle taxi driver who exuded an air of suspicion. "Don't worry, look here, a recommendation letter," he said, showing me a recommendation letter written in Japanese. His appearance matched the description of the dubious characters I had read about in travel guides. We walked together for about 2-3 minutes until we reached the market, and then he said, "The market has a lot of bad people. Be careful with your bag." With several questionable aspects, this encounter could either be unnerving or enjoyable, depending on one's perspective. In my view, this chaotic energy is precisely what makes solo travel in Asia so captivating.
