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Morning Exercise: Jogging

By Edward Damato

Someone once told me that if you want to get a different perspective on a foreign country, try jogging in the morning. In Vietnam, the advice was certainly true.

In Hanoi, at 5 AM the streets were filled with people exercising. Many were running, but there were also children and teenagers playing soccer, adults playing badminton, and elderly people doing organized calisthenics.

When I remarked to our guide and translator that I was surprised to see so many people out so early in the morning, he explained that this was "morning exercise" and was very prevalent in the country.

I began morning exercise on the second day in Hanoi. At 5AM I put on my Bill Rogers jogging shorts, my 3rd Avenue Brooklyn Run for Fun T-shirt and my Nike Air shoes, and joined the others on the streets of Hanoi. Soon I noticed that my dress was as much an oddity as was my foreign face. The other joggers were either barefoot or in canvas shoes, shirtless (I saw no women joggers) and in bargain-store shorts.

But, like joggers everywhere they waved or smiled at me. Some said "Hello" in English, and several children ran alongside and spoke English phrases: "What's your name?" "How are you?" and "Where are you from?"

I did two laps around the central lake in Hanoi each morning. The weather, even at 5AM was very hot and humid. Running was difficult, but as I slowly circled the lake I got a chance to see the trolleys start their runs, people bicycling to work, cooking on the streets, workers sweeping sidewalks, and everywhere, people exercising.

There was a group of about 50-60 elderly people out every morning doing organized exercise consisting of running in place, stretching, rubbing their arms and legs and close-order drill. Once, the seniors were in ranks facing the lake and I walked behind the so as not to stand out like a sore thumb, when their "sergeant" gave the order "About Face." As they turned around, I came into their view which gave them a good laugh while they nodded their greetings.

After running that first morning I walked back to our hotel and was offered a badminton racket by a young man. Each morning after that I played with a young woman for about five minutes: she beat me every time.

Once I talked to a jogger who worked in the trade unions who told me that exercise is encouraged and people do it because it is a good way to start the day. I have to agree with this.

Ho Chi Minh City was another story.

Every morning I would get up at 5AM and jog in Ho Chi Minh City. Mostly I ran alone, seeing only four or five joggers each day. When I mentioned this to our guide, she said I should run along the Saigon River where more people exercise. I did, but while there were more exercisers, not many were jogging. There was, however, a large group of elderly people exercising like their counterparts in Hanoi.

This stark difference between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City made me realize how different are the recent histories of the two cities. Ho Chi Minh City still shows the influence of the American presence: it is more of a night city and each night the streets were clogged with bicyclists. We passed a youth club where we heard the sounds of a late '60s rock band with many, many young people milling about in the street enjoying the music. Hanoi seemed more provincial—more my speed.

But while morning exercise hasn't caught on in Ho Chi Minh City, jogging gave me a good tourist's view of the city and the cooler, less humid temperatures made it more comfortable to run in.

I jogged by the old Presidential Palace (now Reunification Hall) and its gardens, the old U.S. Embassy with its fortified bunkers (now housing an oil company) and most interestingly, the huge Catholic Cathedral.

On my last morning, I couldn't resist the temptation to go into the church to see the 5AM mass that was in progress. While I was not properly dressed, and dripping with sweat I had to see about religion in Vietnam. I sat in the back of the church and listened to the mass and songs in Vietnamese and watched about 40 people take Holy Communion. I noticed that the centerpiece of the altar had a statue of the Virgin Mary and a neon light that read "Ave Maria."

My memories of Vietnam are vivid and my private jogging experiences remain special to me. So next time you're in a foreign country take my advice: get out there and do morning exercise.

—Edward Damato