I don’t feel like I really understand a city until night falls. There’s something about nighttime that’s always been comfortable for me, and I never really know how I’m going to perceive a city until the sun goes down.

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) felt electric at night. It was my first foray into Southeast Asia, and I was expecting a bustling city teeming with life. I was correct in my expectations, and there was an eagerness inside me to embrace it.

One of the greatest things we did on our trip was a street food tour that took place at dusk and into the night. It was incredibly delicious, but more importantly, it bridged the divide between local and tourist. I felt that Vietnam was one of the most local/traveler segregated places I had been thus far. All people were enjoying the city together, but it felt as if certain things were for the local Vietnamese and other things were for the tourists. It’s not a division I really enjoy when I’m traveling, but I understand how it is in some places. This food tour broke down those barriers.

Along the way we sat on plastic kiddie chairs and slurped up incredible pho, ate an array of dumplings and papaya, and finished with a banh mi that was possibly the best one I’ve ever had. But apart from all of this, we met some great Vietnamese people. My favorite moment was when we were sitting on a darkened street being served local specialties by this woman and her family. It was dark because a street light had blown out, but in order to make sure we were having a good time, the woman had her (seemingly) ten year old son stand there and hold a flashlight above our heads while we ate.

At first, he was thrilled at the opportunity to help out, but as happens with most children, his arm got tired and he wanted to play. The “do I have to keep doing this now” tone of the boy as he pleaded with his mother was adorable, and we all helped him out by holding it ourselves and using our mobile phone flash lights.

Another great moment was when the tour guide provided his insight into the future of Vietnam and how different the younger generations are from the older. The culture in Vietnam is one to revere and respect your family’s elders, but he felt that this had been holding the country back. Older people were illiterate, he said, and tied to old ways. He was excited, though, because he felt that modern technology was helping exponentially. His example was that if his grandmother believed something false was true, and couldn’t read to learn otherwise, sites like YouTube with voice and video were helping educate her. I really loved his optimism and excitement for the future of our global community.

This all could have happened at any time during the day, but it felt right being at night. There was an energy in the city and it felt like it was wrapping us all up in it through food, family and new friends.