Sightseeing
One of the main tourist attractions here in Ho Chi Minh City is watching the traffic. It's an endless source of interest.
The best places are intersections where one horde of motorbikes intersects with another horde. There are rarely any traffic lights and the motorbikes just weave in and out. They must be amazingly alert because they have to contend with cars, bicycles and pedestrians.
Cars also have a habit of turning left from the right lane - right in front of the motorcycles - much to our horror - but no one on the road seems to bat an eyelid.
The pedestrians are amusing too. The locals just stride out into the chaos, while the tourists hesitate, go forward, then back and generally cause chaos. The trick seems to be to act confidently and don't slow down or speed up - so everyone knows exactly what you are doing. We're gradually learning the ropes and soon will be plunging on with the best of the locals.
Last night we visited a night market. We were there at 9 p.m. so I'm not sure what time the stalls close up.
The place was packed with people, including lots of small children.
The canniest street vendors were the ones with a small child in one arm and a basket of something to sell in the other. These tiny Vietnamese women have very strong biceps!
It was very hot and humid and noisy and you could never relax - as motorcycles continually roared up and down the centre aisles of the market. In spite of the distractions, we bought a few things (t-shirts) and a fan - which only served to blow hot air around.
Today we went back to Saigon Square market for some other purchases and then visited the War Remnants Museum - a rather disturbing place with photos of victims of napalm bombing and children with birth defects from Agent Orange dumping. A man with both arms blown off by a landmine practically forced us to buy a book about Vietnam. It was hard to say no!
We visited the General Post Office - a beautiful old French colonial building - and more interesting than it sounds - and walked around the city until we were streaming with sweat. How people survive here without air-conditioning, I can't understand.
Shopping
We awoke to the distant sound of motorbike horns - the general background sound of Ho Chi Minh City, we've discovered.
After a sumptuous buffet breakfast (these Vietnamese know how to do a good breakfast), we headed out into the bustling busy city.
It takes a bit of getting used to for soft Westerners. Bikes all over the place going in every direction and cars doing much the same.
You just have to stride out into the road and traffic swerves (very politely) around you. But you're not safe on the footpath either. It's not uncommon for a bike to be heading straight towards you as you pause to look in a shop window. (That's if you can even look into the shop, with the bikes parked out front).
I have to admit, this is not my photo - but this is what it is like!
We walked around, got hopelessly lost, and then took a taxi to our destination for the grand sum of $1 AUD.
Our destination was a multi-storey shopping mall full of little stalls selling fake absolutely everything you might ever want. Some of the fakes are so good, I'm sure they're actually made in the factories that make the real thing.
20,000 Vietnamese Dong is equivalent to 1 Australian dollar - and it kind of does your head in to be asked to pay 400,000 Dong for something - only to realise it means $20. Lots of internal calculations have to go on - but I'm sure we'll get used to it.
Jim bought t-shirts, underwear, a couple of fake watches and some parts for his camera. I just strolled around and looked at everything. It's a bit overwhelming at first so my shopping will come later I think.
-
Jim just came back to the hotel after a solo shopping expedition sporting a big cut above his left eye. He was in the lift with a loud American who was waving his arms around bang! Hit him on the temple with his watch.
I obviously can't leave him alone for 5 minutes!
The hotel reception staff fussed around with antiseptic and bandages - and he went off to get his camera battery pack looking like he'd been in the wars.
Jim's comment on the expedition was that the little Vietnamese man in the camera shop had the softest hands he'd ever come across - and he hates Americans.
Arrival
Well, we arrived safe and sound in Vietnam - after a very brief stopover in Singapore. (It consisted mainly of a dash from one terminal to another - and racing past all the shops, much to Jim's dismay.)
We arrived at 7 p.m. in Ho Chi Minh City and were greeted by a hot and humid 31oC.
Driving from the airport to the Caravelle Hotel was an educational experience.
The city is lovely! Wide streets and lots of colourful lights - but motorbikes absolutely everywhere!
There seem to be unwritten road rules which allow traffic to merge, pass each other and drive head on without crashing! Jim and I cringed and jumped a hundred times - but our driver was totally unconcerned.
Motobike riders are absolutely fearless and are all obviously convinced they are safe because they are wearing helmets. This means they can have three on a bike (one of them being a child, another a woman in a short skirt and high heels), carry five boxes on the back, carry one milk crate with five enormous palm trees - or text or use their mobile phones in any way they see fit. (Haven't yet seen the live chickens on the back - but I'm sure that will come.)
Have also seen the obligatory elderly woman striding along in conical hat and pole over her shoulder with baskets attached. (I can die happy now.)
The hotel is very luxurious and, after a shower, we headed upstairs to the Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar for a drink in the open air - wonderful views of Ho Chi Minh City.
We met up with our friends, Peter & Liz, and were serenaded by the Q'vana signers - from Cuba - in short skirts and fishnet stockings. (Very Vietnamese!)
Nothing like drinking cocktails with fruit and bendy straws to the sound of popular Vietnamese songs in Spanish.
TRIP TO VIETNAM
- Mary & Jim -
7 - 18 May 2014
