Good Morning Ho Chi Minh City

Well it is early, around 9:30am here. Not that early really but considering the condition of us when we turned in last night it feels a lot earlier than it is. We arrived in Siagon (Ho Chi Minh City) yesterday after taking in some western food and beach time. We ate pizza for dinner 3 nights in a row. One night we even went to 2 different pizza places. Sounds sickening now but it was a much needed respite from rice and noodles. Last night we went and had one of our last bowls of Pho for a while as we all leave Vietnam today.

We got to do a couple of scuba dives and although the visibility was only about 2 meters we still saw some amazing aquatic life. We dove at Madonna Rock and Mama Hanh Coral Garden. It was the most nerve racking dive I've ever been on. Although the one in Indonesia was tough due to the current, this one was rough because if you stopped to look at something within seconds everyone would be gone, lost into the sediment filled abyss. We all managed to survive though and other than Tristan and I losing Gabrielle and our Dive Master once it went pretty well. It is a whole other world on the bottom of the ocean. Magical.

Siagon is a proper city with tall buildings and the like. It has a much more modern metropolitan feel than Hanoi. Although that is the charm of Hanoi, its rustic buildings and crowded streets. There is definitely a different feel about this place. It is as if life goes on here even without us. A little relieving to know that the world doesn't revolve around you. There are fancier cars, neon lights, and loads of hawkers and touts. Mind you we haven't been anywhere that the touts and hawkers haven't been. We had 3 ladies follow us around for an hour as we went from hotel to hotel looking for a room last night. The thing about them is that they are just plain annoying, like that kid that repeatedly keeps poking you saying your name over and over(except for you Gracie). I mean really, take the hint. If the hint doesn't work than just listen when I tell you to bugger off. They haven't really gotten to us though, they just make it difficult to have a conversation by constantly repeating the same thing over and over. My favorite hawker was a little old lady that came to the sidewalk bar last night. She was selling Happydent chewing gum. When she actually smiled her teeth looked more like something out of a horror movie. I wonder if she gets the connection and knows why no one would buy her gum.

Along with the usual elements there is a new one here. It is the oldest profession in the world as they say. As we sat in a western style establishment drinking beers for 30,000 Dong that we paid 10,000 Dong for earlier that night there were swarms of hungry eyed Vietnamese women with old white guys. At first it was entertaining and then it turned into just plain sad. Mind you, we think most of them were really men but who knows.

In the end I am really glad I cam back to Vietnam. Although it goes completely against my theory of "Big World, So Little Time" I really got to see this country this time. From rice paddies to quaint villages, happy children to crooked old women salt fields to floating villages we have covered the entire country. I can't say that I really understand the people here as the ones we have met have come from so many different walks of life it is hard to put it all together. I can however say that Vietnam ranks high on my list of beautiful places and is accessible to even the most high-maintenance travelers with good CHEAP accommodation. We spent on average around 10 dollars a night on a hotel with hot shower satellite TV and a fridge. Eating at local stalls and restaurants we could get by on less than $10 a day for food. Throw in a moto for $4 a day and you have yourself a great adventure.

I do have to say that when we weren't dodging giant bugs, skidding in front of buses, and sore bottomed beyond comprehension having a moto everyday has really made this leg of the trip so interesting. We really got to see places you could otherwise not go. We were completely free to explore, get lost and get found again. There were no negotiations with drivers, which never leave you feel like it was worth it, and we weren't stuck on public transport routes. It was quite liberating and a great experience. I am just glad I lived to tell.

I probably would have never come back here if my sister and Tristan weren't here. I am grateful to them for inviting me along with them and especially my sister who did so much of the leg work.

Next stop Thailand. Koh Chang Island. A place I really wanted to see last year and didn't have time. I'll get to meet up with the Medford crew for a few days before going back to Indonesia.

Thanks for all you messages and comments, they go a long way when on a long trip.

til next time
e

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