Lost in Saigon

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Saigon. A name I'd heard many times, most memorably at the start of Apocalypse Now. And now I was here - bustling streets full of mopeds, cyclos and people trying to sell you knock off books, sunglasses, zippo lighters, nail clippers, anything to make a bit of cash. The alleys are filled in the mornings with locals enjoying steaming bowls of Pho and the cyclo drivers take naps in the seat of their rusty rides.

I arrived early in the afternoon and soon found myself a room where I dumped my stuff and went for a wander. As I walked through the streets I took in the sights, sounds and smells of the Saigon streets. Something I noticed here more than anywhere else is that there is always something going on, life never stops. As I walked I would see people tending to bikes, preparing noodles, selling fake goods, touting their restaurant. Nobody ever stood still. I liked Saigon already.

As I was wandering, I stumbled across a beautiful park just meters from one of the busier roads. It was a Sunday and it seemed Sunday was exercise day in the now called Ho Chi Minh City - groups of teenage boys playing a kind of foot-volleyball, kids running around the central flower bed while their parent jogged round the circumfrence and while their grandmothers gyrated their hips Mr. Bean style. I sat here for a while, just taking this in. No wonder the Vietnamese are so thin. Then again, I ate a huge and delicious meal that night, an italian (I'd had enough rice already that day!) named 'Good Morning Vietnam'. Afterwards I headed to a bar named Saigon (just for a change of scenery) and had a few drinks whilst chatting to fellow backpackers before returning to my room.

Monday morning, and I decided to just walk around trying to emcompass some of the main sites of the city, only I turned the wrong way and got lost. Eventually I gave in and hired a cyclo to take me to Cholon - China Town. I saw some beautiful and really spiritual pagodas and some crazy markets where it seemed the less room there was to walk between the various stalls the better. You could buy anything and everything but I was overwhelmed and walked out with nothing. Besides, I'd heard of another market which was even better. Cholon was great, larger than any other china towns I'd visited before and fascinating. Back in town that night I visited another couple of bars and restaurants, planning the next day.

This day I turned the right way after studying the map carefully and made my way around the main sights. The larger market where a couple of cheeky purchases were made, the ordinary fine arts museum, the War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace. Some more interesting than others, it was interesting to hear the Vietnamese side of the war and see the strange palace - housed in a modern building but many of the rooms trying to be of an older fashion - it seemed to have a split personality. I also booked a one day tour of the Mekong Delta for the following day, seeing as I couldn't travel by boat from Phnom Penh to here as I had hoped.

Wow. The Mekong Delta was beautiful, some of the natural canals stunning and provided good photo opportunities. It's difficult to describe, almost like a small canal going through the middle of a jungle. Also got to try some of the Vietnamese specialties - Rice Wine (strong!) Banana Wine (not so nice...) and even Snake Wine (disgusting but had to buy a small bottle anyway). All in all a great trip, especially as our tour guide, a girl called Lien, invited me to a 'party' at her flat that evening. Turned out it wasn't a party so much as dinner with her 6 other very interested girl friends who wanted to practice their english. Was a really good evening though, as I tried to learn more of the culture while answering questions about all sorts of things including Tower Bridge of all things.

And so my time in Saigon was coming to an end - off to Mui Ne the next morning, bright and early at 7:45. See you there.

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Comments

[anonymous]

man you wrote a lot good stuff bro