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Published: February 18th 2008
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Crossing the Street in Saigon
This is James in a sea of motorbikes near downtown. Vietnam has been a complete adventure. The country is deeply patriotic after one thousand years of foreign occupation and memories from the Vietnam war are fresh. It is apparent that you are in a developing country that blends capitalism with a communist government. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is a literal twenty-four hour traffic jam of 3 million of motorbikes (yes, 3 million) with a few taxis and busses mixed in. The city officially has a population of 6.5 million people, but the actual population is around 12 million. Enter me.
I was supposed to get picked up at the airport by a volunteer coordinator, but when I arrived no one was there. I waited patiently for about 45 minutes reminding myself that things work differently in Asia. Although many people live in densely populated cities, the pace of life is much slower and hold-ups are the norm. While I was waiting, I noticed that I was the only westerner around. Several children stared and pointed at me and some of them even practiced their English with me. After a few taxi drivers charged me a ridiculous amount of money (100,000 dong = $9) to use their cell phones, I
was picked up by my volunteer coordinator and taken to a guest house.
My first night was sleepless as I was sharing my filthy, stinky room with several cockroaches as traffic buzzed by outside the window all night. After killing 5 three-inch cockroaches, I was wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into. I passed in and out of sleep with the lights on to keep the cockroaches from coming out. The next morning myself and another volunteer named James from England were met and shown how to get to the orphanage via 3 busses. The bus system in Saigon is confusing to say the least with perhaps 50 different routes that are ever-changing. As our bus approached I wondered, "Is it going to stop?" The answer was no. As the bus slowed the ticket taker reached out of the door, grabbed your arm and threw you onto the bus. After a whirlwind ride (think about the Knight Bus scene from the Harry Potter movies) on 3 busses we arrived at the orphanage...more to come about that later.
The next night I moved into the backpacker area of Saigon, which is basically one street with dozens of
great restaurants and shops. I was in heaven there! The reason I had to stay in a hotel is because our volunteer house was under construction, but it is finished now. The house is so nice and we even have our own chef! Yes! I am hoping to learn how to make a lot of Vietnamese food while I am here. I am already addicted to the Vietnamese spring rolls (both fresh and fried) and Vietnamese coffee, which is like nothing I have ever had in my life.
Although my first few days in Vietnam were crazy and a bit overwhelming, I am having a blast. I absolutely love Vietnam and the people here are amazing. I am now an old pro at riding on the back of a motorbike taxi and crossing the street, both of which are extreme sports in Vientam considering the traffic. When you cross the street, you just step out and start walking as motorbikes buzz around you on all sides - it's so exciting! Whole families ride on motorbikes here. It is not uncommon to see up to 5 people on a bike (2 parents and 3 children). Even infants go for rides
in their mother's arms.
Well, that covers the first few days of my trip to Vietnam. I'll post more in the coming days about Tet (Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year) and the orphanage that I am working at.
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