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Published: March 25th 2005
Motorbikes and ... motorbikes
Fairly typical street scene in Ho Chi Minh CityNo, I haven't made a pilgrimage around the Indochinese sub-continent, getting to know the poor, swimming across the Mekong to a leper colony, and learning the ways of communism in my pre-revolutionary youth... yet...
I'm in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City since its 'liberation' in 1975), city of Motorbikes. There are 6 million people in this city and an estimated 5 million registered motorbikes or scooters. At all hours, the streets are like rivers of bikes riding 4 or 5 abreast in each direction, with a few crazy taxis, buses and private cars floating along. To cross the road here, you don't wait for a break, you just walk across, preferably not looking, as the traffic magically (the drivers here use 'the force', not their targetting computers) avoids you.
I've been here 5 days now, staying on the 5th floor of yet another dodgy guesthouse, and its definitely the best Asian city I've come across. Despite its size and the bikes, this is an easy walking city with wide streets, many parks, and a dazzling mix of colours, day and night. The best experience is eating in the streetside stalls selling "Pho" (noodle soup), "Banh" (bagettes) and "Ca Phe"
Cao Dai Priests
Apparently they are told what colour to wear in a seance ... with Victor Hugo maybe? (um, coffee), and getting to know locals like Ba Ba Ba (333) bia, Sai gon bia and BGI bia. The poverty here is evident - this communist country has no social welfare, its basically every man for himself capitalism. You're not lonely here, as every 5 steps people are saying hello, offering motorbike rides, marijuana, flowers, cigarettes, books, Ray Bans, girls. 10 year old kids try to sell you chewing gum in the pubs at night - one of whom christened me "Cheap Charlie" and the name stuck among her friends.
I've met up here with a group of police I worked with in Sydney, and have unfortunately been adopted by Sean and Mick, which essentially means my sightseeing has been confined to the inside of the "Allez Boo" bar here in the Pham Ngu Lao backpacking district. Although I've survived ok, the walk home after a night of snake wine, with a chaser of seahorse wine, was the most arduous and paranoid 500 m stumble of my life.
Actually, there's been a couple of nice day trips: to the Mekong River Delta town of My Tho and its nearby river islands (the river branch here is 4
Cu Chi Tunnels
No, I couldn't fit when I tried. km wide), and west to the cambodian border to see the truly bizarre CaoDai temple (Caodaism is a combination cult of hindu, taoist, buddhist and catholic extraction which loses all credibility when you discover one of their sacred saints is Victor Hugo (?)!), and the awesome Cu Chi tunnels where the Viet Cong based themselves just outside Saigon, but more importantly where you can shoot an AK47 or M60 machine gun for $10! Our guide that day, named Slim Jim, has learned most of his english from a book of Aussie Slang he was given a year or two back, but unfortunately he renegged on his promise to "sink piss" with us at the "rub-a-dub-dub" that night. Dad, you'll be proud to know he has added "Splash me boots" to his repertoire after our trip.
I'm certainly in travelling mode now - from here we are off to Tuy Hoa to visit the home of cop-mate Luc and surprise his mum on her birthday, and then off to the beach (finally!) and Nha Trang.
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anonymous
non-member comment
Hi from Mum
Sounds so fascinating! Didn't like the bit about snake wine and 500m staggers, hope you had company! Do take care Warren. Eddie was chuffed that you taught your guide about splashing boots!! - Valerie