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Published: December 5th 2007
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I couldn't believe it when we arrived in Ho Chi Minh, firstly coming from a place where at least 4 layers were needed into about 40 degrees worth of heat and secondly to arriving into a country where people smile and make you feel welcome! We arrived at night and luckily had all hotels etc sorted so we were able to sit back and take in the buzz which calls itself Ho Chi Minh. Seriously I have never seen so many motorbikes and mopeds. Apparently there are 7 million people in this city and 3 million mopeds. I think I saw about 2.5 of those within about 20 minutes of being in Vietnam! We stayed right in the centre of backpackers land which was ideal as we didn't have to venture far for restaurants, bars or even the main tourist sites. I fell instantly in love with this city, I can only describe it as a dragon whose roar is continuous and who has a viscious tail. On the first day of our Saigon adventure I spent most of it playing chicken! If getting across the road was an olympic sport, I would have started an amatuer and finished with gold
District 1 HCMC
Just walking back from the market... in my hand! I simply loved the thrill of just trying to walk this city! Over the next few days apart from kissing the ground of various restaurants...the food here kicks chinese arse! Though I must say I think I may be giving birth to a spring roll baby anytime now! Over the next few days, I walked/dodged around the city visiting everything from the Independence Palace to the beautiful markets to the war museums. In my ignorance I struggled at first to come to terms with the various wars and battles the Vietnamese have had over the last number of decades, finding it quite hard to understand who did what to the various parts of Vietnam. It all came starkingly obvious when i visited the War museum. I guess I am just slightly too young to have seen any of either the news reports or propeganda from the Vietnam war, but this musuem brings it all to the front. Very graphically indeed. The Lonely Planet recommends you to have a strong stomache in order to visit this musuem. My reccommendation would not have anything in your stomache full stop. I found it all too much and very unlike me
HCMC
Came across a PE lesson in the park! I left the musuem halfway through, unable to see or hear anymore. On a brighter note, not having learnt from the 10kg fedex parcel sent home from Beijing, I seem unable to walk past markets or shops without a little purchase or two! The clothes, the materials, the purses and the little house hold goods are all far too pretty on the eye! My buying has now had to be restricted and I am no longer in charge of the wallet! Seriously though, if you are planning a trip here, plan it with only half a bag full!!
Whilst most cities we have visited so far on our little adventure have been almost the same just in different parts of the world, Saigon has got a little something else. Maybe as a child born to a franco-file I am simply appreciating the french influence of the city, I'm not sure. I am sure however that one day I will return to this amazing vibrant city!
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Dough Netz
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Ahhh, the foods
I totally agree with you on the foods. The Chinese foods are far less yummy than Vietnamese and Thai foods. I can't wait to visit Vietnam the second time.