Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Back in Vietnam in the old Siagon. We are in a port along the Siagon River within walking distance to a very crowded and active town. We went out for food and just had to ask the waitress to pick something that locals would eat. She was great and she would bring us the food and then show us how to eat it. Since everything seemed to have a wrap or sauce or soup that was very helpful. It was delicious and cheap and we walked through town in the evening.
The town is mainly motorcycles and taxis and hardly any cars. They are expensive and taxed heavily and there is no place to park so motorcycles are the means of transport. To cross the street you can never get the intersection clear so you just wait until things thin a little and then start walking. If you maintain a slow and steady pace the motorcycles just weave around you and you eventually get to the other side. If you look at the traffic you will panic and stop or move too suddenly and are more likely to get hit so slow and steady is the key. Needless to say for 4 Americans that took some getting used to and having 20 bikes roar past you while crossing a big intersection can beat any amusement park ride any day. :-)
There is a downside. We were informed there were pickpockets and were pretty careful but once we wandered into a part of town that was a little less crowed and during that street crossing adventure one of the bikes acted like they were going to hit us and caused us to jump a bit and while they slid past Ali they grabbed her purse and just jerked it right off her neck. They were gone before she realized what happened. Fortunately she didn't have much of value and no credit cards but it was a little bit of a wake up call to watch what we are carrying.
Overall a fairly enjoyable experience and a nice enough city with some pretty places like the temple below. I can't imagine living here though in the crush of people that were always present. That is not something commonly said by us as we seem to always leave an area with plans for a longer stay in the future sometime. Next stop Bangkok.Read more