Tân Bình

I'm on yet another bus, this time to Phnom Penh. We've been driving for 45 minutes and we're still in the grip of HCMC. It is much bigger than I expected.

I am surprised at the huge difference between Hanoi and what we used to call Saigon. The first thing you notice is the capital investment that is pouring into HCMC and the surrounding area. Streets and the overall infrastructure are significantly better than in the north. Some buildings have completely Westernized bathrooms; there is no hose and you can flush the paper. And little things began to pop out at me. For example, in the north, the ground floor is the first floor, like in America. In the south, the ground floor is ground and the next floor up is the first floor. The traffic is just as crazy everywhere, but in HCMC, the roads seem to be larger with more lights to which drivers/riders actually pay attention. Hanoi has very few lights at intersections, and the ones it does have, no one cares. I much preferred HCMC over Hanoi.

The night picture below is from a hasher's 17th Floor apartment. That's where we met up last night for the Monday hash. Not my favorite. Really just runners. I and another girl lost trail completely and just went back to the apartment. I don't remember the last time that has happened to me. Also, they don't do circle or any songs, which is really my favorite part. The people were really cool, though, as usual. I'll see a few again in Nha Trang in September.

Out for now. ✌️Read more