Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), is the largest city in Vietnam. With over 9 million people (and an estimated 5 million motorbikes), the pace can be frantic. We thought the traffic was busy in Shanghai, but I have never experienced anything like this. Someone had told us that when crossing any street here, walk at a steady pace and don't stop - that advise has proved indispensable! Rush hour (well it is more like several hours) gets even more frantic, but watching the chaos of people trying to navigate through this has proved to be endlessly fascinating.
Another shock to our system was getting used to the weather. When we left China last Friday, it was a grey, rainy cool day - when we arrived in HCMC, it was a gorgeous, sunny +33 C, and every day since then has been exactly the same. Consequently, flowers grow everywhere and there are many lovely parks to enjoy and escape the noise of the city. There are also copious amounts of vendors selling fresh fruit and vegetables on every corner. Despite the heat, we have seen many women riding their scooters with jackets, pants, gloves, and face masks. Apparently, having lighter skin is considered very attractive, and keeping oneself fully covered helps to achieve this goal.
We are staying in a hotel that is centrally located in District 1 and really caters to backpackers and tourists. The street can be very busy at night, but the advantage for us is that there are an amazing array of restaurants to choose from. Vietnamese food is so fresh and full of flavor and we have tried many different dishes, but there is also an abundance of other cuisines to enjoy. We found probably the best Thai restaurant I have ever been to, and have also tried Korean and Italian. Street food is extremely popular as well, and the smells coming from the grilled meat and seafood make us feel hungry even after we have just finished dinner. In order to enjoy this street food, one can sit at very tiny little tables and chairs (what we would consider child size) and enjoy a meal.
Vietnamese people are so friendly, accommodating, and go out of there way to provide great service. English is spoken more often, even if it is limited, and it makes us feel very comfortable. We have seen all kinds of tourists here, young and old, singles, families, and groups, and every nationality is represented. Prices for most things are very inexpensive, especially food and alcohol, and coffee is the ubiquitous drink (and delicious in every form).
Tour operators can also be found on every corner, and there are many excellent choices ranging from one day forays to week-long trips. We decided to venture outside of the city for a day to see the amazing Cao Dai temple and visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. The former is an incredible site to see - hundreds of worshipers gather at noon for prayer in this elaborately decorated temple, and visitors are allowed to witness the event from the gallery above. They also play music on strange instruments and sing during the service, and Pierre likened the sound to "worse than wet bagpipes" (no offense to any bagpipe lovers out there).
The tour through the jungle to see the Cu Chi Tunnels was also very interesting. These tunnels were an elaborate network designed by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, and were used for various purposes: living quarters, hospital, hiding places, and weapon caches to name a few. The tunnels are extremely small and narrow which worked very well for the small-statured Vietnamese, but part of the tour includes crouching down to go through a portion of one tunnel (my claustrophobia kicked in the moment I took one look at the opening and therefore opted out of that experience).
The tour through the jungle to see the Cu Chi Tunnels was also very interesting. These tunnels were an elaborate network designed by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, and were used for various purposes: living quarters, hospital, hiding places, and weapon caches to name a few. The tunnels are extremely small and narrow which worked very well for the small-statured Vietnamese, but part of the tour includes crouching down to go through a portion of one tunnel (my claustrophobia kicked in the moment I took one look at the opening and therefore opted out of that experience).
The all day tour allowed for a lot of time just travelling on the bus, and the views from our window seat were amazing. Many people have small business set up, some as small as just a cart selling some coconut juice or sandwiches. Others have a very small shop where they sell one item - scissors, cloth, hats, and baskets, to name a few. Small cafes dot the landscape, and many include hammocks set up in the shade. This would seem to be a welcome respite from the heat, and certainly necessary for the workers in the fields. Next week we head for Can Tho to explore the Mekong Delta. We have a three-month visa for Vietnam, and my first impressions tell me that we will have plenty to see over the next while.