Saigon
Intro - Saigon - Vung Tau - Da Lat - Nha Trang - Road to Ha Long Bay - Ha Long Bay - Ha Noi
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Woman selling bananas on a street
lined with motorcycles |
We got off
to a late start in Garden Grove.
After a long flight, we arrived in Hong Kong. The airport was mostly deserted and was very modern. The tile was so clean, I felt like I could eat off the floor.
After sipping Frappuccino’s and savoring them to the last drop, we boarded the plane to Saigon. When we arrived, we got our boxes from the baggage claim and headed out.
We emerged from the airport and were greeted by over a thousand people waiting for their loved ones. It was a taste of the pace of life we were to encounter for the rest of the trip. The heat and sunny weather was a big difference from the rain we left behind in rainy southern California.
We rode in two vans to an uncle’s 5-story house, staring out the windows the whole way. Each street was a river of people on motorcycles where the only rules were to not kill nor be killed. Everyone honked their horns almost constantly to notify everyone of their presence. It was an awesome experience; one that would be repeated throughout the trip.
We took a walk around the uncle's neighborhood. There were many markets and restaurants. An internet cafe was sprinkled here and there. The sidewalk was being replaced. People stared at us, not being used to westerners in this part of town.
I climbed to the top of the house and looked out over the city, which was another amazing sight. Most homes had water tanks on the top for water pressure and cell phone towers stuck up regularly.
Over the next couple of days in Saigon, we met with some relatives and started to plan the rest of our trip. A cousin led us around the city and we were able to find a pho restaurant that had filtered water. We were happy to have iced coffee and soft drinks and for the rest of the trip we knew what to look for.
While driving around it was not unusual to see a woman walking in the middle of a busy street with a bowl of pho in each hand or 4 people on one motorcycle.
It was a very busy and amazing city.
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The crowded streets |
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The dashboard altar |
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The endless stairs |
Feel free to contact me.
