First Sai Gon Blog

These are the first words I ever blogged! Now these are not, but those were. So, that's out of the way.

I'm on my 5th day here in Vietnam. I actually spent 2 days in the Mekong delta area, so it hasn't all been in Sai Gon. I've yet to see a drop of rain. Yet another myth propagated by the locals to keep people away! Just like the 'earthquakes' (ha, that's good one!) in California and the 'terrorists' in the Middle East. Well, actually it's the start of the dry season here and that's why I chose this time to be here. As described so well in the movie 'Forest Gump', there are 2 seasons here. One's dry and the other is not. It should stay fairly dry here until April or May.

There are many differences of course between here and the States. 2 I've quickly noticed are the low number of street people and the rarity of sirens, even in downtown Sai Gon. I've heard sirens maybe 5 times in the 5 days I've been here. That would take 5 minutes in most US cities. Family ties here are very strong (most live with their parents until they marry, men and women), so unless someone has no family members left, they will most likely never be homeless.

Synonymous with Sai Gon (and Ha Noi) is the constant river of scooters that buzz through the streets 24/7. Many of the intersections are uncontrolled, except by the drivers that move through them. But it works amazingly well. I've seen no accidents or even any contact. This in what should be a dangerous mix of scooters, cars, trucks, buses, cyclos (3 wheeled bikes) and pedestrians. Also, it's apparently OK to ride your scooter up the wrong side of the street, or in certain circumstances, on the sidewalk! Vietnamese have their own style of freedom.

My most memorable experience so far happened as I was walking down some nameless street somewhere in Sai Gon and passed by a group of old men enjoying 'bia hoi' (home brewed beer) out on the sidewalk at about 10:30 AM. Seeing me, they shouted and gestured and pointed to me and then the glass. Limited as my Vietnamese is, I got the message. One shot of bia hoi amidst shouts of approval and laughs later, I continued on my way. Yes, it was good beer.

Here are some pics:








This is a busy intersection in the city of Soc Trang in the Mekong Delta area.











Part of the floating market in the Mekong Delta area. Merchants hoist their wares up on the post to show what they have for sale.















A house along the river in the Mekong Delta area. I wonder who their flood insurance provider is?










Fisherman lift their net so our tourist boat can pass under in the Mekong Delta backwaters.















This is a real lotus blossom!













Dry ground is at a premium in the Mekong Delta region, so if you've lived a good life maybe you'll spend eternity high and dry in an above-ground tomb. These often occupy the front yards of houses or an island in the middle of a rice paddy.










View out my hotel window on my first morning in Vietnam, in Sai Gon.












A lovely Saturday morning in a Sai Gon park.













Ho Chi Minh Museum in Sai Gon. They had many nice things to say about Americans in the exhibits. I assume they were only joking. Everyone was quite friendly to me, as they've been everywhere I've been in Vietnam.










School kids at the Ho Cho Minh museum. What's with the red uniforms?