As many know and I've mentioned a few times there are essentially 2 seasons here in Vietnam, the dry and the wet. There was an adaption of an Eastwood movie here entitled 'The Dry, The Wet, and The Muggy'. That's a (ok, very bad) joke, so all you copyright attorneys can just chillax. The dry season runs from November into April and the wet is the rest. I had envisioned the wet season (mùa mưa) to be a time of ceaseless wind-blown downpours during which one would only dare leave the house wrapped in the standard plastic poncho or risk being drenched to the skin. I had also imagined it to be mostly hot and sticky temperaturewise. On my first trip to Vietnam 2 1/2 years ago I even packed a fairly bulky pair of REI all-weather pants to help ensure my survival through those adverse conditions. I at least learned enough in my 2 previous trips here to leave the rain pants packed away back in the States instead of lugging them around in my pack.
At this point, almost 2 months into the rainy season, I have to say that I rather like it. Yes, there is definitely rain but it seems to be confined to only the afternoons and nights. That leaves the entire morning of each day predictably free of rain. And if that weren't good enough, many days there is little or no rain at all. So you can see it's really not so bad. And seriously, an added benefit of the rainy season is the often cloudy sky which blocks out the searing rays of the tropical sun and some good gusts of wind that combine to knock down the temperatures so that it actually feels cooler than the dry season (mùa khô).
In light of this I've become a bit more of a morning person and try to get any shopping and other errands done in the AM. I find that before I ever venture out in the latter part of the day I first tiptoe out onto my small balcony and check the sky for the dark laden clouds that seem, from no matter which compass point they're spied, to be marching towards Saigon to empty their watery payload.
If you're caught out when the large drops begin to plop you can usually just duck under some awning or other cover and wait maybe 30 minutes for it to clear. Except for the times when it goes on for hours. Oh well, it's only mostly water.
Sooner or later you'll see a Vietnamese man standing out in the rain with a bar of soap taking advantage of the opportunity for a convenient free shower. Shirtless but otherwise clothed, thankfully. At least I haven't had to bear witness yet to the au natural version. Let it rain.
A neighbor defiantly flies a kite against the leaden sky heralding rain (and lightning!).
Tracy Nguyen is the best landlord ever! She left this delicious tiramisu cake in my refrigerator on my birthday. She usually writes my name as 'Mr. Christ'. I guess I must have done something wrong.
Me with my trusty Honda Cub silhouetted against the small but growing Saigon skyline. This is an area of district 2 that is poised for a lot of development. Nearby is a bridge under construction that will connect to district 1.
Me with my trusty Honda Cub silhouetted against the small but growing Saigon skyline. This is an area of district 2 that is poised for a lot of development. Nearby is a bridge under construction that will connect to district 1.