Saigon is by far the most motorcycle-dense city I’ve been to yet. If Taipei can be said to have swarms of scooters, Saigon has the killer bee attack version.
Which is to say, I don’t like the city much, but I’m probably biased because I don’t like the smell of raw exhaust or seeing black when I sneeze. (Same goes for Beijing.)
I only had one day in Saigon itself, but there was enough time to walk to a nearby market, check out some night scenery, and and go down to the river. Really, the main sight was the congested streets, and learning how to navigate them.
It’s very simple. You walk slowly, deliberately, and determinedly forwards, and trust that the scooters will magically part, brake, and swerve around you. Think of swimming through a school of small fish. You’re surrounded and overwhelmed, but nothing ever actually touches you. A little bit of a power trip, actually, crossing the road. A little scary, taking those first steps though.
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| From Vietnam |
The other interesting thing in Saigon was the ubiquity of Christmas decorations. Variations on Santa, lights, and reindeer were in every shop window, and adorning various street corners. Vendors were selling glow sticks, light up headbands, and balloons. It was weird because the locals were all posing to take pictures in front of the shop windows – that was the activity of the weekend, it seemed. Lots of kids were running around with glowing horns on their heads. I can only guess that this might be a more local take on reindeer antlers, but really, who knows?
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| From Vietnam |
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| From Vietnam |
There wasn’t as much street-street food as I’d expected here, much of the food was in small cafes, like Taiwanese å°åƒ type eateries. We did find a woman roasted sheets of thinly sliced banana – a nice cross between fruit leather and banana chips. She utterly ripped us off by charging $.75 for 2 sheets (but it was good!)
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| From Vietnam |
The river itself was a litle disappointing – other than some tourist-targeted boat restaurants, the waterfront was dead quiet.
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| From Vietnam |
We stayed in Saigon one night, and the next night took a train to beachside Nha Trang. It worked out well, I think. The city itself didn’t seem particularly friendly, delicious, or useful as more than a starting point for trips to the Mekong Delta.
