Saigon, Vietnam
Precise chaos.
Urban beauty.
A jungle within a concrete jungle.
Friendly locals.
Sauna. Not like a sauna. Sauna.
World class coffee. Who adds sweet, rich, caramel-flavored condensed milk to coffee by default? Well, they did in Saigon.
I may refer to Ho Chi Minh City as Saigon for my US-based readers – being originally from New Jersey myself – my age or older. This decently-sized Blogging From Paradise demographic knows where Saigon is but has little idea about HCMC.
Anyway, I wanted to share my first impressions of HCMC since Kelli and I arrived yesterday afternoon.
Precisely Controlled Chaos
Estimates range anywhere from 5 million to 10 million motorbikes whizzing around the streets here but at any rate, you literally cannot run across a street in most spots or you will cause some kind of accident.
The reason?
A living legion of motorbikes cruise down city streets all day long.
For any of you reading these words, it is impossible to visualize an army motorbikes flowing by continually. You and I are largely used to a break in the action from traffic lights or a general ebb and flow of traffic.
But you and I did not grow up in a city with:
- millions of motorbikes
- green lights being a casual suggestion to motorists
- wide streets
How do you cross the street?
Slowly…if you value living.
HCMC, Vietnam
Walking slowly and looking in every direction for motorbikes running red lights, driving the wrong way down streets, cutting by you from sidewalks, and all but falling out of trees, is the way to cross the street.
I am gaining experience – and confidence – with each crossing.
Walk slowly and you will be fine. Motorists are highly skilled here.
Sauna City
HCMH is not like a sauna.
This city is a sauna.
At 9 AM this morning the temperature was 86 but the heat index was 105.
The heat index is forecast to be 112 today.
HCMC is a sauna because the fairly warm temperatures become enhanced by extreme humidity levels fueled by a tropical environment. The South China Sea greatly influences the southern region of Vietnam. Toss in the heat island effect consistent with an urban climate and you will be sweating profusely after walking outside for 3-5 minutes. Note; I am a meteorologist by schooling and love to do the “meteorologist-speak” thing whenever I can.
Drink water by the gallon here.
Consume electrolyte-rich foods like bananas to replenish your fluids.
Urban Beauty
The sections of the city we traveled through are:
- clean
- fairly green
- carefully designed
Green spaces dot the city.
In some cases, mini-jungles seem to pop up within HCMC through public parks.
Huge trees provide a heavy canopy over the street in some areas, blocking motorists from an unrelenting sun.
Clean sidewalks, sharp architecture and a generally orderliness about its design make HCMC quite beautiful to me.
Friendly Locals
Every person we’ve come across has been friendly, helpful and warm.
Even the touts in the backpacker district gave off a friendly vibe amid pushing their wares, bars and restaurants on us.
Service comes with a smile.
The lady who prepped our meals at the restaurant last evening had a 5 minute chat with us when we walked back to the kitchen. We discussed everything from the United States, to her children, to food in the SE Asian region.
This was our experience 11 years ago during trips to Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue, Ninh Binh and Hanoi, too.
Vietnamese people are friendly folks who exude hospitality. You get the general feel that they want to be as helpful as possible which certainly makes a city inviting.
Dog Culture
In our neighborhood I am seeing lots of pet dogs – not too many street dogs – which speaks to a dog culture.
A few found themselves tethered to chains but most roamed free around shops, stores and general places of commerce.
Every dog looked well-fed and seemed friendly enough.
Coffee Town
Vietnamese coffee is world-renowned for good reason.
After enjoying my first cup today I judge it to be one of the finer coffees I’ve enjoyed during my world travels.
The bitter, robust coffee bean grown here seems tempered beautifully with caramel-flavored condensed milk. No sugar needed.
Conclusion
There you have it, folks.
Keep an eye out for more blogging-themed and travel-themed posts on Blogging From Paradise Dot Com.
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