Saigon!

I checked into a small family hotel, got my room, chilled for a bit and then took to the busy streets of the notorious city. Loads of people, everywhere. So much neon, places to eat, drink and shop. A very cool city, but from first impressions I still prefer Hanoi. The evening was kept short as I needed some recharging!

saigon

A sunny day in saigon! I got up early to check out the sites, first was to be the marklet, get me some Pho (Rice noodle Soup) and just check out the sites a bit. Instead I was intercepted by a cyclo rider. Its kinda like a pram like wheel chair welded to an old city bicycle. I had wanted to try one since I first saw them in vietnam, so I went for it. he was to take me on the city tour! Cool... well, after I realised what I had gotten myself into, I somewhat regretted it. It is so excruciatingly slow! Nice and scenic, but you could walk faster, and if you walk you wouldnt have the continual bumping motion and the stares from all passer byes haha. but hey, I had to try it!

First stop was the american war museum, unfortunately, I had timed my visit together with about 600 toddlers - a school trip. lucky for me Asian kida are pretty disciplined, lining up in grid like formations while being breefed by teachers using megaphones. Interesting.

The museum is a place that can be described in two words. Heavy and Moving. A vast collection of horrific press photos, a recreation of a typical prison, and a host of anti war campaign posters. making you leave with a somewhat uneasy, speechless feeling. especially when my cyclo driver asked me what I thought and then told me he had fought for the South Vietnam over in Hue.

The rest of the ride, still painfully slow took me to the sites of the china town market, a memorial pagoda and a beautiful chinese temple. The trip was over and I was happy to be wandering the streets by foot again!

While wandering around I was approached by a seemingly local guy, we started chatting, and it turned out he was a guitarist at the hard Rock cafe in Kuala lumpur and was in Saigon for his brothers wedding. After an animated chat his wife and him invioted me to join them for lunch at their brothers house. They took me over, we had an excellent malaysian home cooked meal! Content and conversed out they happily took me back to Quarter one, and assured me a free pitcher at the hard rock cafe in KL!

Saigon is an awesome place, I must admit I was there for pretty short, but I was really keen on the Delta!

written by  ourindochina on January 26, 2008 from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
from the travel blog: The Indo China Adventure (incl Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia)
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