Vietnam Dreamin’

I spent a relaxing five days in Saigon, hanging out with some old friends there and just being happy to be off the ship for a bit and not have any teaching responsibilities.  Since I have been to several of the Asian ports on our itinerary, I have planned no major tourist visits for Vietnam, China, or (now, in place of Japan) Taiwan.  So, I got a nice hotel in the Dong Khoi area in central Saigon, ate great food, went shopping, and read newspapers at outdoor cafes.

When my friend, Chau, was not working, we went out and about in Saigon.  There is nothing like enjoying this city from the back of a motorbike!  You notice so much more than you do getting from place to place in the back of a taxi where it is easy to pass the time not paying attention to the sights and the sounds.  But, on the back of a motorbike, you experience this place with all of your senses.  The sights and sounds of the ubiquitous scooters on every street and intersection and the smell of street food and their famous “Pho” soup define the city. 

My favorite coffee shop near my hotel, the Brodard Café, was used extensively in the movie, “The Quiet American”.  It is great to sit in a place like the Brodard on a busy pedestrian promenade and watch the hustle and bustle of this booming place.  The adoption of capitalism here has led to a vastly growing economy and an emerging skyline, but with lots of the old cultural ways maintained.  There are cyclos (a bicycle taxi) on the street, vendors selling loaves of French bread, and locals carrying foods and fruits on a long stick over their backs with a basket on each end.  But, my favorite memory of the Vietnam is the amazing variety of things they will strap to the back of a motorbike and carry from place to place.  I actually bought a picture book depicting some of the funniest of “scooter cargo”, everything from livestock, TV sets, truck tires, to families of five!  I always enjoy this city and would love to come back and spend a few months here!!