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  Saigon, Vietnam
Tuesday, June 21, 2005

We're in kind of an in-between situation: Appointment in Phnom Penh in a few days and not that much to do in Saigon.

The major tourist attractions in Saigon are the Cu Chi tunnels (I've already crawled into a few VC tunnels in the former days - probably not quite as interesting now with nobody around the bend waiting to kill me), a gun range where tourists can fire automatic weapons for a dollar a round (I've done that tour too, except fired 100s of thousands of rounds - probably not as exciting with nobody shooting back), a museum about all the bad things Americans did (I saw the bad of both sides and believe me, we came in a far distant second, atrocity-wise), or the Ho Chi Minh museum (actually, I wouldn't mind seeing that one). So, bottom line, in Saigon this time around I am taking the correct number of showers (2-3xday), eating like a king (market or street king, that is), taking 1-2 naps/day, reading a little, listening to music (CDs are about $.50-.60 each here), even watching unusual TV, and hanging out on the streets

747

. My big planned adventure for today is walking every small lane running through the next block. Should take about an hour. Here are a few odds and ends ...

Got a tall lemon juice (for about $.50) to drink in Saigon. David says, "That's a good deal, even if it does have ants floating in it."
"Are there ants floating in it?"
"No, just one - but it was probably on the ice."

Almost without exception, wherever we go - among backpackers/travelers - I'm the oldest traveler and David the youngest. There are a few tourists my age, though.

I've been to SE Asia 5 times before. Surprises this time around include:
- Cleaner than before. Really, very few bad smells or things I wish I had not seen.
- Fewer mosquitos - but we are staying in AC rooms this time around - and there are many more budget AC rooms avail.
- Less dangerous, except for PP, which has a distinctly ominous feel - kind of out there on the edge

Bamboo train

.
- The prosperity and friendliness of Vietnam. In the traveler areas, about 60-70% of interactions are about money. Once out of those areas, the "What's your name?" question shifts from intro to selling something to a friendly means of meeting you. Children are wonderful; adults a little guarded (this is a totalitarian state, after all), but ready to interact. Everyone happy to show off their baby - which fits my agenda perfectly. Vietnam is SO MUCH better than I had anticipated.

Traffic in SE Asia

Hong Kong: very controlled and easy to navigate.

Bangkok: it's just plain horrible and the drivers behave abominably - truly an ugly, nasty scene with no redeeming qualities that I could see. Pollution is terrible. Vile in all respects. We saw many cool dude foreigners (so they seemed to think) around KSR who tried to drive a rented moto - in sandals! Not too bright. Pretty bad road wounds legs and shoulders; toes wrecked; lots of leg burns. I was young and goofy once, too, so more power to you guys.

Vietnam: the traffic is intriguing and manageable - though a foreigner would be stretched to try to drive in it

Banana Pancake - Alllright

. Usual speed around 25 mph. Hoi an and Hue less hectic than Saigon - Saigon seems to actually have a few rules. In all cases, the critical thing is that nobody seems to have any ego involved in their driving - like nobody seems to be trying to win. They yield when needed and don't when not. Not once have we seen anyone get angry or aggressive when driving. Oops, now we have - see below.
- When walking across the street, find small opening in 1st lane (no big openings) and walk at steady pace across and through traffic. When reach the middle of the street, look the other way into oncoming traffic and start on over. NEVER hesitate or back up. People are already accomodating the walker and a change in the walker's plans can create confusion.
- Up to five people riding moto; up to three people on bicycle. When two people on bicycle, the person in back often helps peddle. Women passengers ride side saddle or straddle on motos and bikes. Many women driving motos - slightly more sedately than men.
- Bigger vehicle always has the right of way: buses #1, trucks #2, cars #3, motos #4, bikes #6, pedestrians # 7 - EXCEPT, that the larger vehicles seldom really threaten smaller or pedestrians. However, best for me (as a passenger) to not watch. I can't take it.
- People usually, but not always ride on right side of street, except that when turning left on moto or bike, they sometimes turn into the right lane (oncoming traffic) and drive alongside the curb until they can merge across traffic into their lane

David in his favorite pho shop

. When riding a bike, one should not ride all the way next to curb because of these against the grain folk.
- Rather than slow down (or pay a whit of attention to the few traffic lights - exception being in Saigon) when going into an intersection, people just beep and sail on through. People crossing from side just accomodate. We sat for a long time on a corner in Hue watching this and the degree of cooperation and accomodation was marvelous to see.

A few hours after I wrote the preceding, Dave and I were sitting in his favorite pho shop having breakfast when a moto hit a shoeshine guy. The moto driver stopped long enough to curse the shoeshine guy and drove off. Shoeshiner staggers to curb and sits down. A woman from a store, Thuy's on Bui Vien Street, came out and put some salve on the shoeshiner's scrape. A few minutes later she closed her store (Viet version of susto, maybe?). Another shoeshine guy came along and they walked off together.

Later that day I saw the man again and asked him to shine my shoes. Paid double and patted him a little. Still later I was out looking for ways to spend a few hundred thousand dong. Couldn't find any souvenirs and after about 30 minutes ended up at - yep - Thuy's, where I bought some granola bars for the trip and some new deoderant

Fresh vegetables every day

. I asked her about the accident and she told me that the situation was upsetting to her. "Īt make me mad. Everybody (including, I guess, a shoeshine guy) is the just the same." I gave her a blessing and there we were again. Another little grace.

Means of transpo we've used: Plane (747B and Airbus), bus (people's and backpacker), taxi, moto, tuk-tuk, bicycle, xyclo, bamboo train, boat, and walking. Does swimming count?

Food we've had to eat on this trip - yeah, it always does come down to food - and what better place for food than SE Asia?

Everywhere
- Rice, rice and more rice, never a bad serving

Hong Kong

- Macao-style curry in the Macau restaurant in HK - the sweat is just pouring off my head - More! Give me More!
- Indian food in Chungking Mansion, chicken Madras, kofti, mulai, samosas, mango lassi (sorry about spelling)
- Ka Ka Lok egg and ham sandwich for old times sake - Leslie, it is as good as ever
- Breakfast place dim sum (see photo in HK)
- BBQ duck with rice at people's restaurant in northern HK - The Best, and very cheap
- Street satay near Women's Mkt
- Mango drinks on the corner

Bangkok
- Tom kha, coconut milk-based sour spicy Thai soup with chicken or shrimp
- Satay, in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Cambodia - Thai and HK best
- Pad Thai, fried Thai noodles - Khao San Road street pad Thai takes the prize for 20 baht/serving
- Shakes, oh man, mango, banana, pineapple, coconut - everything in any combo and ice cold

On the bus

! Cost around $.50-.60. KSR street guy ties with big market lady and Zoom Cafe in Saigon. Mango drink in HK was good until compared with Thai and VN. White Rose shakes in Battambang excellent.
- Red curry, green curry at family place in Bangkok. Everything was good but it was life-threatening to get there (crossing a HUGE street - yikes!)
- Pad si ew, thick noodles with vegetable fried with oyster sauce

Cambodia (mostly about the White Rose Restaurant in Battambang - Oh Battambang, oh Battambang, I long to see you ...)
- Curry chicken (red) with noodles or same curry with bread at breakfast. Best curry award
- Shakes - they would be good anywhere, and in the context of Cambodia, great
- Fruit plate (we're still at the White Rose), durian, dragon fruit, longan, jackfruit, pineapple, rambutan, banana, apple
- fried rice with lots of ginger
- Banana pancake, ok in Phnom Penh, great in Hoi An
- Omelet with bread
- Amok curry at Two Dragons Guesthouse - fish, nuts, coconut - very good, though a little expensive at $3 USD
- Laarb - Thai salad at Two Dragons, again, good, if a little expensive

Vietnam
- Cafe sua da, french roast coffee slow-dripped onto sweet condensed milk served with ice

Pad Thai

. I'm having about 2/day. Jeff had one and broke into a sweat and hypo-tachycardia. WooHoo!
- Pho, good in Saigon, okay in Hoi An, best at Duy Tan in Dallas, Texas
- Rice plate with Pork, Oh pig, oh pig, what great pig-cooking (charcoal) they do in VN! Best on street in Saigon. Number 1!
- Bun Thit Nuong, charcoal pork on cool noodles with vegetables. Best in big market in Saigon
- Shakes, more shakes - lady in big market in Saigon makes them ice-cold, with mango and yaoert (yogurt) - another Best Award
- Banana pancakes at Thanh Xuan Hotel in Hoi An - The Best, like a giant banana fritter with honey on top
- Indian food in Hoi An at Omar's - prawn korma, salfejez, raita, samosas - David went again and said not as good second time around
- White rose, shrimp in steamed dumpling, specialty of Hoi An
- Cau lau, noodle dish specialty of Hoi An - maso menos
- Fried wonton with vegetables on tiop, another Hoi An specialty, pretty good
- Fried crab, shrimp with lots of garlic - on beach Hoi An - served with lemon juice mixed with lots of black pepper, salt

Restaurant in Hue

. Good, cheap (about $2)
- Train porridge, breakfast is served on the train - rice porridge, with a little meat and some onion - great in the train context
- Toasted ham and cheese sandwich with fries in Hue. Add a Pepsi. Oh yeah
- Shrimp with chilis and lemon grass at the Zoom Cafe in Saigon ($2). Best meal award; good ambience, too.
- Orange soda in down home cafe in Thuy Bo 3 - formerly "Dodge City" Jeff and I sat with an old fighter, I guess VC, since nobody in Thuy Bo was not VC. Good times. Had me many an orange soda in SEA. In Philippines in 1966 we traded ammo for orange sodas and knives. Hmmmm.

Headed back to Phnom Penh tomorrow. Probably out of touch for a few days.

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