Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam
Monday, November 13, 2006
Sitting in the airport waiting on my flight back to Bangkok. Had a great time on the "Road to Angkor" Intrepid Travels Tour! Met some great people that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Had dinner last night in an outdoor restaurant near the central market and enjoyed some more grilled pork over cold vermicelli noodles. Met up with some of my tour mates for drinks at the Aussie bar we dismissed yesterday evening. Played some pool, drank beer and hung out with some locals and some foreigners. Briefly met an Aussie who fought in the Vietnam War and now returns frequently to enjoy the country. Hard to imagine how different it must be now. He was really amazing, great attitude and enjoying life. Moved on to a different bar after than where we danced, drank some more and sang along to the music. Quite a mixed crowd, lots of foreigners and many Vietnamese mingling and dancing. A few 'ladyboys' as well...a fairly common site in Asia.
There's a feeling of freedom and chaos that is really intoxicating here. The city seems to be growing at a huge pace, seemingly moving beyond the struggles of the past...a bit different than Cambodia where it seems that the horrors of the Pol Pot regime are fresher and still unresolved.
