Dankblog: Vietnam #1
Dänk 1010011010
also known as Saigon.
This is my first trip to Asia, and this has got to me the most
incredible experience of my life.
It seems impossible to describe Vietnam in words, you just have to
experience it firsthand. It is absolutely surreal, a non-stop barrage
of sights, sounds, smells, and more.
There are no traffic signals or stop signs in Vietnam, and the roads
are filled with millions of scooters, all sharing the road with cars,
trucks, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. Since traffic never stops,
crossing the street is a near-death experience. The trick is to cross
at a steady pace, and the scooters swerve around you.
For a Communist country, the Vietnamese people are the ultimate
capitalists. Everyone is selling something. Every vehicle -
including scooters - doubles as a taxi. And at night, the streets are
crawling with women offering 'massages.' I haven't taken them up on
their offers yet, but I heard the going rate is eight dollah per hour
or sucky-sucky for five dollah.
So far I haven't tried too many local foods, but one thing I like is
coconut water. The coconuts have been husked and shaped like a
bullet, and the vendor chops a hole in the top and sticks a straw in
there, and it only costs 10,000 dong (about US$1). I love Indian
food, and there are four or five Indian restaurants near my hotel, and
you can also find Thai, Japanese, Italian, and even Turkish kebabs.
The weather is hot and humid, but not unbearable. Fortunately, the
rainy season ended last month. I wouldn't describe it as 'sunny,'
since the smog renders the sun invisible. Saigon is definitely not
for people with respiratory problems, and many locals wear masks,
especially in traffic.
The Vietnamese people are extremely friendly, perhaps even a bit too
affectionate for some Westerners. Complete strangers will ask you
where you're from, and then invite you back to their home to meet
their family.
I highly recommend Vietnam as a tourist destination, especially if
you're on a budget. In a country where the average wage is $100/
month, even the poorest American backpacker is treated like a king.