Saigon, Vietnam - A City of Extremes

After 2 nights in vibrant congested Saigon (AKA Ho Chi Min City), I'm ready to head off to the slower paced cool highland towns and nearby countryside of Dalat. Saigon has been fun, but harsh and a bit tiring. I'm ready for some nature.

I've decided to take advantage of the open tour busses which allow for one way travel between a constellation of destinations. Vietnam is basically a tall skinny country, so there's a couple stops I have to make despite my lack of interest. The whole journey would take 2-1/2 days, nonstop.

On the agenda is:

Dalat - Cool Central mountain area with lots of lakes, woods, and waterfalls.

Na Trang - The beach party town that I have no interest in.

Hoi An - A coastal riverside colonial town and fishing village. I hear it's a great place to people watch over a croissant and strong coffee.

Hue - It's been strongly recommended by a French Interior designer/ restaurant owner, that lived in Vietnam for 10 years and then Cambodia for the past 3.

Hanoi - (if there's time) This was also recommended by the aforementioned French Man.

I'm about to book my bus ticket tour, and am a bit torn. It seems that the level of service and comfort varies wildly between different legs of the relay of: booking offices, hotel mini busses, and tour busses. After some good and bad experiences on long bus rides, I'd love to find a pattern to insure a better experience. But alas, there's no perfectly reassuring company. There seems to be something off about at all of them... sullen unhelpful staff, significantly incorrect timetables (AM listed as PM!), misleading promotions (some stop overs are actually slow drive-by's or skipped altogether during certain trips), unexplained differences in the length of the "same" trips (some are 3.5 hours as opposed to 6!), etc. Prices vary only slightly and I've often been on busses where people paid different prices.

Following the route of smiles seems as good a method as any. At least if I get ripped off, part of the experience will be pleasant.

My experience of Vietnam so far is that people are either extremely warm and friendly (if shy), or sullen and almost hostile. And these unfriendly folks who are in public service industries!

The children and families selling goods till dawn to tourists in late night backpacker bar areas are a particularly frightening generation. To them, the tourists are walking wallets to extract money from by means of emotional manipulation. Children under 14 wander the streets alone and sometimes have caustic conversations with drunk tourists. They may try to elicit sympathy so you'll buy their gum or cigarettes, but they are are generally a hardened bunch of actors. Sometimes they try to get you to gamble for gum with the scissors paper rock game... of course they cheat and the tourist ends up buying 4 packets. There's usually a small group of older women nearby that might be friends or relatives, but who knows. The kids' style is sort of confrontational, as they sometimes sit in the seats of tourists that have gotten up momentarily to use the toilet and then don't voluntarily relent upon their return. I get the distinct impression that they consider the streets their livingroom, and they are just sort of tolerating visitors since they are a source of income and occasional amusement. They may or may not be selling something at the time. Some kids can be momentarily cajoled into "being kids" as I like to think of them... playing and giggling and relating on a more personal non-commercial level.

I don't blame some of these kids from becoming jaded, considering the tourists they run into. My question is... what are the parents thinking? Sure the kids are more likely to sell stuff, but at what cost to them??? They look healthy and well fed, so I don't believe their so desperate they can't pursue a better lifestyle. There was one buff caucasion guy that looked like a bouncer that was pointed out to me as someone often seen riding around on motorcycles with very young girls. Last night he took a photo of a couple girls around 12 who were lounging back on top of their motor scooter. They were cute, but given the context of this guy's activities, it was a rather unsavory moment. According to one expat that lives in Saigon teaching French, this type of twisted activity seems to be confined to this tourist area of District 1. Thank goodness it's not more widespread.

For me, the best thing about Saigon so far is the cheap good food at the locals hangouts. Some are bonafide cafes, but often they're alley food carts with plastic stools (some only about 8 inches off the ground which force a sort of supported sqwat position that takes a Western person a little getting used to!) A nice asian meal could be had for $.50-1.50. I shared my most extravagent meal with two nice Brittish girls I met on the way to Saigon. It cost me about $12 for very good light French dinner in a swank famous place, including wine and dessert. Afterwards, I savored one nice liquore at a trendy gorgeous bar next door.

The second best thing is the wierd juxtaposition of western classical and torch music (Beso mi Mucho)wafting through distinctly Asian street scenes (cone hats, vegetable and oddity piled motorbikes, and rickshaws).

The third best thing, is the tayloring available. For $40 US, I could get a gorgeous custom fitted traditional Vietnamese tunic and pant set of hand painted blue velvet and chiffon. $100 in Hoi An could get one a custom high quality suit and wardrobe. I'm highly tempted to throw budget to the wind, and get fitted, but I'm trying to keep it all a fantasy for now. I did get another quick drying top for around $6, and they widened the armpit holes for free. With all this sweating and street grime blowing around, I often need to shower and change halfway through the day.

For now, my most ambitious purchase goal is to go to the local outdoor flea market and replace my missing rubber flip flops. My teva-like hiking sandles are hard and uncomfortable, and tend to make my feet puff. I can't see veins, or the bones in my ankles.