Vietnam - strange sights on the streets of Ho Chi Minh

I'm never quite quick enough to take pictures of all the strange sights I see as we drive around Ho Chi Minh City. Here's a shot of two guys walking down the street some ways from any building with wrapped plates of sandwiches over their shoulders. I'd love to hear the story.

Vietnam - dusk comes to Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh city really lights up at night. Few cities use neon so well. Here's a shot of dusk, and a quick shot of the town from the airplane. Flying into town is a beautiful sight at night.

Vietnam - Ben Thanh market

A famous indoor market in Ho Chi Minh City. Neat building, and lots of interesting stuff for sale!

Broken elevator

In Vietnam broken elevators sometimes speak Chinese

Vietnam - French Food

More French food in Ho Chi Minh City - this time breakfast, and nibbly things.

See if you can pick out the Paris style omelet, the eggs benedict in sauce and pastry, and Saigon style eggs benedict.

Just like in the States

Saw this ad at a Vietnamese noodle shop in HCMC.  American beef noodle pho - just like mom used to make!

Vietnamese gum and happy hands

Just 7000 dong - dare I take the plunge?  I did - it's excellent gum!  I should stock up.

I guess 'happy' sells - who wouldn't want happy teeth, and happy hands?

Ho Chi Minh food and drink

A few shots of food and drink of various sorts in Ho Chi Minh City.

Bird's Nest canned drink (economical!), pork (like spam but flavored with citrus and other tasty seasonings) wrapped in banana leaves at the grocery store, some food choices at the grocery store food court, La Rue beer at a restaurant.

Saigon at night

Ho Chi Minh City is quite beautiful at night when it's all lit up, and you can see the boats flashing their way up and down the river. Flying into Ho Chi Minh after dark is breathtaking.

Vietnam - Motorcycle Madness

Ho Chi Minh City has some seriously crazy traffic, and a lot of it is due to the motorcycles which are everywhere.  Combined with everyone's complete disregard for traffic laws (which side of the road one is to drive on, the concept of lanes, stop lights, whether one should drive on the sidewalk or not, whether the right of way goes to who is legally entitled (or whether it goes to whoever is bigger or whoever got there first)), it is truly madness.  

Most of the time I just sit in awe at the spectacle, but I shook myself to my senses last time I was there long enough to take just a couple pictures, which don't really do justice to the insanity.

Vietnamese beer

Tried some Vietnamese beers while in Ho Chi Minh City.  Both were made by the Saigon Beer company.  Yup, it was beer, and it went well on a hot night with Vietnamese food.  At some point I'll have to visit a beer hall in Ho Chi Minh, where they serve (young) beer without preservatives right from the tank.

I was also happy to see much effort being put into getting beer around town.  Great use of a motorcycle.

Vietnamese food

Ho Chi Minh City is a great place to eat.  Lots of pho (noodle soup).  Lots of little nibblies wrapped in rice paper, and pork wrapped in leaves of various sorts.  Oh, and purple potato soup the color of Minnesota Viking jerseys.  Yum.

Good Night Vietnam

Some scenes from Vietnam at night.  Ho Chi Minh City is large and busy, and it's a very interesting place to walk around.  The cathedral is a replica of Notre Dame, and the post office was designed by Eiffel.  Radio towers and post offices - quite an architect, that guy.

According to the hotel policy manual, there are apparently limits to how late things can go in Ho Chi Minh City

Dong

The currency of Vietnam is called the Dong.  I went to Ho Chi Minh City on business in March, and not once did I get tired of puns based on the name of the Vietnamese currency.  I was (and still am) giggling like a schoolgirl.

Here are some pictures of Dong, along with a bit from the hotel policy manual regarding what one can do Vietnamese Dongs.