VORTICAL VIETNAM

Since it has taken months to post the pictures and comments from Vietnam I fear it may be a loooooong time before posting again as we have fallen into the comforts of live back in Canada now.

We landed in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and spent a few nights in what we thought was Saigon's version of Koh San Road in Bangkok. Cheap rooms, cheap food, thumpin' nightlife nearby and a stupid amount of backpackers. We found Saigon to be an easy place to get lost in and an easier place to get WRONG directions from well-meaning pedestrians.

One evening we ended up at this local market.The Butcher stall The Booze StallThe Booze stall (weird ... daja vu).The Smoke stall.And the Book stall.

Now if you really want to press you luck try renting a motorcycle in Siagon.

And scrap your way through the hoards of other bikes... ...and bikes with too much stuff piled on them... ...and too many people piled on them......and streets with too many people and bikes piled into them......and streets with too many wires hanging over them......and speaking of wires, holy Toledo, can you imagine this guy's job

"Okay Albert, this lady says her phone makes a crackling sound, I'll check the phone in her house and you have to find her line on the post outside and check to make sure it's in good condition"

..talk about finding a needle in a haystack.

Like most places in South-East Asia people are always trying to sell you something like a wallet...

This lady was selling lighters and smokesYesterday's newspaper...Corn on the Cob -> street-style...A book or two or ... 46

Stuff To Do In Saigon

Play games in the middle of the road

Drink CoffeeTake a Vietnamese rickshawSweat until ALL your clothes are completely saturated including the cloths you accidental looked at the wrong way.Take walks in the parkDrink more coffee! Honestly I don't think I've ever tasted coffee like Vietnamese coffee. I loved it and it was cheap and everywhere. It could also be the whole process that goes into your Vietnamese Coffee Experience. It is not unlike the process of prepare AbsintheClassic shot of three traditionally dressed Vietnamese women. This young girl was about twelve years old and riding home from school

HIT THE ROAD JACK

So after a few nights in the city we decided to find our way to the beach town of Mui Ne.We hopped on a bus at the crack of dawn and were lucky enough to pay an extra dollar each to have these sleepers for 6 hours, which was much nicer than the typical uncomfortable, springs poking your arse seats. At the one reststop on the way we were offered pickled snakes but refused because of Jenn's vegetarianism. We decided to eat the geese and their young gooslings instead (just joking for any of you out there that don't know Jenn is a vegetarian because of her love of animals)