Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon

We have been here for a few days, just long enough to get a feel for the place. Must be time to leave!

The thing that really hits you first is the traffic. It really is crazed. From what we can see there are about 10 or 15 motorbikes for every car. Crossing the street is exciting each and every time! In talking to our local motorbike taxi driver (yes, we got on the back of one to head to Chinatown), he explained that locals can not have more than 120 cc. Police have more. He was most impressed with my 750cc sitting in the garage at home! I think it's a good thing, because the bikes have to be small and maneuverable in order to get through the quagmire called everyday traffic. Helmets have, within the last 5 months, become mandatory, although you will still see many children and babies without them of course.

And what an assortment of helmets are available for purchase! Hello kitty, Bad Bats Maru, bumble bees, camo, flowers....you name it, you can get it!

The food is living up to its reputation. Delicious, flavourful and very fresh. There are markets everywhere - my favorite thing in the world to visit.

Yesterday a.m. we went to the market for breakfast - our first foray into potentially dangerous food. Mark had an omelette of sorts, with prawns served with a side of lettuce and basil. We weren't sure how to eat it until a local showed us to wrap it in the lettuce and dip it in the sauce. Messy, but wonderful. I had noodles with tofu and peanuts with a spring roll. I love breakfasts like this. So much better than toast and eggs!

Did I mention the coffee is great? What's not to like about sweetened condensed milk in your morning cuppa joe?

Understanding the currency is getting easier. There's something about big numbers that make us think that things are expensive. But when there are 16000 dong in 1 dollar, and something costs 20000 - it's really pretty cheap when you do the math. But, dividing by 16000 has never been my strength - "math is hard" like Barbie says. So I try not to do the math and just get a feel for the cost of things. Which, by and large, is pretty darn cheap. 1 kilo of mangosteens (approximately 10 or 12) costs 20000 dong. At home, you can maybe get one mangosteen for that price. Dinner out for two including beer has not yet been over 100,000.

We have also had "sundowners" at the Rex, the Majestic and the Sheraton. Those places are all regular prices - between 7 - 12 USD for a drink. It's pretty great to be sitting after a long day of sightseeing to enjoy a beverage and remember that "hey, we're in Saigon!!" Don't worry, we always have a toast to our friends back home.