City Scape Saigon - in 37 photos - part 1

I'm often asked what sights are not to be missed in Saigon - my reply is always the same "just hang out on a corner or take walk and take in the sights and sounds of the city ".   Hope this comes across in my photos.

                                             
                                                    Thanks for stopping by................Doug

The new Saigon built tooth, Vu Thi Thanh Tuyen, DDS installed.

Before

Anyone who knows me knew my old tooth, built in Cebu about 6 years ago.  It was held in place by a metal clip that clamped around a back tooth and was easily taken out or pushed back in place. When in place the man made tooth looked natural enough. However, I enjoyed the look on peoples faces when I would take it out and put it back in, I broke the first factory built one while eating so I always took the Philipino one out of my mouth and put in my shirt pocket when I ate. Just for reference this is a great way to impress women - take your tooth out when you sit down to eat.

After

Anyway, after all this time of playing with my tooth  I finely lost it.   Best guess is that I left it in a shirt pocket and the laundry ate it.  So with a rather large gap in my front teeth I needed a new tooth stat, meaning really fast. Also my budget was very limited and so it had to be inexpensive. So what is a guy to do?

Contact Dr. Tuyen of the Golden Smile Dental Office and she had me in straight away, took an impression, made a color match of the off white of my other teeth.  A day later I came back for a fitting and a half hour later took my new tooth  home.  The new one is all plastic and firmly snaps in place, doesn't depend on other teeth to stay put, fits so well eating is easy but I still like to take it out, a guy has to have fun.

The cost for all this was easily fit into my budget.

You can contact Dr. Tuyen at: Golden Smile Dental Office in Saigon's Tan Bin District, 123/19 Nghia Phat, ward 6  phone: 0903 014 680
tuyen.vu.thi.thanh@clinics.whatclinic.com

Busing it to Can Tho and the floating markets of Cai Rang and Phong Dien

The Mekong region of Vietnam is the market basket of the nation. Not only does it produce most of the rice fueling the Vietnamese people but is ranked number 5 out of the top 10 rice producing

nations. However, rice is not it's only agricultural product, climate and the nutrients of the Mekong's soil offer up a plentiful amount and selection of fruits and vegetables of world class quality and it's hard working and clever workers have created an ever expanding manufacturing base.

Can Thao is Vietnam's fifth largest city (1.5 million as off 2012), along with being the region's largest city and the center of commerce in the Mekong.   Also a good place to take a peak at what is reminiscent of old school Vietnam, the floating markets of Cai Rang and  Phong Dien. As roads improve some of these markets are fading but as of now these two are vibrant.

If you swing through Pham Ngu Lao backpackers area you'll find many tour companies offering tours down into the

Mekong.  Normally the ones that do the floating markets are an overnight trek by bus, stopping at small interesting Mekong cities like Cai be and Vinh Long. Culminating with an overnight stay in Can Tho. These two day tours are

inexpeancive can be a mindless experience as you trug the well worn tourist trail as you are herded on and off a tour bus.  All for about 500,000 dong, about $25.00 US, including overnight lodging. So if your into cheap and mindless adventures with complete strangers, these tours will be perfect for you.

Don't buy a ticket at this counter, look
for a big bus.  This are mini buses,
crowded and uncomfortable.

 Howevier, if your up for a little adventure, book your hotel over the Internet, board a public bus and head out to Can Tho, once their you can wonder down to the river front, Ninh Kieu quay and make your own arrangements for the next days boat trip to the floating markets. 

Phuong Trang has frequent express buses departing from the Mien Tay bus station in Saigon's district 6 or private trerminal on Le Hong Phong street in district 10 and take one of their shuttle's to the Western Bus Station (Mien Tay bus station). No need to purchase a ticket in advance at a cost of 125,000 dong for the 3 1/2 - 4 hour bus ride with a half hour stop midway or their a bouts, just get to the bus station.  Note: no restroom on the bus. 

Vui - boat-woman 

A guide and boat (package deal and can't get one with out the other) which leaves at the ungodly hour of 5:15 am for the markets. This is a morning thing and you want to arrive before the big tourist boats show up. Also, more importantly 5:15 is when the boat operators want to leave, which all seem to be women, actually everything seems to be done by women here. My ex wife was early raiser too. To do both market's it's a 6 hour deal at a cost of about 700,000 dong. I've used Vui, that's her in the photo, 01214264381 and I like her but once you are by the quay many will approach you about a trip and probably about the same drill but Vui is so cute and sweet. Remember, their are no set fees, so nail down a price and agree on everything before pushing off.  

So in the morning of day one you bus down, check into your hotel, get the lay of the land. The market, river front,

the statue of Ho, maybe a hour boat ride cruising the river and some of the back water canals or just wondering aimlessly, which is one of my strong points .  You should have booked or looking for a hotel close to Ninh Kieu quay, with in sight of the giant statue of Ho Chi Minh so you can easily walk to your boat in the dark on day two. Your boat operator will be patrolling the area looking for you, so don't worry about finding her.  If you didn't organize your boat in advance, not a problem, you'll be inundated by boat-women.  

A room goes for anything from $10.00 to $100.00 plus a nigh and if not booked in advance it shouldn't be a problem finding a spot. 

You can be back in Saigon by 6:00 on day two if you want too.     Anyway, enjoy "cause you the man" doing it your way.

Thanks for stopping by -  Doug

How to kill a Frog - Can Tho Market, Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Not my footage, I pulled it off of You Tube.  So errors like the spelling of Can Tho, bellow as Can Thao is not me.

The demise of this frog is pretty grisly and graphic.   Yes, I know the meat I eat comes from living beings that have to die to fill my needs but................ Anyway take a look.  

motorbike way - Saigon

bikes and a street side food vendor

yup, riding on the side walk

Looking through some of my older stuff on vietnam-now.com  and found this piece on motorbike traffic and though you might enjoy it.  Think it was written  about 10 years ago but traffic hasn't changed all that much, other than we have much more, traffic that is. About twice the  number of motorbikes and what  really complicates things the is the increase in the number of cars trucks and buses.     
         click -  The Motorbike Way


Side bar: In 2011 3.671 motorbikes were registered in Vietnam - compared to 2012 at 3.282 million, and 2013 at 3.272 million. So the numbers of registered motorbikes are declining but still is one hell of a lot of motorbikes and on the horizon auto sales are set to pick up..  All this on unimproved roads originally built for bicycles and ox carts. 

com-by-ya moment in Paris - Doug thinks

Julien Warnand/EPA/Landov

The com-by-ya moment in Paris last week which was attended by many world leaders to show solidarity for freedom of speech and denounce terrorist acts was more form than substance. President Obama took a lot of heat for his administrations lack of participation but I'm thinking he saw it as it for what it was, a giant photo op and he keep us above that.

Blogger Daniel Wickham a student a the London School of Economics documented the realities of some leaders attending based on their records of these things at home. I'm sure you will agree this is not a group the president of the free world would want to hang with.

• Nigeria - President Goodluck Johnathan -  Who in his own country turns a blind toward the atrocities of the Muslim group Boko Haram.  Oh ya and how about the 200 school girls who went missing last spring, he is still looking into that.
• Saudi Arabia - Where a blogger has just be sent to prison for 10 years, fined the equivalent of 266,000 US and the worst part is the 50 lashes he will receive every Friday for the next 19 weeks. All for criticizing religious teaching of Celtics from the little know Islamic sect Wahhabism. 
• Turkey - Prime Minister Ahmet Davatoglw  - Presently holding the record for the most number 40, journalists jailed.
• Egypt - Meanwhile President  Abdel Fattah-Sissi  put to use novel way to cut campaign costs, jail the competition - jailing thousands. 
• Russia - Where journalism is considered a high risk occupation and dissidents are regularly jailed .

I'm in HCM City so I really can't give a first hand account of the event but only what I've gleamed from publications and the internet.  I've picked up on Vietnam's low keyed comments that they feel the world should adapt to our modern age and control free speech.  So incidents like the killings at  "Charlie Hebdo" wouldn't happen. 

The French are famous for flash but not for much dash regarding leadership in the solving international events.  So kudos to Barack for keeping the USA above the goofiness. Oh ya and John Stewart go do it to your self..    

Passing of a friend and old Asian hand like me - William (Bill) Henneberry

Bill in Saigon - about a week ago.

A hard week in Saigon - feeling alone and old..  Things just weren't clicking for me, than heard about the possibility my friend Bill had passed away in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  After a few days of fumbling around, got my nerve up and contacted the US Embassy in Phnom Penh for confirmation. Hard call for me as his passing wasn't the real deal until I made the call for conformation.  A staff member mater-o-factually told me the authorities found him in a hotel room on the fifth of this month (January) and that Bill had died of cardiac arrest.

Always, the first week or so here is a readjustment in how my life is but this time it's went on for a month and now with Bill's passing, who knows.  Now I'm even considering heading back to the states as so far all I've managed to do is spend more money than I have, try to sleep on a bed that is lumpier than my 40 year old mattress back in California and drink to much, but I can do that anywhere.

Bill was a very interesting guy, merchant seaman, lawyer, writer and on his own a world traveler. Always, seeking new opportunities - in the last few years specializing in representing people with marijuana possession charges.  Learned about this first hand as my trooper and I ferried Bill and his clients around, also did airport runs and what ever was needed when he was away.  

His latest endeavor was establishing a goat farm in Oklahoma with

Puerto Rico

his nephew Sean Oni Raer, not sure how that will work out now.   Along with that he maintained a sail boat in Puerto Rico he used mostly as a floating condo. 

Bill also possessed a very personal travel philosophy, book a flight to a far off, mostly third world type country, land and take a walk around, grab an inexpensive room, settle in the room and read a book,  Not to think he was a nerd, he said before the week he came to visit me he had created an inexpensive special relationship twice. 

Bill we will miss you, the mornings at McDonald's discussing world politics, our mutual love of the sea and boats, hanging out together and arguing about the life we live, trading books and the quick meet ups in the parking lot, Bill was also my neighbor and always encouraging my writings and my biggest supporter.   

Then it was Vietnam - part 5 - Same, same but different

Get your motorbike running 

As lives do, mine did stabilize, but the Vietnam experience stuck with me.  That is the reason why some 35 years after my return from Vietnam I found myself thinking about revisiting. Since then I've made numerous trips back and once again arriving with my butt jammed into one of those ever shrinking seats in the economy class section of Cathay Pacific. We are arriving at Ton San Nhut, no longer a key US Airbase but now one of the two international

Saigon at night  -  by Nguyệt Cát

airports in Vietnam.  As a US Airbase it was on the edge of Saigon but now the ever expanding Saigon has grown around it.  As our plane taxi es up to the  terminal,  I watch through my window as the few remaining remnants of what was Ton San Nhut Airbase slide past.

"Damn", I think to myself,  all these years when so much has changed and still so much seems the same - "same same but different"

On my first trip back, taxing in was really eerie as the terminal had the outward appearance of base ops of the 60's where my first Vietnam experience began. Since 1999 it went through several upgrades and then a few years ago a new modern terminal was erected. Through the entry drill has remained pretty much the same.

On arrival our flock deplanes, guided by strategically stationed, cute ao dai clad attendants, directing us towards customs and immigration's.  We queue up at immigration's to have our visa's checked and have our entry stamped in our passports. Nowadays this is a quick and painless process, gone are the days of those little slips of paper they called entry permits and wondering if you need to slip a fiver in your passport to speed up your entry process.   Still immigration officers in general are a grim bunch but guess it's part of the job. Though an exception to this was the immigration officer in Singapore who noted I wasn't feeling well, offered up a smile and a cherry sucker.

Head to the luggage carousel, grab a cart and wait for my bags to show up. Load my bags onto the cart and head to customs.  At customs you pull your bags off and send them through the x ray

tunnel, really not sure what that is all about as you only have to send through the big bags and they don't really look at the x ray screen.  Maybe they just want to see you struggle with your bags. Anyway, nothing to declare and my luggage passed the x ray test, so once again I'm officially in Vietnam.  

Bags in hand I look around the terminal, seeing a few currency exchange outfits, some travel operators but as usual the terminal seems strangely vacant. That is until you peer out the exit door of the terminal lobby, looking past the security and the vacant rectangular shaped patch of side walk to see a wall of people.  You work your way through the wall which is a mix of relatives, friends of folks arriving, taxi cab and motorbike types, hotel and guest house drivers flashing cards with their new guests names drawn out in magic marker and of course their are always those enterprising gents who are probably in search of a expeditious way to increase their fortunes. For some unknown reason, anyway to me, people aren't allowed into the terminal to wait for arriving flights.

I work my way through the mass of folks out to the taxi queue.   Taxi queue, in the past it was up to you not to get ripped off and conversations such as "Yes, I know you have a meter but what do you think it will cost" were common conversations as arriving passengers tried to waylay creative long expensive rides to the city center.  

We leave the airport and enter the traffic filled road taking us into city center district 1.  Motorbike traffic in Saigon is legendary and that was when motorbikes were expensive and now a mass of cheap Chinese bikes are available, population was less back then and added to this now you have a tremendous increase in the number of cars on the road which makes traffic a bigger mess then ever. Looking out my window past the congestion of motorbikes, cars, taxi's, buses and trucks and still a random push cart or bicycle I see newly built, modern looking buildings but still much of the old Vietnam shows through.  As one of my friends shared with me "after 24 years of living here, they can make as many physical changes as the want but the Vietnamese people are the same and because of this I stay". 

So, without putting much strain on my brain, even with all the changes, vestiges of pre 1975 Vietnam slip out of my memory and another times comes flowing back...   

                                 "Same, same but different"