Another transit day yesterday from Hoi An to Ho Chi Min City.  (I was going to write ‘formerly Saigon’ but that’s not true. The names are interchangeable and both are commonly used). 

Ho Chi Min City is very different to Hanoi. Hanoi has a thousand years oc history, with narrow streets and the atmosphere of a huge bustling market.

Ho Chi Min on the other hand, is only two hundred years old and it’s an ultra modern western city. You could be in any major capital with malls, car showrooms, lots of glitz and, surprisingly, many stores already decked out for Christmas. Ho Ho Ho.

We quickly checked into the hotel and then it was time to die. Probably.

Ho Chi Min might be more modern than Hanoi but the traffic if anything is even more insane. And we’d booked to do an evening food tour – on the back of Vespas!

It took ten minutes to sign the disclaimers : If they crash, it’s our fault, if we die, it’s our fault, if the drivers are negligent in any way whatsoever, even if they drive us deliberately through a burning bus into shark infested water – you’ve guessed it – it’s our fault.

Then we were off, swarming around cars and pedestrians through the streets of Ho Chi Min along with the hundreds of other scooters, clinging on for dear life.

For about two minutes. 

We quickly realised that it may look like a free for all mayhem when actually, it’s a free for all all mayhem.

However, then we realised it was great fun as they’re all actually great drivers. 

I think there’s just three rules in their Highway Code.

1. Never stop
2. Never look sideways or behind
3. Don’t crash.

It’s so much simpler than our Highway Code and it works so much better. No blocks, no jams, no accidents. Just keep going, as quickly as possible, on any side of the road, in any direction, even on the pavement, until you arrive at your destination. 

The first stop was at a bar where we had a beer, then another bar – Lychee martinis, then another – Singapore sling,

…..after which we didn’t really care anymore 🥴. 

Then onto the local street food stalls. There really no point eating at fancy shmancy restaurants here when the street food is so good. 

One stall, an outdoor pancake house (that you’d take one look at and steer clear of in Europe), was in the Michelin guide and deservedly so. Fresh rice pancakes (rice flour water & turmeric) filled with beanspouts and other fresh vegetables, rolled in fresh herbs and dipped in the local sauce doesn’t sound anything special but it was. 

A few more tadty courses at more food stalls…

….then on to a couple more bars with local singers who would all be in with shout of winning Vietnam’s got talent, and then back on the scooters for the last time. 

It was so much fun we didn’t want the night to end but we returned to our hotel and Brigitte immediately started googling ‘Vespas for sale’ back home.

Strange things:

Going to bed, bug day of yours tomorrow..

Oh, and don’t forget to vote on the fruit quiz, it’s on yesterdays blog, results tomorrow!

Ho Ch Min City – 21st November 2024