Saigon to Cambodia

We finally arrived in Saigon late on Friday night. Our hotel was easy enough to find, though down a narrow alley. Saigon is a beautiful city. As Tet begins tomorrow, the city was in preparation for the biggest celebration of the year. Flower markets were popping up just about everywhere, while trucks with crews of men worked to put up lights, streamers and flags along all the city's major scenic streets. It's a very clean city and people take a lot of pride in that.


Flower market by our hotel

The motorbike-crazed culture took a bit of adjusting. Apparently, the best way to cross the street is simply to put your head down and walk at a steady pace. Traffic here is organic, and never stops. Like a well organized ant colony, everyone works their way around everyone else, with seemingly little effort, though I find it a bit unnerving. Failing the guts to cross at times, a kind Vietnamese will take us across with them.

We walked around a lot, visiting the zoo and botanical gardens (Bonsai and Orchid heaven... though the zoo should be shut down). We visited the Jade Emperor Pagoda and walked all around the French quarter. It is very hot though and by about 11am it is hard to be outside walking for long. We take frequent afternoon breaks. The food is good and fresh. The coffee is wonderfully strong and the beers are generally cheap.

World's saddest Orangutan


Strange Topiary

In general, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) was a pleasant place, though the seedy side did seep through. From blatant prostitution provided for the Western male tourist to the occasional scam (first one's free, second costs 3X the price; an intricate billing system that makes your head spin so you just put down cash and say f%#* it)... Then again, we're less than a week in and have a lot to learn still so sometimes we will be taken.



Ho Chi Minh City streets

We left Vietnam yesterday, after only 4 days, to avoid Tet where prices soar and transport becomes scarce over the Holiday. We arrived in Cambodia and took the bus straight across to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat, which we will begin touring tomorrow. Cambodia is a bit more decrepit that Vietnam. The roads are noticeably more crumbling, garbage disposal borders on the Indian system (toss anywhere or burn), and the people seem more impoverished, but we still have much to see.

I'll post more interesting pictures once we see the temples of Angkor...