Wednesday, August 5, 2009

November 26, 2006 - Travel Update 10 - VietNam

Hello folks, another VERY hot day here in Saigon. Bright and early this morning I swear it was close to 100 degrees, thankfully the humidity was relatively low this morning. I started with a nice warm shower thanks to me making a midnight move to another hotel. The first one I was at was ok but it just had a fan and I could not take it anymore. I met a travel agent while out drinking last night and he found a very nice place in a great location. It works for me. Clean, cool , and in a good location.
I met up with a local guy here for a tour of the major sites of the city. We spent the morning walking the city seeing things as varied as the opera house and the cityhall. and of course the reunification palace. I did not go into any of them yet but I may do that tomorrow.
It is around 6 pm here now and the sun is down. The temperature is much more manageable and comfortable from my perspective. I do not like being out in the middle of the day...I have enough of a sun tan at this point. The heat is sapping all of my energy. I guess a nice cold beer might help lift my energy level. If not.....what the hell...I tried.
Even though today is Sunday you would never know it. The traffic seems like it is any regular day after work for most people. Hoards of motor bikes are linning the streets. I will have some good pictures of that for you all to see. I just have never seen anything like it before. I have gotten a bit bolder in my efforts to cross the streets here. I have not gotten my toes run over and no one has left tire marks on my back....I am keeping my fingers crossed that it does not happen.
I hasve a few conversations about my observations about black folks here. I have gotten mixed messages from them but it appears that there is a large population of Liberian men here who either marry or partner with vietnamnese women. From what a few people have said, few of them are actually working themselves but instead live off of the women here. Others have said that there is a big Jamaician population here playing soccer.
Who knows but again this is just an observation I have been making. I do continue to have folks stare at me because there are very few folks of color here in general. This is not something unique to Vietnam but i am not going to attempt a history lesson relative to the migration of various peoples. Read it in a book.
As I said before i am getting a bit tired. I think the heat has something to do with it. Being out and about for so long is taking it toll on me....A little less than a week and i will be back at the old homestead bundled up for the winter weather. Before that time, however, stay tuned for some more exciting times....I am not done yet!!!
Catch you all later....I am off again.
Your favorite traveller.
Craig

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