We had a very bad taste in our mouths from our bad experience in Cambodia - especially after the airport gave us back counterfeit US currency for change, when we paid their exorbitant departure taxes. Oh, by the way, that same airport was built by a bank. This smacked of government-run money laundering scheme. When we arrived in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) we were bitter, jaded, exhausted, and tired of being bilked. It didn’t help matters that we almost checked into the wrong Riverside Hotel (US $300.00 a night). Luckily they brought our bags over to the cheaper Riverside Hotel around the corner. The room rate was still more than we wanted to pay (US $49.00 a night, after we negotiated a small discount), but we just wanted to crash anyhow and get some rest. I was crabby, and poor Mike was feeling the brunt of it.

After a good night’s rest, we had a fresh perspective. We got up and took a cyclo ride to the backpackers’ end of town in search of cheaper accommodations. Once again, our SE Asia book, The Rough Guide, came through for us. Hotel 127 turned out to be a fantastic place where the food is always free and the staff is always charming. There seemed to be about 4 daughters and maybe a couple cousins, and a mother and maybe an aunt or two. At any rate, they were all lovely ladies and each made us feel like we were part of the family. Each time we came into the lobby we were asked if we’d like some coffee or tea, spring rolls, baguettes, or noodle soup. It was great!

Most of our time in Saigon centered on shopping, because there were some great bargains there. One day we shopped at Ben Thanh Market, which was a large building filled with hundreds of vendors selling everything imaginable. Bargaining is de rigeur. We found that the vendors at this particular market were more aggressive in seeking our business, in fact, they would physically grab my arm and pull me back to their shop if I started walking away. It was loads of fun, especially when Mike had a little Vietnamese lady on each arm pulling him in two different directions. They are very competitive, and the prices reflect this. We bought clothes, embroidered silk bags, sunglasses, postcards and more.

The traffic in Saigon is wonderful and terrifying all at once. Cars are very rare, as are buses. Motorcycles, on the other hand, are a dime a dozen. Crossing the street is treacherous at best, unless you know what you’re doing. At first, we just stood on the sidewalk waiting for a gap to open up so we could cross, but there were no traffic gaps to be found. It was solid motorcycles, scooters, cyclos and bicycles. A cyclo is a type of rickshaw with the passenger in front, facing forward, and the driver behind on a bicycle. Riding in one feels much like being pushed around in a wheel chair, so we felt kind of stupid using them. The best way to cross the street, we found, was to find a local who was about to cross, then follow them across. Once we did this a few times, we noticed that if you maintained a steady pace straight across the street the traffic would pretty much avoid you. Well, except for that one time my food was almost run over - we’re talking millimeters away.

One of the nicest things about Vietnam is the French influence. It can be found in the architecture, language, and even the cuisine. For example, the best baguettes I've ever had were in Saigon - crisp on the outside, light and airy on the inside. You can buy a baguette sandwich at a street vendor for about US 75 cents. Vietnamese expresso is also dynamite, rivaling that of only France or Italy. It's often served with a bit of sweetened condensed milk and some hot water on the side to dilute it a bit -- it's very thick, rich, potent expresso. Other delicious street snacks include fresh fruit, noodle soup, spring rolls, meat skewers, dried fish, and steamed dumplings to name a few.

We found that we loved the hustle-bustle of Saigon, traffic and all. The shopping was great, the street food was tasty, and best of all our guesthouse was fantastic. I can't wait to go back some day.