VietNam....again

Arrived in HCMC after being up for 36 hours to be met by 33 C heat. The one thing I forgot to pack? A black belt. What do you think the odds of me finding one that fits here? Not great I’m betting. Perhaps they could staple two together? A tailored belt perhaps?

7th trip now to Viet Nam. Traffic is still the same – awe inspiring. Sidewalks are two lane roads for motorbikes. You can drive a motor bike and text on your cell, while weaving through oncoming traffic and pedestrians. Nobody in traffic yields. Chaos that sort of works in a way that’s unfamiliar in the West.

This picture is from my first trip to VietNam in late 2005, and shows what you find in every meeting room or classroom – national and party symbols, patriotic slogan in red, and a bust of Ho Chi Minh. I’m the tall one beside the police general. Oh, and a banner (blue) identifying the event.

Too tired to go out in the evening so far, so I sit in my room surfing the web trying to stay awake to 9:00 PM before crashing for the night. Came across a great local Blog by a Vietnamese/American living here in HCMC. Check http://www.saigonblues.com/