As I was eating Indian food tonight I wondered if I should blog about Saigon. I unexpectedly LOVE this city but I envisioned writing a play-by-play entry, "First, I went to the War Remnants Museum with a stop at the Ben Thanh market and a nearby park. Next, I ate pho at a Vietnamese restaurant for less than a dollar!" and other happenings that might seem boring to anyone other than me. Besides getting stuck in a foxhole at the Cu Chi Tunnels today (some guy had to pull me out by my armpits-no joke) my time here had been an ordinary Ho Chi Mihn experience.
I walked away from the Indian joint on a street (packed with foreigners and natives alike) thinking I would just post pictures and let the photos do the talking. All of the sudden, approaching me, were a pair of naked breasts. I squinted to be sure it was a woman. The lithe figure had chin-length hair so I thought maybe I was mistaken. Getting closer (the globes simultaneously getting larger) I confirmed it was indeed a woman. All eyes from sidewalk restaurants watched her and the man with a baby that followed closely behind. Disturbed, I kept walking when my eyes locked on a tall, dark-haired guy that looked really familiar. He already passed when I realized we stayed at the same hostel in Taiwan two months ago. We had only met briefly-I had a 24 hour layover in Taipei-so I doubt he remembered me. He had told me in January that he was doing an Around the World Trip so I guess Vietnam was one of his stops.
I had ALMOST recovered from the two previous events when I trepidly crossed the street to buy fruit. I thought that I had mastered crossing the streets here-a challenge with all the motorbikes. I almost made it to the opposite side when BAAM. A bicycle ran into me. I stumbled forward but caught my footing and managed to not eat my teeth. I looked back at a teenaged couple picking up their bike with a huge, flowered basket. We had an audience and they appeared to be unscathed so I walked away quickly.
I wish I could say I was weirded out or upset about the three occurrences but steps away from the fruit stand, I started laughing as I rubbed my arm and leg that had been hit by a bicycle with a flowered basket...in Saigon.
oh those streets are insane! some vietnamese lady once saw me standing frozen at an intersection, trying to muster the courage to cross, and just grabbed my wrist and dragged me. it was great!
ReplyDeleteYeah I had an old man do the same...he kinda stopped traffic for me.
ReplyDeleteIt's cool...I help old people cross the street in the States and old people help me cross the street in Vietnam.