After being here for more than a month, I've had some pretty tame stories compared to what's gone down in HCM City (Saigon) over the past 2 days. This is definitely not something I have done ever in my entire life. Even as I flew above Saigon, the first things I noticed were that 1) There was no green space 2) Everything was sprawled out instead of the typical piling of buildings we see in HK. Guess this is a strange observation considering that I'm from Calgary, the most city sprawl in N. America. Also, we were guessing that the airport for HCM was an old military base since there were troughs and structures that could have housed fighter jets.
Two initial things to note about this city:
1) The traffic is unbelievable and what they say about the terrible traffic here is true. If you do not walk right into the traffic, you will not get anywhere. You have to start not being scared of the countless scooters and cars that drive right up against you. The first time i tried to cross the street i thought my heart would stop. We typically hold hands to cross the street... it's a team effort :P However, I must give drivers credit that they are pretty good. You don't see accidents very often and they only drive 20-30km/hr.
2) The food is OMFG so good and cheap. Everything completely fits my taste in food (it tastes exactly like my aunt's cooking) and it's so fresh. I've had enough fresh fruit juice and coconut juice to last for the next 2 months. We also had this amazing buffet for 15USD today at a 5 star hotel. I have never seen this type of service or eating food like this before. There was pho made in front of you, prime rib, fresh seafood broiled right there... I think i gained 5 lbs from that meal.
To the more cultured part, we went to visit the War Remenants Museum which shows exhibits from the Vietnam war. I never really knew that much about the war to begin with other than Forrest Gump went to fight in it and the US went into a war that they weren't a part of to begin with. Anyways, there was this part that really got to me about "Agent Orange" where they used chemical warfare to prove their point on Vietnam. I could not believe that a country could even then about doing that to an entire population. This not only affects their livelihood but also generations to come. It led to severe deformation including body, facial and pregnancy issues. It makes you think about what it's all about. The fact that we as the "civilized west" believe that we have the power to interfere in the affairs of others when it could completely destroy a country. It has been almost 50 years and the state of Vietnam as a developing country is still clearly evident. I know that the museum is biased since it is based in HCM but the reasons for going into the war sound very similar to what's going on in the War Against Terror.
Anyways, I will write soon about Cambodia. I'm sure it will be an eye opening experience... even from my Lonely Planet, it looks absolutely fascinating.
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