Perhaps the biggest thrill Pam and I have had in Saigon is the simple task of crossing the street. As this video shows, you have to place your trust (and your life) in the hands of the scooter riders--the mass of motorbikes is something to see (the days of bicycles are long gone). You can't call us chickens, even though we did cross the street just to "get to the other side."
We are having a wonderful time, part of a big family gathering for the wedding of our friends Lynda and Paul (last night's big multicourse dinner sat 24 people--most of them Lynda's relatives from Phan Rang). We've been wandering the markets, eating pho, and sweating bullets, though some low clouds have kept the blistering sun somewhat at bay. Yesterday, while the two of us were having lunch at a local open-air hangout, a man sat at our table, introduced himself as a "Communist party member" and offered his opinion that the U.S. and Vietnam must work together against China, that Vietnam should work on human rights with the U.S.'s help, and, again, that Vietnam needs the U.S. to stop China. I guess a lot has changed since the days of "re-education" camps.
The Ben Thanh Market, a block from our hotel in Saigon's District 1. If you can't find it here, you don't need it (and eveyone needs cheap knock-offs of North Face bags, Nike shoes, etc., etc.)
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