Good Evening, Vietnam

So, here I am in Ho Chi Minh City. And what a place it is. I was greeted on arrival with a huge rain storm and lots of humidity. It's been raining here a lot, and will continue to do so for a while.

My friend Steven came to the airport to collect me. And I am glad he did. I was quite the 'target' once I exited the airport terminal. Taxi hawkers. Ugh. Steven helped me find a hotel in HCMC. There are LOTS of hotels here, and I don't really know the city well enough to know where to book. I will explore the city a bit tomorrow.

Motorcycles rule the roads here. 90% of the vehicles here are motorikes or scooters. And they are everywhere. Some hold 3 or 4 people, and some are used to cart all manner of goods. I saw one that had a bamboo tree on it, that must have been 10 ft tall. Since it was raining en route to my hotel, most bike riders were wearing plastic ponchos that covered them and the bike.

The taxi ride to the hotel took close to 3 hours. I am not exaggerating. No matter where the driver went, it was a massive traffic jam. Some times, we just sat in one spot for 15 or 2o minutes. The driver would get out of the car, and go chat with other taxi drivers. Only the motorbike drivers managed to move anywhere. It's no wonder that people drive them here. It is reminiscent of Bangkok that way.

We eventually arrived at the hotel (2-star, $33/night). It's one of those hotels where you have to hand in your room key when you go outside for any reason. They also hold your passport. The room here (and the hotel) looks like it was built in the 30's. Very 'authentic'. Wicker furniture. Rubber hose in the shower. Tiny little TV (but lots of channels).

Steven and I went to get some dinner (Pho, what else?) It was still raining a bit, so wee needed to wear flipflops, because of the many deep puddles. Crossing the streets here is an experience everyone should enjoy. Since there are really no traffic lights, and thousands of motorbikes, it's really just a casual stroll across the road. You basically step out on the street, and s l o w l y walk across the road. All the buses and bikes just swerve around you. It's quite frightening at first (OK, it's always frightening), but you just brave it, and it works. I thought Steven was trying to have me killed. He would say "follow me", and start walking across an 8 lane road. The bikes/buses/cars would honk to show they were boss, but they'd move out of your way anyways.

I went to an ATM to withdraw some cash. Gotta have the local coin, right? So I withdrew 1 million. The local currency, the Dong (I hear some of you snickering) has pretty high denominations. 1 Million Dong is about $76 CAD. I am finally a millionaire. Faster than I thought. =)

Tomorrow, I will look around 'the hood' and snap some photos. Not too sure what I will encounter, but I am looking forward to it.