The not so Quiet Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City - or Saigon as the inhabitants call it - has everything we love about Asia. People are friendly and willing to attempt to communicate with hands and imagination, the food is delicious and the apparent chaos offers something to see and to do at all times. 

Saigon's streets also summarise the rich and tumultuous history of the country: colonial buildings remind of the French presence, revolution and war memorials of the "freedom fight" against the French and later the Americans and brand new buildings testify for the energy and the boom Mo Chi Minh city experiences now.

The traditional markets are overfilled with goods and allow to bargain endlessly, the colonial buildings give the city a familiar and yet outdated touch and more striking than everything, the motorcycle that drive by millions everywhere, all the time, mostly ignoring our organised rules of traffic. We enjoyed walking around and sitting on the back seat of motorcycles to explore a city that we liked very much. 

Above, the post office (French era building)

 with the inevitable portrait of Ho Chi Minh.

Right, the local guide during the visit of the Reunification Palace with attentive visitors.

We loved walking in narrow alleys downtown or in China Town, visited the oldest Pagoda in the country (dating from 1744) which is of breathtaking beauty (and I have already seen quite a few pagodas!), strolling in the markets and 

getting lunch from a food stall on the street for less than 1 USD! 

We hope we can come back some day and discover the rest of the country - very promising!