Streets of Saigon

Now I remember why I like keeping a blog - it gives me something to do when jet lag kicks in and I can't sleep.

So after a day of taking cabs and making purchases I have come to accept that the first cabbie's diabolical laugh was indeed for "Sucker!".  He did manage to extract way more money than he should have. Fortunately when you make a mistake here it really only costs a few dollars extra. In this case, five dollars.  Lesson learned.

We spent the morning touring around District 1 of Saigon.  Since the country was a French colony, that included sights of the Notre Dame Cathedral and a former Opera House (all of which were closed on a Saturday).

The Notre Dame Catherdral Vietnamese style

There are very few stop lights and even less traffic rules so crossing the street takes a fair bit of skill.  The first rule is that if you start walking, don't stop - unless a bus is coming at you then I'm not really sure what protocol is.  Most traffic comes from scooters so they just weave around you.  This crazy couple would do anything for a unique wedding picture.

 
So after a little street side shopping (our second learning experience - slightly more costly than the cab) we headed to a little backyard patio for some Bun.  Oh yum!

We are now in Danang and starting the course tomorrow.  Of course if I don't get some sleep, I may just sleep through class, not unlike university days.  We have plans to hit the markets in Hoi An, China Beach and some seaside restaurants - all after class of course.  It is going to be a very busy week.

Ocean View Hotel Room in Danang