Day 13 Ho Chi Minh city.

GOOOOD MORNING VIETNAAAAM...I've always wanted to say that!

As I shout this (well OK I shout it in my head), I am sat on our spacious balcony watching the sun rise behind the Bitexco tower. I would say over but the Bitexco tower is over 70 storeys high so the sun has got a bit of work to do before it rises over the tower. Beneath me the metropolis is already buzzing as hundreds of motor bikes swarm around a large roundabout - and its only 5.30am!

First port of call, we visit the Cu Chi tunnels on the outskirts of Saigon from where the Vietcong launched their attacks on the American troops in the latter stages of the Vietnam war (or as the Vietnamese call it the American war), before they disappeared into thin air. The tour was an interesting tour showing how the Vietcong managed to Iive in underground tunnels and conduct full out guerilla warfare whilst under the nose of the Americans, from the savage home made booby traps to everyday life such as cooking underground with no smoke. They even had a reserved room used for one night as a honeymoon suite, when two comrades got married. At intervals around the site there were mannequins dressed in Vietcong uniforms in various typical poses. They did remind me of the dummies you see in a Burtons shop window, albeit very badly dressed but on leave for 2 weeks in Vietnam.

Next up was lunch where we were taken to enjoy a local food speciality, Phu - noodle soup with beef and bean shoots. It was delicious, very much like Pot noodle but without the pot (and infinitely much tastier).

Next up was the patriotically called reunification palace. The palace was the Presidents palace, ousted when the Vietcong rolled into town (literally by rolling a tank through the main gates). It was a 1960/1970s square building, but don't let anyone tell you all 1960/70s are square blocks of concrete monstrosities - whilst this was square and made of concrete it was beautiful, somewhat like an Art Nouveau design.

Last up was the American Remanants museum (once called the American crime museum) - full of propaganda that contrasted a glorious revolution against an imperialist aggressor...but there are two sides to every story!

I promised a little more today on crossing the road or more specifically 'pavement ettiquette'. As we know a pavement is bounded by a kerb that helps to demark the boundary between the road where motorists ride and the pavement where pedestrians walk. This is an outdated western idea that does not apply in the east.

In the east, a pavement is where motor cyclists can park their vehicles or local market traders can conduct their business's. The kerb is to help direct the pedestrian to that portion of the road where it is safe (I use the word 'safe' in a loose context) to walk.

There is a joke that says 'What is a kerb for?' Answer - to stop the pavement from fraying! Well I now know this is not a joke as the lack of a kerb has led to the pavement fraying in many places. This does not seem to hinder the motorcyclists in identifying where to park.

I am told that Saigon has a population of 10 million, and there are 6 million motorbikes. I believe their must be some !aw that decrees that 50% of those bikes must be on the road at any one time.

Finally I feel I should tell you of a really innovative traffic measure that helps traffic flow management. Some crossroads are controlled by traffic lights. At a point some 100 yards before those lights, invariably there will be a drop kerb onto the pavement. When the lights turn to red this is the sign for all the motorbikes to mount the kerb and ride on the pavement, thereby going round the red light and not through it! It is rare that any pedestrian is hit but should it happen then it is the pedestrians fault for walking on the pavement. We have a lot to learn in the west!

Comments:

Pete B Andy I was once asked bya Vietnamese film crew over here doing a series on the UK what a roundabout was and what its purpose was. From your description of the traffic conditions I can now understand fully the blank looks on their faces. The concept of travelling in one direction and giving way to other motorists was so foreign to them I may as well have come from another plant. Sounds like you are havng a great time, bar the Killing Fields that is.

Apr 2, 2015

Andy Pete - you should see what crossing the road consists of! You wait for an imaginary gap in the traffic (that doesn't exist) then you step out into the road and walk steadily to the other side. All motorcyclists are able to judge your progress and avoid you (or at least no ones hit us yet!). However it takes some bottle to step out in front of what resembles the whole of the grand national field steaming towards the first fence.

Apr 2, 2015