Ho Chi Minh City/ Saigon

Bus From Rach Gia to Saigon
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February 5, 2006

We will not continue to regale you with our traveling horror stories.  Suffice it to say, getting from Phu Quoc to Saigon was a bit of a challenge.

A Neon Light Show in a Sea of Motos

We did have a chance to meet a few fellow travelers, a nice couple from Australia traveling for 9 months around the globe and a friendly Frenchman living in Beijing, with whom we were able to commiserate about our travel woes.  We also exchanged good tips and had an interesting discussion of Vietnamese culture and society.

Crossing the Mekong (by bus this time)
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Vietnam, it seems, is quite forcefully politically communist, even more so than China (according to our well informed friend Martin, the Frenchman from the bus), with flags and propaganda everywhere.  There are some governmental strategies designed to increase the minimum standard of living (especially in urban areas), with healthcare and educational programs.  Much of this is observable in the form of prolific billboards and banners.  We are still a bit too removed from local culture to know for sure how well these programs are working, and we receive many mixed messages from the Vietnamese people we have met.  Apparently the degree of aid depends on one's social status and origin (i.e. North or South).  We can say that the standard of living here is much higher than that witnessed in Cambodia.

More Mekong
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Economically, however, Vietnam is difficult to classify, though it seems our everyday tourist interactions could only be described as viciously capitalist.  This intense desire to get every dollar possible seems to be motivated partially by necessity, but mostly out of a covetous desire for what Westerners have or, at least, are viewed as having.  We do not know exactly how many of the larger industries work, however we have heard a lot about the rampant corruption, and the Lonely Planet has this to say about Vietnam:

Pham Ngu Lao Area: Backpacker Central
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"In an effort to reverse its image as Asia's most corrupt nation, Vietnam arrested and convicted 150 people involved in organized crime in July 2002.  The kingpin, known as Nam Cam, faced a firing squad for his lifelong career as a mob boss in southern Vietnam.  More embarrassing for the Communist Party were the arrests of two senior party officials who took bribes from Nam Cam to keep him out of jail on previous charges.  It is estimated that 20% of funds for public projects are pocketed by corrupt officials in Vietnam."

Pham Ngu Lao Road
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February 6, 2006

Saigon, the name is used interchangeably with Ho Chi Minh City by locals and travelers alike, is a raging sea of motorbikes, illuminated to a blinding degree with neon lights of all shapes and colors.  In this sprawling metropolis motorbikes form the shoals of innumerable sardines with schools of biking minnows interspersed.  Cars, vans, and the occasional SUV represent the fishes of various sizes, while the whale-like busses plow through the rest seemingly unperturbed.  A pedestrian must bravely wade from one side of the road to the other, as the sea parts and flows back together around him or her.

Caroline Furiously Updating the Blog
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We spent much of our time in Saigon wandering around the smaller area of Pham Ngu Lao, a backpacker central similar to Bangkok's Khao San Rd, and furiously updating the blog.  We got a couple of mediocre (but cheap) back massages at a center for the blind.  Though these were not as "muscle melting" as touted, we had supported a good cause.  Purchasing our onward bus tickets was refreshingly hassle free, and we were able to secure travel for the rest of our trip in Vietnam.  A few cheap, good meals, tasting some local fruits, and some delicious breakfast pastries rounded out our stay in Saigon.