12th March 2006
HO CHI MINH CITY
Just back from Phan Thiet, Mui Ne Beach, a relaxed beach town in Binh Thuan province, 200km northeast from Ho Chi Minh City. This was a good call on T’s behalf as it was the perfect place to recuperate from jetlag and a gentle transition into Vietnam. I jumped straight from the plane into a minibus although I might as well have stepped into a game of Wipeout. My head was spinning from the lack of sleep and rank wine that I was swigging but nothing quite prepared me for this first road trip. If you thought the Greeks or the Thais drove like crazy people, then you've seen nothing. There are no rules other than if you are overtaking, it is up to the oncoming vehicle to slow down. If the car in front is moving too slowly, you simply tailgate and hoot continuously until they move out the way. If they don’t, you accelerate to overtake, keep hooting and hope for the best. Motorcyclists don't always put their lights on at night either- apparently that's simply a waste of battery! Needless to say there are a lot of accidents here - 30 people a day get killed in Sai Gon alone. My fellow passengers (all work in the travel industry out here) reassured me that they had hired a good driver so I just closed my eyes and hoped for the best. Weird thing is that none of the drivers appear to have road rage, even when people do really ridiculous manoeuvres while totally drunk and swerving all over the road. I thought I was an erratic driver, but I have lessons to learn from this mysterious race.
13th March 2006
LOST IN SAIGON
Today was my first chance to get out and about in Saigon as T had to work. First challenge involved crossing the road. I have never seen so many motorcyclists in one city. Discovered the best way of getting across involves slowly walking out while the motorcyclists and taxis weave past you. Eye contact with oncoming motorcyclists also helps.
T lives on the edge of District 1 in a shared, fully serviced apartment with fellow TI employees. Miss Tu, the maid comes to wash, clean and tidy 6 days a week. Never thought I’d feel comfortable about having all my dirty clothes and plates cleaned, but she seems more than happy to oblige and uses the place as a second home. Apparently the phone only rings for her!
Met T for lunch outside her tower block. At 12noon exactly, a stream of workers rushed out the building, to go and eat locally. It made me smile to watch the Vietnamese women put their parasols up to guard their skin from the sun. Us Westerners are obsessed with getting dark skin, yet for them it is the reverse! Went to an excellent restaurant called Hoang Yen, 7-9 Ngo Duc Ke, District 1. Loved Bong Bi - melon flowers fried in garlic and chilli, a cross between a long green beans and okra with a sweet aftertaste. So much more to taste and see – I simply can’t wait until my next meal!
Went for what seemed like an easy stroll to Reunification Palace, past Notre Dame and Eiffel’s Post Office. Got lost and went on a complete detour after some rather dubious directions from several park wardens. Decided the only thing to do was find a place to chill and refresh myself while I worked out where the hell I was. A good call as I strolled past the stylish Café Terrace, 65 Le Loi St and noticed the cakes. Didn’t take much to drag me in. Ordered a sumptuous Opera cake and iced coffee that I gulped along with a lungful of fumes. My table even had a goldfish in bowl to keep me company. Perfect.
Culinary highlight of the day (if not the trip) was an evening meal at Quan An Ngon, 138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, District 1. It’s so popular that you need to get in early. I was slightly dubious when I heard the restaurant was a collection of street food stalls brought under one roof. Was it catering for the lazy and unadventurous who can’t be bothered to try real street food? I was more than proved wrong, the owner has simply brought all the good street food under one roof so that you can sample it all in one place. Tables are crammed into the open-air terrace surrounded by tropical palms and fans that spray a refreshing mist into the air. All around the sides are stalls were the food is prepared in front of you. Walking around the stalls to choose what to order is part of the fun. My favourite dish was So huyet xao, blood oysters in garlic. Opening them was a mystery at first but my amused neighbours took delight in showing me how to get the damn things open! The Chao tom, shrimp on sugar cane was exceptional, as was Cua rang, crab in tamarind sauce. Desserts were equally impressive, of which the banana cake was my favourite; moist and complex. The place is buzzing to the point that we were all wolfing down the food with excitement. I could have stayed there all night under the stars trying out different dishes.
Onto Lush, 2 Ly Tu Trong St, District 1, for Monday’s hip-hop night. Lush is an ultra-trendy bar with comfy sofas, huge graffiti-style artwork and mirrored ceilings. Not as full as I expected which is a shame seeing as this seems to be the only place for decent music in town.
Comments