"Joo in Saigon" a Ho Chi Minh City Travel Page by l_joo

The picture above is within the tourists’ village called De Tham street, so famous in Saigon or Ho Chih Minh City. It is like Khao San Road of Bangkok. On the street, we saw so many travel agencies, restaurants, cyber cafes, antique shops, t-shirt stores, paintings, bikes, taxi, women in Vietnamese-non and many more.

Strange guy
That morning while we were standing on the roadside preparing to take some nice Saigon photos, an unwanted street hooligan came to me. That guy was probably a street ruffian but unlikely. When he saw us taking photos, he shouted at me meantime pointing his finger at his plate of rice by saying something. He sneeringly spoke loudly surrounded by his gang of friends. I replied with a smile and say, no thanks. Suddenly he came to me and prepares to fight me. He follows by punching my shoulder twice to wait for my reaction. I didn’t do anything but really felt like punching him back, luckily I don’t otherwise I think I will be in real trouble. Whatsoever, this is a must in traveling but I was bad luck to have it here.

Roadside vendor
Our breakfast was a roadside stall that sells fried pork rice. Nice taste fast serving with pork for only 5000 dong. Saigonese half-squat by the roadside, so do we to enjoy the real local flavor. But if you are talking about hygienic, forget about this stall.

Impression
The impression of this city looks like an ant’s city, especially those motorcycles, cars and even big trucks. Distance in between each vehicle is only about 12 inches but moving surprisingly fast on the road. Motorists all riding without any helmets, must be fun and enjoyable. We follow these motorists from behind, very cram and very congest. Bicycles too among them with girls riding with their traditional white dress.

Back street eating
At night, we found vendors abundant individually displaying their foods nicely at the back of out room. We tasted a type of eats where they have zesty mix foodstuff rolled up into a cylinder shape. That was a delicious one.

Accommodations
The room we got here was a residential family type. They renovate their upstairs to turn it into rooms for tourists to stay. Rooms are in good condition, bathroom attached with air-con, clean and well maintained too. Looking out the windows is the neighbors wall only a distance of a body.

The painter’s shop
This is an interesting one. The shop owner employed a local painter who can duplicate. Their daily jobs are to duplicate the work of great artist, Monet, Picasso, Dali, Vincent and more. The moment I visit, they already have nearly a hundred pieces of well-duplicated paintings waiting to be sold.