A) This place is dangerous! According to Angie's Rough Guide book, 11,000 people each year die from motorbike accidents and a further 30,000 are injured. I can see why. It's like boxing day shopping at the mall and everyone's going every which way except they're are all on motorbikes (with the occasional big truck, van, taxi, bike and pedestrian). It's nuts! There's no order, rhyme or reason for who goes where, when like in Lao and Cambodia where at least the smaller vehicles stick to the outside and the larger ones in the middle and you honk to pass. Here everyone goes where they want when they want and honks at everyone else to let them know they're going there. And to cross the street here you just start walking. No one stops for you but they swerve around you (if you're lucky). It's quite an experience. Adrenaline rush anyone?
B) Not only are there practically no English signs here, but there is a MUCH bigger language gap. Either that or people don't want to have to try to talk to you because even the simplest questions are answered with a shake of the head, a clueless look, or in rare circumstances, a "no English" response. I'm going to have to work on my Vietnamese... Or sign language. Angie and I have learned that telling people we're Canadian gets us a bit better price on things. Maybe they don't want to talk to us because they think we're American? Possibility.
C) The sell-hardiest country of them all? Definitely true. Salespeople in Saigon will all call out to you to buy something and even when you say "no" they'll try to convince you: they'll try cheaper, then two for one, as if just because I didn't want one pair of sunglasses I probably want two? And cylo drivers follow you down the street in the hopes that you get tired and change your mind. Ps they have fake purses and wallets! I'm so shopping in Hanoi :D
D) There seems to be more wealth here, at least in Saigon. I haven't seen any beggars yet or been asked for money. There are even overweight people here, I don't think I saw one in Lao, Thailand or Cambodia.
E) Loving the fact that most things are rice based here and there seems to be less oyster sauce and soya sauce. Point for Vietnam, though I've seen the markets and I may go vegetarian for two weeks. Angie saw a piece of meat fall on the ground and the woman picked it up and put it back on the table with the rest (not to mention that they sit out all day in the heat with flys on them) Yum. Here's hoping or a strong stomach!
On to Mui Ne next!
Sent from my iPhone
No comments:
Post a Comment