Today the real economic engine of Vietnam met me with searing heat and Ontario-like humidity. This city rocks! Skyscrapers abound (including one [1] that is about sixty [60] stories high). The port is beginning to look a lot like Vancouver’s. There are six million [6,000,000] motorbikes for the ten million [10,000,000] residents. It’s rumoured that there are 160,000,000 SIM cards in the city. Travel is much akin to Montreal (especially trying to drive down Sherbrooke on a Friday’s rush hour when the Alouettes are playing at McGill Stadium).
ST wanted to see the Central Market…after about half-an-hour even she had had enough. A gazillion stalls and twice as many merchants trying to sell anything that might be desired by someone lost on an island for a century (could have bought a Ralph Lauren knock-out or a Diesel t-shirt or a Mr. Peabody & Sherman sweater). The idea that someone might say no to these sales entreaties has about as much resonance as Gary Bettman wanting Quebec City to have its NHL team back. It is an interesting place, but much better to watch a video — the smells and the crowded walkways would thus be avoided.
Now, lest I sound like I am not enjoying the city, let me say that once we got back from the market and went up to the skybar + pool on the twenty-fourth [24th] floor, life took on a delightful new twist. The view is spectacular (including the port, the Saigon River, the new cities to the east & south — including their share of new highrises and office towers) and the bar is civilized, several chairs are actually in the pool so you can cool your feet while the Saigon beer is cooling your tummy!! And today there was a photo-shoot of some model doing an ad. As is the case in such ventures, there were about forty [40] roadies tagging along; but several were very attractive young Vietnamese ladies in heels that could puncture the keystone pipeline and dresses that might have fit a Canadian woman who was anorexic… but it still added to a delightful sundown…
Then we were driven to the famous water puppet show. This show (or some variants of it) have been performed for about a thousand [1,000] years. And it is worth the admission– non-stop action for about fifty [50] minutes. And other than a couple of tourists who kept trying to take the empty seats in front of us (and who had to be removed twice, as the seats had been purchased by a couple who came a few moments late), the show was a real winner. How they work the puppets is still a mystery to me, but the results are amazing. They seem to be controlled under the water (the whole show is set in a big pool in front of a pagoda), and the dances, contortions, and other actions are nothing short of amazing (people fishing and actually catching fish, farmers driving their water buffalo with ploughs, a royal parade, dragons spewing water and then fire and then water). It’s all in Vietnamese (although we were given a program with the various sections outlined in English) complete with musicians and singers. My only regret? That it ended when it did ‘çause I could have watched for another thirty [30] minutes at least.
On the way back to the hotel, our driver & guide dropped us off at a little restaurant called “13”. Nothing really fancy (except a couple of people to escort us across the road so we didn’t get killed — smart marketing, especially for the streets in downtown Saigon), but the owner takes your order and helps recommend potential dishes. When the food comes, the portions are sizeable (ST & I will be fasting for most of the ski season when we return: in fact, someone mistook me for an Orca yesterday and wanted to send me to Japan for research purposes) and very tasty. We had some grilled crab + morning glory & chicken along with the staple — steamed rice. By the time we were finished, my side of the table resembled a battlefield from the war; however, we were satiated in fine style. And then we got to walk back to the hotel…
We then found out that a wonderful performance that is playing at the restored French-built Opera House is not going to be playing tomorrow night. This would have been a delightful conclusion to our time in Saigon (it’s a variant of cirque de soleil).
Tomorrow will be a very full day…I may not get a chance to chat. And then the two [2] following days are in the Mekong Delta and I have no idea what kind of computer/internet access I will have. So let me conclude with this thought…Saigon reminds me of Seoul when I was there some twenty-two [22] years ago, except that it may have more horsepower. So I’d suggest that it is another Asian Tiger to watch out for. There are three [3] major shopping malls on one [1] corner and some of the stores include Dior, Verace, etc. and on the streets it is not uncommon to see Mercedes & Bimmers… and there is a Bay Street enclave of banks, brokerage houses & related financial institutions. I even saw a huge sign for Manulife.
It’s not really a genteel tourist destination, but if I was thinking of getting back into business, I might just spend some time here. Oh, and another thing, the hotel plays music but thankfully not Christmas songs, carols or hymns — which is in stark but appreciated contrast to Hoi An & Hue… The streets however are being decorated as I sit here. There may be some Christians in this town (I know there are some muslims as we saw them in the market and on our way to dinner tonight), but that doesn’t seem to be the reason for these preparations for Christmas — see my note above about shopping centres!!
By the way, you may wonder why I eschew the name Ho Chi Minh City. Firstly, the airport is still called Saigon (SAI). Secondly most of the people I meet still call it Saigon. Several of the maps we have been given refer to it as Saigon. And that is what I’ve always known it as — it is a delicious irony that the city named after the communist leader is really a capitalist, entrepreneurial, energetic city. Besides, remember the Soviets re-named St. Petersburg Leningrad only to eventually realize that the real name of the place was St. Petersburg…
Enjoy your day…