my favorite photos taken from the back of a scooter

my own tiny monsoon part 2

Scenes from my corner store view.

my own tiny monsoon part 1

First off, Vietnamese are very very tough people. I, an unprepared foreigner, hustled my booty to shelter when the rain started. I could not believe how much rain was coming down and for so long! It must be a new record! How would the country handle this immense downpour?! What about the roads? What about runoff? Cleary, I was the only one thinking these disaster scenarios. Life went on like usual on this side street on the outskirts of Saigon and the sweetest boy and his mom let me wait out the rain and all of my worries sitting on their shop stoop. 

Vietnamese markets

shot mostly from the hip. :)

drool fest

I still daydream about this meal. I was wandering around Saigon and was way past lunch. I noticed an alleyway that had a simple and beautifully designed hanging name plate for a restaurant. That was enough for me. I walked down the alley, and up a tiny two foot wide staircase and into a room that smelled like heaven. I looked at the menu, picked the meal with beets and patiently waited. From first bite to last, I savored every flavor while watching an endless stream of scooters drive by below me. 

Saigon vibes

I started off my Vietnam exploration by landing in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, beginning at the southern tip of the country. I spent a week going to bed early, waking up with the sun, walking for hours on end, eating my favorite bahn mi sandwiches and stopping at every outdoor cafe I passed.