Saigon (Ho Chi Minh)

Saigon. The “Pearl of the Orient”.  With over 6 million people, Saigon is one of the densest urban areas in the World. And it feels like it. Never have I experienced so many motorbikes, mixed with the honking of horns and rattling engines, it overwhelms the senses. And yet… you could close your eyes and walk across the street with hundreds of bikes whizzing by you, but NEVER get hit. What first appears to be chaos is actually a somewhat organized fluid weaving of bikes.

I enjoyed Saigon. It has an air of a French provincial town with a Vietnamese twist. The markets and food stalls, the architecture and textures, the diversity and history. It has a story I will never fully know- only one that has lived through it… within it… could possibly understand the turmoils that plagued this city over time. And yet… it feels alive. There is an energy and a mystery to these streets. From winding alleys to dimly lit stairways, from temples to massage parlors, from the very wealthy to the very poor. This city has everything. I was always excited to see what lay around the corner, and, more often than not, it was a sight that held me in awe.  

Photos: streets of Saigon from a tuk tuk, dragon fruit, war memorabilia market, window in my hotel room, Vietnamese pop art, street checkers, opium pipes, red hallway leading to one of the coolest stores I've ever been in, coconut stand, photos from the Vietnam war, addresses painted on wall, best bowl of pho I've yet to have, Chinatown market.