SaigonSighs 22 ‘In the Heat of the night.’- And Day!

24 Apr
The average daytime temperature is about 30-32 degrees dropping to about 28 – 29 at night. The city comes alive after sunset.
An old Russian made Hydrofoil on its way to the coastal resort town of Vung Tau. The town itself is a bit like Weston Super Mare with heat and is now a very popular weekend/holiday destination. It also has a casino. The Vietnamese are not allowed to use it as gambling is illegal except for the national lottery. The casino is for foreign tourists and the mainly Russian sailors / workers on the off shore oil rigs. when they hit town it’s a bit like the Wild-West. The sea journey used to take about one hour fifteen minutes. They were very fast and convenient if somewhat scary! A crew member seemed to be always checking on the stern gland (Checking how much water was coming in) and invariably the boat stopped a couple of times en-route (I think it was to clear weeds etc from intakes / propellers)
There were about four hydrofoils operating from a wharf in the very centre of Saigon. That is, till one of the ageing vessels caught fire and sank. There were no injuries or fatalities as I believe it happened within the confines of the River Saigon and not at sea. The government scrapped the service and they were never seen again.
Some nice glazed ceramics believed to have been made in the north of Vietnam
A few more!
Roll up! Roll up! Get your cart wheels here!
Preparing for a party! Most things are done on the floor.
Who needs a stool anyway? These tiny stools are ubiquitous. I can’t manage to sit on one. When deciding which coffee shop to relax in it pays to check out the size of the chairs first as in most places one would think they are catering for children!
The men! The beer is ‘SAIGON DO’ – Saigon Red, pronounced Saigon DAAAAAAR. It’s a quite nice medium priced lager. They also produce a cheaper Saigon Green which is OK and Saigon Special which is also green, more expensive with a heavier taste.
And the women. It is usual at social functions for men and women to separate. An unspoken tradition. The little girl being held is my daughter Betty on her first birthday. A child’s first birthday is a major celebration. There were about 80 friends and family at this event.
And Relax!
And finally, the evening sun makes a rocket of the worlds fourteenth highest building. (Taken from about 6 kilometers away with a small camera so quality not too hot!)


Love and peace John

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