I shall take this time to make a few things clear ( mainly because I’m tired of answering the same old questions over and over again)

1. I did not fly to vietnam solely because of the cheap booze… Yes, I know I made a few cracks about that but that’s as far as it goes. A joke… as in HAHAH very funny kind of joke.

2. I did not come here to check out/ pick up any hunks. Friends who know me well enough should know I am not into exotic cuisine…. I don’t even like food all that much you know lol~. So watch your words… to phrase this in a very Singaporean way, I’m not that happening.

3. I hatched this plan to bacpack sometime in September mainly as a form of escape . When November rolled around, I didn’t really need this trip anymore. Frankly, I was okie, maybe better than okie, I was happy =)

I’ve gone ahead with the trip simply because I was curious after hearing all the wonderful things about the place.

I’l be spending many happy ( sort of ) days here =) and yes the picture was taken using the timer function =.=’

That was the music noise that assailed my ears as soon as I settled some currency exchange and exited  Tan Son Nhat International Airport. For the entire duration of the cab ride to Pham Ngu Lao, I coud not tear my eyes away from the window, I have never in my life seen such chaotic yet functional traffic dynamics. I was flummoxed beyond belief.

There were no lane markings, no signals, traffic could go in 4 different directions and a 3 point turn in the middle of an expressway seemed entirely possible. Traffic lights were as ornamental as the Christmas lights we had in Orchard.

If you are familiar with Russell Peter’s shows, you will remember this one joke about an entire family being able to fit on a moped in Vietnam. Well, he wasn’t too far off the mark, though I did not see anyone enjoying a bowl of noodles while riding pillion ( crackers/ chips yes but no savoury food .. haha) .I was totally ecstatic to have landed in this crazy moped world.

One of the first few things any tourist had to get used to ( other than the mind numbing noise), was how to get across a street without ending up as roadkill. It was rather fun, at the end of 3 days I was starting to jaywalk rather gleefully ( try this in Singapore and you will most certainly end up as roadkill).

People were really friendly ( once they realised you weren’t local)  but also terribly mercenary. I didn’t relish having to fly a few hours from Singapore just to be surrounded by people who were no different from 90% of those back home. The ladies at the guesthouse were a  rare exception, no pushy hard-selling tactics and they kindly arranged a cab pick-up for me in Hanoi at no extra cost.

2 days zipped by swiftly and the only eventful part of my stay was perhaps the day Vietnam’s soccer team qualified for the semis in the SEA games. That night, everyone in Saigon took to the streets and literally painted the town red, or at least there were so many red flags flapping around, the place appeared to be one massive, heaving red sea. ( the RAAADness of it all would have made Ms low pretty excited )

Time to bid a weary farewell to this fast evolving city and say hello to Hanoi =)

Checking out quicky places does not have to cost an arm and a leg ( or more ). EZ-link and a pair of sturdy feet are all you need.

And of course, a curious mind and an inquisitive soul.