Now, we are in Vietnam. While crossing the border, officials told us that we can't enter and drive in Vietnam with Thai motorbike: Vietnam has transport agreement only with Cambodia and Laos. They suggested us to leave bike and get to Hanoi to arrange necessary papers. We were quite a bit embarrased. We sat down and thought in silence for a while. Both of us went through possible options. And then... then we took a bike and just walked through the border. Next second we hopped on the bike and drove away. We didn't look back. No one stopped us. Crazy feeling! Our first illegal border crossing! :)
Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City
Amazing city. It's alive: it's moving all the time, it seems to be a living organism! All those bikes move around nonstop. Local people use their motobikes as we use cars: often you can see the whole family on a small Vespa, dressed nicely and driving to eat in a restaurant. Many bikes are also pimped up: they have Burberry or Gucci seat covers and nice tapes all over them :)
Streets of Saigon are full of people: young and old, locals and foreigners, many couples, many with little kids. People smile and laugh, talk, joke around. They look happy.
Funny, many local women wear pyjamas on the streets, it seems to be their normal daily outfits. They also wear those cute looking rice field hats and drive their old bicycles, selling lottery tickets.
There are not so many sightseeings in Saigon, but there are many nice small trade corners, and streets with colourful funky looking houses. And it's great just to walk, look around, smile to locals, have a small talk, sit down for a break and have an incredibly tasty and strong ice coffee... Just enjoy time in this city!
Food here is amazing, especially from those street stalls where most of local people dine. You just sit down at one of those small baby-kind-of chairs, point at the meals that others around you are having, and after some minutes you get your dinner - I don't know how all those dishes are called, but they taste delicious!
We both enjoyed this city, and it definitely has a soul. Air is charges with electricity of emotions - good emotions: love, joy, happiness. It's full of life! And I wish to come back here!
Tomorrow we're heading off to the North Vietnam (Hanoi) through beautiful and scenic coastline road.
Night traffic
Mini Notre-Dame in Saigon
Selling rice in a rice hat
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