A symphony of sound greets the ears as you first step into
this bustling metropolis. This plethora of sound that includes street hawkers,
cars, bikes, music, laughter, shouting and horns. So many horns. The beeps and
toots that all represent an individual meaning which is generally only known to
the driver. Certain honks mean hello, others goodbye, then you have I’m
merging, I’m here, I’m not merging, I am over there, why are you walking there?
What are you doing? I thought it was quiet so I hit my horn, move and I am
about to land in your backseat so be prepared. So many horns.
The city itself is organised chaos. Tourists wander amidst
the millions, mouths agape whilst locals try to sell everything. It is full of
parks and highly amusing exercise equipment, people are constantly doing
something different and there is poverty living next door to wealth.
The markets are an exercise in agility and manipulation as
each corridor is the size of my right leg and majority of the store owners have
the ability to sell you their first born. I have discovered that my haggling
skills are severely lacking. A general conversation will be, “how much?”,
“70,000?”, “great!”
In which I then glance at Emma’s exasperated face and we
quickly move on so that I do not spend our dinner money. It is a talent that I
am yet to master.
It is a city of culture and contradiction and beauty. A city
of excitement and despair and fun. A city that whilst it has the typical Asian
city smell and look, shows glimpses of tradition and other displays of
modernism. Traditional customs living with modern morals. A city of
exploration.
Ho Chi Minh you are an unruly beast, but oh lordy do I love
you.
