In February 2024, Jill and I toured Southeast Asia by land and by sea. We sailed from Thailand to Hong Kong on board the Crystal Symphony and spent two days in Bangkok and two days in Hong Kong before and after our cruise. We had an epic adventure!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our journey.
This story, part of a series, is about my tour through the alleys of Ho Chi Minh City, AKA Saigon, on a Vespa. The ride was great, but my fondest memories are of the Vietnamese people I saw and met!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our journey.
This story, part of a series, is about my tour through the alleys of Ho Chi Minh City, AKA Saigon, on a Vespa. The ride was great, but my fondest memories are of the Vietnamese people I saw and met!
Dai and me
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (February 21, 2024) I can’t say with certainty which day of my epic adventure through Southeast Asia I looked forward to the most, but this day was certainly one of the top three! Why?
In my 70+ years, this would be my first ride on a motorbike, and…
In my 70+ years, this would be my first ride on a motorbike, and…
I was stoked!
My excursion, Saigon Alleys Through the Eyes of Locals, was a group tour through Vespa Adventures. It promised a ride into the alleys of Ho Chi Minh City, AKA Saigon, “where no four-wheeled vehicle can take you.” And when I booked it, I thought my ride would be the be-all end-all—THE most important part of my experience.
Boy, was I wrong!
Yep, I had a great time on the Vespa—the ride was everything I had hoped for and more, and I’ll never forget the freedom I felt as we rushed past the sights and sounds that surrounded us on the roadways we traveled.
But at day’s end, my fondest memories were of the Vietnamese people I saw and met, especially those who lived off the beaten path—which is to say, those who lived in the back alleys we visited. Through them, I caught a glimpse of their day-to-day lives and learned something (or two) about their customs and traditions. Above all else, Saigon Alleys Through the Eyes of Locals was a wonderful and rewarding cultural experience.
Boy, was I wrong!
Yep, I had a great time on the Vespa—the ride was everything I had hoped for and more, and I’ll never forget the freedom I felt as we rushed past the sights and sounds that surrounded us on the roadways we traveled.
But at day’s end, my fondest memories were of the Vietnamese people I saw and met, especially those who lived off the beaten path—which is to say, those who lived in the back alleys we visited. Through them, I caught a glimpse of their day-to-day lives and learned something (or two) about their customs and traditions. Above all else, Saigon Alleys Through the Eyes of Locals was a wonderful and rewarding cultural experience.
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This was our intrepid group of urban explorers, in a photo taken near the end of our tour. That is me on one knee at the left and our travel guide, who introduced herself as “Kathy,” in the orange shirt front and center. We were surrounded by 13 fellow passengers from the Crystal Symphony. We mugged well for the camera, but in truth our smiles reflected the great time we had.
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(Click on pics to enlarge.)
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Each of us was a passenger on the back of a Vespa driven by a local as we traveled through three of Saigon’s 24 districts—#1, the central urban district; #5, home to Chinatown; and #4, the smallest urban district. My fearless driver was Dai (you met him in the photo at the top of my story), and I trusted him with my life as he navigated the city’s busy streets and alleys—teeming with millions of vehicles, including more than two million scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles—over four hours that stretched from mid-morning to early afternoon. He spoke little English, but it was clear from the get-go that my safety was his greatest concern—how to get on and off the scooter, the proper way to wear my helmet, where to hold on, etc.
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I said Dai was a “fearless driver,” but truth be told, his expert driving made ME feel fearless—at the very least, I was comfortable enough to often have both hands on my phone to take pics and vids as we traveled along broad city streets and narrow alleys.
I don’t know the speed we averaged nor the top speed we reached, but I can say, without a doubt, I was excited and elated every moment of my ride! |
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District 1
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I read a blog written by Simon Stanley in which he said, “District 1…was the point from which Saigon grew from being a sleepy riverside settlement to what it is today.” I wondered, Could I still peek into the past, when Saigon was that sleepy settlement? The answer was ‘Yes!’ when we left the main road and navigated several narrow streets and alleys by scooter and on foot—my first opportunity to see life through the eyes of locals.
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The lady in the left-hand photo below, who squatted on a small blue stool—she did NOT look comfortable!—was washing eggs. There were far too many for her to eat herself, so the eggs must be her modest source of income. But as I learned, ‘modest’ has a lot of purchasing power in traditional neighborhoods of Vietnam.
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The lady in the right-hand photo above wore a conical hat—called a Non la, it is a traditional symbol of Vietnamese people—face mask, and long-sleeved shirt to protect her skin from the sun, as Vietnamese society favors lighter skin tones over darker ones. She sold several types of fish and a variety of greens, two staples (along with rice) of the Vietnamese diet.
For these two ladies, I thought, perhaps life isn’t much different from what it was when Saigon was that ‘sleepy settlement’ Stanley wrote about.
For these two ladies, I thought, perhaps life isn’t much different from what it was when Saigon was that ‘sleepy settlement’ Stanley wrote about.
District 5
“This area was great for getting a feel for old-school Saigon while seeing Vietnam’s Chinese heritage up close and personal,” Stanley wrote. There wasn’t much old school as we navigated city streets….
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…but then we entered a blind alley—D. Tran Hung Dao, named in honor of a Vietnamese royal prince and military commander from the 13th century—which, adorned in blue and red, had an ‘old-school’ feel. We dismounted for a closer look-see at this mixed-use space, part residential and part commercial, with the former built atop the latter. Much like the lady in the top right-hand photo below, the vibe was laid-back.
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Something worth mentioning because it was special—well, special for me. Almost to a person, the locals I passed were as curious about me as I was about them—an experience I had throughout my travels in Vietnam. They welcomed me with warm smiles, an easy-going manner, and, occasionally, a handshake.
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Have a look at the gentleman in the bottom left-hand photo above, who sat up and took notice of us as we walked down the alley. I smiled and waved as I got closer to him, and he smiled and waved back. Then I motioned a universal sign with my phone that I hoped he understood: May I take a selfie with you? “Yes,” he answered with a nod, and with that, I snapped this pic…one of many ‘selfies with locals’ I collected on my trip.
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When you think of Ho Chi Minh City you might envision…neon lights and tall skyscrapers…historical landmarks…or flavorful cuisine. But in addition to all of that you’ll find a metropolis teeming with hundreds of ornate temples and pagodas.
~ Chistina Liao, tripsavvy.com
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We remounted our Vespas and drove a short distance, five minutes at most, to this small Chinese temple, located in Chinatown—the only Chinatown in Vietnam. I did not learn its name—at first, I thought it was ‘Chuc Mung Nam Moi,’ as the red banner proclaimed—but later I learned these words were Vietnamese for ‘Happy New Year.’
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I was surprised by how large the interior was…and by the number of altars, each with a different cultural ancestor or deity. The air was pungent with the smell of incense, which often “signifies a divine presence or message–a form of spiritual communication.”
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Out of respect for the privacy of those who worshipped, I waited for them to finish their prayers and walk away from the altar before I snapped these (and other) pics. One thing I observed as I waited: most worshippers moved from one altar to the next…and then to the next and next, as they completed a rotation through all the altars. At each altar, they donated Joss paper—‘spirit money’—to show respect for those departed.
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Next, we stopped at a fresh food market where vendors sold mostly vegetables and fruits, as well as meats, flowers, and hand-made clothing.
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I LOVED that the lady in the photo at the left was willing to indulge me with a smile (notice that she removed her mask!) and V-sign. Was that V for Victory…or for Vietnam, I wondered. Like the lady in the center folder, most locals shopped at fresh markets for their basic needs.
District 4
We traveled into District 4 to see “the magic of a famous neighborhood painter…who transformed the cracked and chipped walls into his colorful masterpieces.”
75-Year-Old Artist’ Murals Bring New Life to Saigon Alleys
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When the 75-year-old Nguyen Van Minh was young, he loved painting. But the University of Fine Arts graduate was later forced to give up on his passion and became a teacher to take care of his family with a stable source of income. That…changed when he retired.
~ Quynh Tran, VN Express International
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“Two years ago, while walking past the brick walls near my home, I found them dull,” said Mihn. “So, I came up with the idea of painting these colorful murals. My neighbors were very excited. Since then, I’ve gone with the flow.”
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Minh, who painted daily, was born in Saigon in 1930 and graduated with honors in 1958. He passed away in 2014.
His technique, I read, was “to apply layer upon layer of lacquer, sometimes up to 120 coats, to wood panels and surfaces. He often took six months to a year to finish a work. It’s a technique that’s fast fading because it’s time-consuming and, thus, expensive.” (askart.com)
I’ve always enjoyed feasting my eyes on ‘public art’—sculptures, memorials, architecture, murals, and more created for the general public and installed in public spaces. Minh’s artistry—his murals—were public art that transformed the neighborhood he lived in.
I’ve always enjoyed feasting my eyes on ‘public art’—sculptures, memorials, architecture, murals, and more created for the general public and installed in public spaces. Minh’s artistry—his murals—were public art that transformed the neighborhood he lived in.
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How about one more ‘selfie with a local’—this young fellow who I crossed paths with outside his family’s home. What a great smile, huh?!
And that was my tour, Saigon Alleys Through the Eyes of Locals. Thanks for joining me. |
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Late afternoon, the Crystal Symphony set sail for Chan May, our next port of call. I look forward to sharing my experiences and memories there with you in my next story.