| HO CHI MINH CITY |
Reunification Palace, Saigon |
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| Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling, dynamic and industrious centre, the largest city, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. The streets, where much of the city's life takes place, are a myriad of shops, stalls, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares from blankets on sidewalks. The traffic roars. The jackhammers of progress pound the past into pulp. The city churns, ferments, bubbles and fumes. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture. |
| Central Ho Chi Minh City is the place to be on Sundays and holiday nights. The streets are jam-packed with young locals cruising the town on bicycles and motorbikes, out to see and be seen. The Municipal Theatre area is the hub for young hipsters. Entertainment ranges from disco and karaoke in the larger hotels, loud Western music in bars such as the Hard Rock Cafe, dancing at the Rex Hotel or experiencing traditional Vietnamese music at the Conservatory of Music. Most forms of entertainment can be found in downtown Ho Chi Minh City along Mac Thi Buoi Street. But there is a down-side to every city, and Ho Chi Minh's streets are filled to bursting with poverty and sadness. 'Rural refugees' continue flocking to the city, attracted by the surface glitter. Few find the pot of gold. That the city is developing is without question. The big question is, 'developing into what?'........(Lonely Planet) |
~2002~ London - February 2002 Amsterdam - February 2002 Rotterdam - February 2002 Madinah - September 2002 Makkah - September 2002 Sana'a - October 2002 Ho Chi Minh City - November 2002 Jakarta - November 2002 My Travel My Reflection |
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| As I look to tomorrow I see another day Filled with endless possibilities And a hope for a better way Sometimes when I feel down And start to get afraid I think of all the others who share my path and to God I pray |
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