Will I jinx the remainder of the trip if I say our journey here was smooth as silk?  We arrived on schedule, picked up our bags and were in bed staring at the ceiling by 11:30PM Saigon time, which was close to noon in NY…which explains why we were staring at the ceiling.

Traveled down to the Mekong Delta this morning. “Traffic” has a whole other meaning here; so does horn honking. Our favorite traffic sight so far has been the motorbike with a cart in front, sporting a 250lb pig. Yep, Porky out front. That’s SOME pig to be able to lead the way.

It took about 2 hours to get to My Tho, the “gateway” to the Delta. Our guide led us to our private tourist boat which puttered to Dragon Island for the tourista gig extraordinaire. Pony cart to authentic family restaurant for tea, fruit, photo with python and local musicians, to 10 minute canoe ride. Here we experience a smidge of the swamps and canals we heard about on the evening news all those decades ago.

It’s bizarre to think anyone would engage in a war here. The canals are crowded with canoes full of tourists, commandeered by incredibly hardworking locals, teenage boys to middle-aged women to older men. This work ages them quickly.


There are no crocs or birds left – all obliterated by humans. We did see 2 water buffalo. There are no stray dogs – they’re all either someone’s pet or a family’s dinner.



We braved crossing the streets tonight, risking our lives to meander around from corner to corner. It makes Times Square look like a stroll in the park. There is construction everywhere, and sidewalks and streets vary from rutted and muddy to smooth and sparkling. Motor bikes are the demi-gods and rule both. Electrical wiring hangs in crowded, clogged clumps from poles placed every 20 feet or so.



New highways being built are displacing thousands of people, supposedly to new apartments. We saw the miles of construction, but not many new apartments. Not sure where all those people went. Maybe they live on their motorbikes and that’s why the traffic is so atrocious!