Занимайтесь свиданием, Антон, и удачи вам.
I give the young Russian, who sat next to me from Mui Ne to Saigon, a farewell pat on the shoulder. A surprised and delighted smile crosses his otherwise expressionless face for a moment.
The fact that he was placed next to me, did initially not cause euphoric feelings. His shoulders are too bulging, his expression too dismissive, but hey, I've had worse neighbors.
Precision Landing
The arrival in Saigon, this cesspool of sin, is so successful that I'm really amazed. The e-mail of the hotel, received shortly after the reservation, warns me urgently against fraudulent taxi drivers. They charge excessive prices or simply stop at another hotel. So it might be that I am facing hard arguments.
The bus stops in a busy area. The difference to Hanoi might best be seen in the broader streets and the warmer climate, the rest is more or less the same: millions of cars and motorbikes, fighting to get ahead.
I ask the next best shoeshine boy for the hotel in dispute and he laughs, because it is just opposite!
Entertainment district
The long overdue look into the Lonely Planet (Saigon wasn't originally on the plan) shows where I am. In the middle of Saigon's entertainment district, where the masses meet, the whores and pimps, the players, the westerner stranded here, in short in the center of the scene, with all the backpackers looking for cheap accommodation.
So much charm
In the middle of the hustle and bustle, I sit down in a street café, drink sweetened coffee and finally decide to have a pizza due to my growling stomach. A young girl has spotted a potential victim and heads resolutely towards me. She speaks good English, which of course increases her persuasiveness in selling considerably. Finally, my resistance wears thin in the face of so much charm, and I buy some odds and ends for my children.
Nightlife in Saigon
In the evening, when the light of a thousand lamps illuminates the streets and alleys, the atmosphere reaches its climax. Now each restraint has given way, it’s all or nothing.
It's wonderful, although you have to be aware that you need a different level of caution (the lady at the front desk insisted on keeping my passport - "many incidents with tourists").
Putting on my grimmest face (my kids would probably say my "normal" one), I let myself drift through the crowds, but the air is so saturated with exhaust fumes, smoke from all the barbecue ovens and the smell of endorphins and pheromones that I quickly tire and finally retreat to the hotel, exhausted. And besides, the pickup is already waiting at half past six ...
P.S. Matching Song: The Charly Daniels Band - Still in Saigon
And here the journey continues ...
