The Sounds of Traffic Never Cease

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

NP: Swallow the Sun - New Moon

Mood: Uneasy

Saigon. Shit, I'm still only in Saigon.

The largest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) seems like a polluted, aggressive giant on wheels. Hordes of motorcycles rule the streetview in a city that hardly ever seems to sleep, despite the official closing hour at midnight. Cars, buses and even a few bicycles swim amidst the clamor, in the constant stream of motorcycles and mopeds.

The sounds of traffic never cease and the narrow sidewalks are partially blocked by stalls, parked vehicles and trees. As a pedestrian you have to be constantly alert. Crossing the street here is more dangerous than in any city I've ever visited.

The vendors of HCMC are unbelievably aggressive in their marketing methods. Standing by the entrance of a marketplace today invited a shoeshiner to almost forcibly start shining my shoes, despite a firm "no", and I had to walk away to escape his twitching brushings. One even asked to shine my friend's plastic sandals.

Eating outside at a restaurant invited nearly 20 walking vendors to introduce their products to us during the 40 minutes we spent there. Some of them don't believe the first "no" and insist on showing their wares regardless. What seemed to work was turning your head away once the wares were being shown.

"You need boomboom?" a small woman asked my friend suddenly as we were ringing the bell by the metallic gate to get in to the hotel at night.

Where did she come from? Gosh I didn't even see her.

"You want lady?" another one said as she appeared from the dark to stand beside me.

Prostitutes walk the streets at night and follow you on mopeds despite declining their services. It might be frightening if it wasn't so amusing. And it happens every night when you venture out onto the darkened streets from the comfortable shelter of the Mai Phai hotel we're staying at.

After serene Malacca and calm Singapore, it all seems a little too much to bear.