On the 5th day..
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — Getting off at the Pham Ngu Lao area, the backpackers’ haven in this city, on your first visit to Vietnam is like waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
Picture this: In Manila, if you get run over by a motorcycle, there’s probably a 99% chance you’ll live. Here? Forget it. Chances are that one motorcycle is followed by 200 other bikes that you’d be dead 199 times before your body becomes visible again on the street.
This is the third country I’ve set foot on over the past five days. Unfortunately, it seems like the past 12 hours has officially ruined the image of Saigon in my mind. It’s chaotic. Seriously.
I just hope the visit to the Cu Chi tunnels (which is outside the city) and other interesting places would have a great impact on my first impression of Ho Chi Minh. There’s got to be a redeeming factor around here somewhere.
