SAIGON

"Saigon. Shit." Those words - mumbled by a drugged out Martin Sheen in the opening scene of Apocaplypse Now - ran through my head as our bus lurched through the gridlock traffic that greeted our arrival in Ho Chi Minh City. First, lets clarify one thing: although the government likes to pretend that Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC for short) at the conclusion of the war in 1975, in reality, they're the only ones using the new name. So far as I can tell, this city will always be Saigon to the locals. And what a city it is. I guess I had been lulled into a false sense of serenity by the rest of the country (even in karaokeville Da Lat) because Saigon was a head-thumping rude awakening.

With a population of around 7 million and over 3 million registered motorbikes, to the untrained eye Saigon - the land knockoff zippo lighters - is an unqualified chaotic mess. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed the last few days here - I certainly have - but Saigon has yet to win my affection like Hanoi or Hue have. Unfortunately, it likely won't have a chance - first thing tomorrow I'm plunging into the Mekong Delta for a few days before beginning the Cambodian leg of my journey.

Oh well, Saigon is one of those places you've got to experience - and I have. Like any good Asian city, Saigon is loud, dirty, and filled with exotic sights and even more exotic smells. However, unlike most Asian cities, there hardly seems to be any respite from the craziness. Motorbikes are screaming at all hours - just the prospect of crossing the street makes the idea of walking more than few blocks seem daunting. The all-encompassing noise of endless construction projects - jackhammers, dumptrucks, tractors - effectively wring all the peace and quiet from the local temples. Hotel touts and motorbike taxi drivers are on you as soon as you leave the relative safety of your alleyway hotel. And then there's the heat. Ahhh....deep breath.

Ok, let me back up a bit. Saigon IS a really cool place. The history here is unreal. I mean it's SAIGON after all. Everywhere you turn, there are reminders of the Vietnam War: the Presidential Palace, the old American Embassy site, the War Remnants Museum, the War Surplus Market, and even the people that you meet. Everyone over the age of 40 has an incredible story to tell about living through the war and it's aftermath. While it lacks much of the obvious old-time appeal that makes Hanoi so fascinating, Saigon has cornered the market on recently created history. In that respect, Saigon really is an amazing place. However......

Saigon strikes me as a wanna-be Bangkok, and I suppose someday, if the current construction boom is any indication, it may achieve that status. But today, it's a city with all of the negatives of Bangkok with very few of the positives. In all fairness, I've got to say that my visit can be described as cursory at best. You could never claim to "figure out" a place in a few days, and I certainly won't claim that now. I found a handful of amazing places (the Jade Emperor Pagoda is hands down, one of the coolest temples I've ever visited) and met a few great locals who took time to talk to me about their experiences in the city. The examples of French colonial architecture that remain are gorgeous (I mailed in my absentee ballot under the eye of Uncle Ho in the spectacular French-style central post office). I found a half kilo of weasel coffee to share with my friends when I get home - ask me about it sometime. I was hit on by my first hookers in Saigon. But I'm also leaving with a nasty heat rash and a dull headache. Maybe it's just all part of the Saigon experience. Shit.