I wrote to a friend that I had just been flitting through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City on the back of a motorbike. It was one of the most hair raising and willie shrinking experiences I've ever had and I reckon I looked death in the face and saw the complete video recording of my life in 2 microseconds about 15 times! You're just counting that no twit in a car or on a scooter sideswipes you, turns across you, or suddenly stops. It was like playing a high-speed video game, as we disappeared through impossibly small spaces that were suddenly closing, or dodging bikes and scooters cutting across you in the wrong direction. Like a video game, it's all a question of impeccable timing and my driver was pretty skilled! There are, actually, surprisingly few accidents, because there is an unwritten set of rules and it's all about give and take, mostly give.
Once, when my companion got angry with me (it does happen), she took off like a mad hornet and we went crazily zigzagging through the traffic, bumping over sidewalks to cut corners, through red traffic lights, down one way streets the wrong way, grazing fire hydrants! I'm still alive to tell the tale. She kept insisting that I ride and pilot the bike, no more than a scooter, but I gently and firmly refused. You need a bit of experience before venturing out into that traffic, because if you've never done it before the first impressions are truly scary. Just looking out from the 9th floor of the Holiday Inn in the early morning revealed the main road below to be choked with motorbikes. However, there is no other efficient way of getting around Ho Chi Minh City. There are bus services, but they are not very efficient, except for the ones (free) provided by the Vinhomes conglomerate, which ferry the residents to and from the central district of Dong Khoi. The city badly needs a metro system. I didn't get around to using the water buses on the Saigon river.
Vinhomes is a bit like a gated community, although anybody can enter the area, which consists of a series of 46 story new skyscrapers with swanky flats, housing around 10,000 residents. Interestingly, all of these apartment blocks happily displayed a 13th floor, something you would never see in China! The area is pleasant to spend time in and there are plenty of convenience stores, cafes and restaurants, along with a gym which my companion signed me up for! There is a large parkland beside the river, with family areas and children's playgrounds.
Motorbike and scooter fuelling station
Motorcycle madness in downtown Ho Chi Minh City
More motorcycle madness, with streets that are just jammed with bikes
The Vinhomes estate by night
Landmark 81, the highest building in Ho Chi Minh City