Saigon

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Like Hanoi, Saigon is not for those seeking a bucolic holiday.

	Saigon traffic Though people obey the traffic lights, it's still not for the chicken-hearted. The contraption in the middle is a cyclo. Here it's hauling freight, but that's where the person(s) sit. Theres only one cycle in the picture with a single person.
	A family outing
	Beauty secret If the woman on the left is beautiful, it's a secret. Many women cover up to avoid the sun, wearing hats, scarves and shoulder-height gloves.
	The only man in all of Vietnam who wears a helmet. Doesn't he look dashing. Most other Vietnamese are more sanguine about their safety. Many car owners snip out the seat belts to make the ride more comfortable.
	Café Next to our hotel. People bring their birds in the morning. When it's time to go, they cover them and get on the motorcycle.
	Pawnbroker shop The name means "happiness"
	The famous Phở Hòa
	The empty Phở Bình
	Buddhist temple
	Inside the temple One of those "mysterious East" Photos
	Also inside the temple
	Water puppets
	Street in Chợ Lớn This is Saigon's Chinatown
	Chinese hearses
	Instrument builder's workshop Against the wall are zithers
	Duyên (3rd from left), brother and family After some utterly sumptuous dining at Qúy Thành
	Simon Says in the park Wholesome, group entertainment. The last day in Saigon we took a walk in the park. They invited me to join, but luckily, I had a plane to catch.
	A miniature Cham tower Also in the park. Like the water puppets in the museum, there for people who wouldn't see the rest of Vietnam
	Relaxation Coffee, cigarettes and conversation on little chairs. What could be better? Birds.
	Social occasion Bird owners often introduce their birds to see what will happen.