[Wander around Saigon]

Vũ Nghi
Vũ Nghi
Aug 22, 2017 · 3 min read

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) is a fascinating, vibrant and youthful city. But you can’t discover Saigon with your maps or GPS devices. the best way TO EXPERIENCE SAIGON IS TO WANDER AIMLESSLY in the streets. And only by wandering with a footstep of a stranger like that, you can reach a “ real Saigon” with all your senses: You see Saigon, you hear Saigon, you smell Saigon, you taste Saigon and finally, you touch Saigon…

I found the beauty of youth in my own Saigon…

-You see Saigon:

You see Saigon when you see the highest buildings in Vietnam. Bitexco Finacial Tower, Saigon One Tower, Vietcombank Tower,… All of those are a symbol of Saigon, symbol of modern, of development, of dynamic.
You see Saigon when you see the life of many vendors in the streets. They sell a million traditional stuffs of Vietnam in general and Saigon in particular. Their life is Saigon life. And if you haven’t stopped at the street vendors, no one would believe you had been in Sai gon.
You see Saigon when you see all the crowded streets in the rush hours. Not many Saigonese enjoy this. But trust me, is it worth to stop just a minutes and enjoy the rhythm of streets, it is slower, calmer, and on a more human scale?
You see Saigon when you see a happy smile of a worker in the street, he have just finished his eight-hour shift and now, he come back home.
You see Saigon when you get lost on foot in the web of alleyways. It brings you into contact with friendly local people, great street food, intriguing architecture, and, best of all, local life. And this particular ‘attraction’ is free!
You see Saigon when you walk pass the HCMC Opera House, which looks like a fairy tale palace lit up at night…

-You hear Saigon:

You hear Saigon when you hear the ring of a bell in a church. It’s slow but urge. It’s rush but peaceful. It’s very Saigon.
You hear Saigon when you ready to sleep, no hear a sound ‘kleng kleng’ of the night vendors. You would know a little bit about Saigon at night.

-You smell Saigon:

You smell Saigon when you smell red roses, dark chocolate from the street stores on valentine day.
You smell Saigon when you smell a million pot of Sweet gruel. Saigonese come from many places, cities, countries, so we have many flavors of sweet gruel!

-You taste Saigon:

You taste Saigon when you walk to the downtown, in a traditional restaurant, try an unusual dish that you’ve never seen before. You definitely have to try at least once our traditional food. Pho, bun bo, banh cuon are our heritage!
You taste Saigon when you taste our “banh mi” ON THE STREET, which was voted by National Geographic as one of the 11 most delicious street foods in the world!

-You touch Saigon:

You touch Saigon when you stand in the pouring rain. But don’t worry. Rain is just like a Saigonese. It’s can easily forget all the troubles immediately. And before you realize, the rainbow has risen.
You touch Saigon when play with a child you don’t know in a park…..

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Vũ Nghi

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Vũ Nghi

Here comes a slice of my soul...

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