despite lacking sleep from the midnight flight, i still managed to wake up early at 5:30am. catching the dark blue sky from our hotel balcony along Pham Ngu Lao saying "good morning Vietnam".
like Manila, the streets of Ho Chi Minh are already busy this early. i crossed Cong Vien Van Hoa Park which was just across our hotel going to Le Lai street. passing by street vendors mostly wearing sedge hats. 
one of the first thing one would notice are the number of motorbikes coming from all directions. there are about 20million motorbikes around the country, so don't be surprised to see these bikes occupy large portions of the streets and at times even the sidewalks. 
as i walked along, i passed by a group of people chatting around a table, greeted them "good morning" and immediately they asked where i am from. when they knew that i'm from the Philippines they offered me a chair and a drink. 
i can hardly understand what they were saying but i knew they meant that i'm welcome. they too mentioned about badminton which i believe where they just came. maybe if not of the language barrier, i could have stayed longer and enjoyed chatting with them.
they are used to seeing tourists roaming around the city and so taking photos does not offend them. in fact expect most of them to return you with a smile. that early, i said that Vietnam is a happy nation now recovering from the years of war.island: greater Asia
city: Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon)
country: Vietnam
GPS location: 10^46"06.73' N 106^41"35' E
33 comments:
there's a lot of expats who call vietnam home. it's easy to fall in love with that country just by hearing stories and looking at images like yours.
sana makarating din ako jan.
to be welcomed by people whom you dont know at all is a GOOD morning indeed!
20M motobikes, ang galing nasearch mo pa.
..and kahit sa streets, no one drinks without a straw no? sosyal! Ü
Vietnam is a wonderful place... Actually maganda ang story nila on how they recovered from a very long struggle... They could also speak french since they were of French colonization...lol... dami ko na nasabi... hayz... That's one place I must visit in the next few years... nyahahahhaha
getting an invite from locals is already a good start even if you were probably still drowsy due to your midnight arrival.
o baka nawala na rin ang antok mo the moment you saw all those motorbikes you had to contend with just to cross the street.
yeah xin chao saigon!!! now they wear helmets :) lol
That's an intriguing place. Very interesting. Beautiful faces!
Nice place... Yan daw nag sinasabi nilang kamukha natin, mga vietnamese, Pilipinong-pilipino. Good Morning Vietnam - Moks(Philippines)
So many friendly faces. That is what I'm looking for when travelling.
great shots of the Vietnamese slice of life.
Nakakatuwa naman — para ka ngang nasa Pilipinas. Love that blue morning shot!
Nice to capture the morning scene. There are many street vendors and they are all very hardworking. I am so surprised that there aint many beggars on the street.
beer hoi pagkagising hehehe
a good morning indeed!...i miss vietnam and their food but not those motorbikes, they're everywhere even on sidewalks. You'll never experience Vietnam until you cross the street!!!
I'd love to be there for the warm smiles and street photography.
All pizza places of USA http://pizza-us.com/texas/Killeen/Pizza%20Now/76541/
Find your best pizza.
the early morning is the best time to shoot. it's not just because the colors are soft but because that's when the life and the people of a city is at it's best. to capture it----must talaga ang gumising ng maaga.
wow, great pictures for tourism, i would love to visit vietnam and see things things from my own eyes and experience this culture, grat pictures
The number of motorbikes in Vietnam is crazy. I could barely walk across the street without fearing for my life.
http://ficklecattle.blogspot.com/
i just enjoy this post so much.. i would wake up early too if i were in a strange place so as not to miss the sights
that is the awesome experience man.. im so lovin this trip...
Interesting place, nice and friendly people, all beautiful images.
thats a pretty good morning nga. Your there for a vacation ba?
Indeed, they all look very happy (to see you) ;)!
like here in penang, most of the locals even women travel if not by cars, via bikes & big bikes.
...it always feels good to be welcomed in any part of the globe.
its a wonderful place + great shot = kakadik na pix.hehe
When i saw this post i was like "WOOOOOOW" in your pics you can show what you are saying, you're such a good photographer.
I can also see that they are very much like to us, very hospitable!, those vendors, chatting on the street and the smiling-face people are a mirror of Manila---very much close sa home. Parang napapangiti ka din pag nangitian ka!:)
Be safe sa travel!
strangers' welcoming smile and being invited by the locals despite the language barrier is two of the most heart warming experiences in a sojourn. :)
a pretty morning indeed. ang ganda ng place.
pinoy na pinoy ang looks nila.. no traces of war, tama nga. ang naalala ko dati napanood ko movie.. yung movie with theme song "imagine" sobra ako naiyak don..
nice place! napaka-warm ng pagtangap nila, feeling ko andon din ako.
kawawa yung mga motor sa kanila!
When I grow up, I wanna visit Vietnam too.
Friendly rin pala sila base sa photos na kinuha mo.
Ganda ng unang shot!
Good morning, vietnam nga!
Yay! So happy to see you're posts on Vietnam! Heading there in about a month and still no plans yet! :p
Are you heading up north or just in Ho Chi Minh this time?
Post a Comment