The streets of Ho Chi Minh City

Say it was meant to be a relaxing holiday, so hubby and I did not book a tour. We only had one night's hotel booking in hand when we arrived Ho Chin Minh City. It was 6 pm local time (Malaysian time is an hour ahead of HCM). I learnt this profound truth -

Do not worry about your life,
what you will eat;
or about your body,
what you will wear.
Life is more than food,
and the body more than clothes.
- Luke 12:22-23

Honking is a way of communication on the busy, chaotic and disorderly streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Eventhough I have heard and read much of such way of communication in Vienamese streets, it still surprised me of the honks of motorcyclists. I thought, one should be ready to accept the rude gesture of being pointed with fingers should one honk along the streets of Sibu! Later, I settled comfortably with the honks and crossed the busy streets safely!

It's pretty simple. Don't bother waiting for a break in the traffic, just step out and walk at a steady pace. Don't stop and never ever step back. The motorists are used to all manner of obstacles and are perfectly happy to go around the pedestrians. Just step out!

The streets vendors add colours and vibrancy of the city. I caught many scenes of the street vendors during my morning walk along the streets of HCM City. I am an early bird. I have to wait until 6 am to stroll along the streets. The streets are pretty safe though! Still, it was a foreign land to me.

Join me in walking down the streets of HCM City - the early morning walk. Don't ask me about the food they were selling. I am quite reserved or not adverturous with food!

These women earn their living the hard way. I managed to communicate with a few women and they said they were making an average of VND30,000 (approx 6 ringgit) per day. They feed their families and pays school fees of their children. These vendors usually live in the country, travel back and forth rain or shine. I have wondered whether they go to take a rest. Or even where they go to answer their nature's calls. And will they be soaked in the rain?

I can't imagine a picture of HCM City streets without shoulder poles, without baggies of pineapple and bananas swinging around, and without graceful silhousettes topped with palm hats weaving in and out of the crowd along the pathway of the shops.

Yes, in my short stay in HCM City, those street vendors lived real in my mind and stay long. What more to say that I took the shoulder pole from the vendor and put in on my own shoulders for long enough to just have a picture taken.

It was cute and exotic for that moment. But, what these street vendors have taught me is something I could not have learnt elsewhere -

Leave tomorrow's trouble to tomorrow's strength;

tomorrow's work to tomorrow's time;
tomorrow's trial to tomorrow's grace
and tomorrow's God.
- Author Unknown