Saturday, February 21, 2009

Saigon Lovely City


Opera ... Saigon landmarks


Saigon Square ....... cheap goods of all kinds
UPDATED : 22/2/09
I am in Ho Chi Min City @ Saigon now and have been here for the past few days. So much changes here since my last visit in 2004. There was the new airport and many new buildings in the city of 20 millions people (declared about 10 million only). The city was vibrant and alive as usual and I love it. It does not looks like a former communist country that many would imagine. It is far from the democracy system that many countries preached but then they are happy with their system and progressing like any free developing country. I won’t be surprised they will over take many countries including Malaysia in the near future in economic development.

Thouands of bikes but no accident

The messy politics fiasco that burdening Malaysia, Thailand Philippines and Indonesia was clearly in absence here. You see plenty of trees and parks in the city that is full of motorbikes ( millions of them ). Surprisingly there is no “ Mat Rempit “ here, in fact I think we should penalized our Mat Rempit by sending them here to learn about riding a motorbike in a safe manner. The roads are very wide with spacious walkway pavements but the shop lots are rather small in comparison to Malaysia. Nevertheless very functional and well decorated.

More to write and photos to share but that will come after this. I need to go for my breakfast and visits all the galleries in Saigon.
Wide roads and pavements with lots of trees
Mesjid Jamek Saigon more then 200 yrs old
Girls of the Ben Thanh Market ... very cheap goods here
Simple gallery .... very cheap paintings
One of top gallery in Saigon
Art collectors and lovers haven
Ipa- Nima, Vietnamese Internatioal Brand
Shops and more shops
Traditional Vietnamese Musicians
Shereton Saigon.... my hideout for the trip

3 comments:

ZABS said...

Salam DJ,
Jauh melarikan diri untuk merawat duka melihat kekecohan suasana politik kita ke? Buka Mat Rempit patut belajar di sana, orang politik pun patut belajar satu dua perkara dari mereka agaknya...

jaflam said...

salam Zabs,
sebenarnya ada kerja disini dan ambil peluang shopping dan melawat.
Memang banyak yang kita perlu belajar daripada mereka di sini ... tapi malangnya ahli politik kita masih menghabiskan duit dan masa rakyat dengan sandiwara mereka.

Mungkin nanti bila dan terlambat baru nak menyesal.

ara said...

DJL,

Eden was also in Saigon last Nov 2008. Sempat eden solat Jumaat kat masjid Jamek. Khutbah dlm Bahasa melayu... hebat peninggalan Melayu Champa. Faham sunkmo khutbah berkenaan, except the 2nd phase with the local Vietnamese dialet.

ara