The roads are an ocean of motor bikes and bicycles.

There is a section of the city popular with young backpackers. Motorbikes rent for $2/day, food is cheap and books on traveling are in many languages.

The term small restaurant takes on new meaning here.

A local sidewalk restaurant.

The mix of high heels and motorbikes don't phase the young women.

The tree lined streets remind one of the Champs Elysee.

A new Department store and its adjoining outdoor cafe make this small section of town look just like any another modern city.

A trip to the trendiest coffee house for Yuppies in the city, "Windows".

(above)
The Mercedes of the motorbike world. At $6000 US it is big bucks here where a small motorbike from China can be had for $250. There are 6 million residents and 7 million motorbikes. You must be 18 to drive one but you you don't need a license if you drive a bike with 50cc or less. They need insurance now which costs about $6.00 per year.

This is the face of Yuppidom in Saigon. The parking lot was lined with the best motorbikes available in Saigon.

Again the old and the new are always close to each other.

The french influence.

Donna went to the Cu Chi tunnels so I took our guide for the day. We went to a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant called "Monsoon".The food was wonderfully light and delicately spiced. Fish, rice and vegetables with beer were consumed.

Some of the old French colonial homes have been restored.

The former government houses.

THe new economy has brought its new palaces.

Some of the old French colonial government buildings have also been restored.

Opera gloves, a white "al yi" and mask are worn as uniforms by high school girls.

A small bus for hire.

Many streets down by the river are not paved.

Food preparation along the river bank.

A construction site where most of the steel workers were women. The was only one hard hat on the site and most workers wore sneakers. OSHA reps were nowhere in sight.

My guide and driver after safely returning me to the ship.