Christmas in Saigon




Saigon isn't as much a photo as it is a soundfile. Got here yesterday, Christmas, and careened straight into the cacophony of a gazillion mopeds whizzing around. Oh, and everyone's really liberal with the honking.

There's a lot more movement here than there is in Hanoi. A city in perpetual motion. Six million people who all seem to be on the streets, all in a hurry to go someplace, all at the same time.

The streets kinda look like Singapore in the 60s. Well, except for the mopeds. Storefronts that are a mess of goods, street-vendors balancing baskets of coconut water, fruits and other edibles on their shoulders. Then, suddenly, in between a row of dusty stores, bursts of cool modernity punctuate the street - Decor stores that look like they came right out of Manhattan, chill clubs. It's like NY's Nolita and Chinatown sharing the same street.

Faves so far: Gaya - for really, really urban, very pricey furniture, clothes and decor; Saigon Kitsch - for, well, what it says, Lost Art, for really cool modern furniture with a retro twist.