Travelling Swift

Stories from a Single, White, Idiotic, Female, Traveller

Manic City

The people here are lovely, but down right stupid when it comes to driving. The laws are as follows:

1. Everyone drives at the same time at junctions
2. You can travel either side of the road in any direction
3. You can put your family of 5 on the back of a motorbike, and consider it safe
4. You can use your motorbike for house removals, large wardrobes can be transported on the back, warning lights and rope not necessary.

Ho Chi Minh

Said 'hi' to Ho Chi Minh on his brithday after waiting for 2 hours in the burning sunshine with no shade. Several local queue jumpers were met with abrupt 'western style' throat breakers, no exceptions were made, even for small children.

Pagoda's

These are places of worship placed in the least accessible of places, sensible! In the name of culture we climbed mountains of marble to view a dug out cave with a buddha in it, and rowed for one hour on a tin boat (well some old lady did most of it for us) to look at buddha's brother. Another religion here also allows 'ewoks' (for those that can't remember they are the small fluffy animals in Star Wars) in different colored gowns to take part in a religious ceremony each day.