We walked again to De Tham area in the hope of chancing upon a motorbike tour guide we had met on a couple of previous occasions. Leaping onto the back of a motorbike in the middle of Saigon seemed like a reckless thing to do from a pedestrian's point of view, but a little research revealed that this was a common way to get about and visit far-flung parts of the city.
Unfortunately, our 'friend' was nowhere to be found. However it wasn't long before we happened upon another willing driver.
Nghia was all smiles and presented us proudly with a book of testimonials from other satisfied customers. The personal reports were written in all languages, some even accompanied by passport photos and statements vouchsafing for the driver. The existence of the book revealed to me that Nghia had a shrewd business head. He appreciated that tourists want to feel safe and that personal statements from kindred travellers was the way to gain trust and ensure custom.
With helmets on, we hopped onto the back of the two Suzukis - one driven by Nghia and the other by his friend, Lom. With little warning, we dismounted the kerb and joined the mêlée. This mode of transport is known as xe ôm, meaning "motorbike hug". However, I felt instantly safe and secure on the back of Lom's bike and did not need to hold as tightly as this name suggests.
We zipped along with the other traffic, predominantly made up of other motorbikes, mopeds, bicycles and cyclos. The speedometer was stuck at 0km/h (broken or disabled, I wondered), so I'm unsure of how fast we were travelling. As part of the pack, the impression of speed was much greater, I suspect, than the reality. I wouldn't be surprised if we maxed out at only 30mph.
Travelling at relatively slow speeds, I saw how it is that such volumes of people can cross the city by motorbike without incident. Each rider travels independently, but also as part of the group. As a pedestrian steps out into the street, there is no need for the traffic to stop. The drivers part, swarm-like, to make way for the obstacle. Provided that the person crosses the road slowly and decisively, the swarm flows around them, as water round a rock.
We were taken first to an indoor market in Cholon (Chinatown), district 5. On three levels, this market was crammed from floor to ceiling with clothes, shoes, fabrics, and knick-knacks. The stalls were packed so tightly that there was barely room to squeeze by. It was lunchtime as we visited, so many of the stallholders were sat, squatting Vietnamese style or on tiny stalls, tucking into simple rice-based dishes from the food stands outside.
From D5, we had an exhilirating ride back into the heart of district 1 to visit Notre Dame Cathedral! Functioning as a giant roundabout, a brick-and-stone version of the Parisian cathedral stands in the centre of Saigon. Built by French colonists in the 19th century, the basilica is notably missing the characteristic flying buttresses of the 13th century original and has pointed towers.
The basilica is an odd sight in the centre of Saigon and is flanked by the neoclassical central post office, designed by Eiffel (of Tower fame). We entered the large arched hall of the still functioning post off
In common with 80% of other Vietnamese, Nghia is Buddhist. He took us to the Jade Emperor Pagoda (Chùa Ngọc Hoàng). Today is a full moon, the first day in the lunar calendar and a special day for Buddhists (as is the new moon on the 15th day). The temple is permeated by the smell of incense lit by worshippers. The front of the temple features a pond of carp and a pond of terrapins, some of which are moving so slowly that they have gathered moss on their shells.
At the end of the tour, we sat down to a beer (Tiger) with our motorbike driver and chatted a little about his life and views. He wants freedom for all people, mentioning the people of Hong Kong, but never visits Hanoi in the north of the country. "They look and speak differently". Language limited our ability to probe too deeply into his world view, but it was an interesting glimpse into the life as a xe om driver. On parting, there was a small quibble over the price we had agreed, which threatened to sour the relationship we had established, but in the end we paid a fair price for his time.
We took a walk to the river. The riverfront of District 1 is a dispiriting place. The Saigon river flows brownly past the skyscraping tower blocks on the far-side bank, while a statue of Trần Hưng Đạo, who repelled three separate Mongol invasions in the 13th century, looks on. Behind him rise a rapidly increasing array of luxury hotels and office blocks, including the Bitexco Financial Tower (the tallest building in HCMC by far and, for a short while in 2010, in the whole of Vietnam), with its jutting skydeck viewing platform like an African lip plate - although the architectural design was apparently informed by the lotus flower. The riverfront is brightened considerably by a beautiful collection of bonsai in an open garden.
Fortunately the big sister branch of Hum vegetarian restaurant provides a much-needed oasis of colour from the surrounding drabness. All dark wood and lush fabrics, the 'lounge' provided a contemplative space for us to while away an hour or so, sipping smoothies and nibbling on some diep rolls (cuốn diếp).
Cucumber, peppers, tofu and rice vermicelli noodles wrapped first in in cabbage leaves and then in crunchy lettuce leaves make up a (vegetarian) diep roll. With a dash of wasabi and sweet basil inside, and dipped into a coconut red chilli sauce, it is a clean and crisp mouthful.
At 6pm, we had a date at the splendid French colonial Saigon Opera House (also the Municipal Theatre) for A O Show.
A O Show is performance theatre comprising a number of vignettes of daily life in Vietnam told through dance, music and acrobatics. Eschewing a large and complex set, the stage and performers are dressed in simple black cloth, while the set arises organically out of cleverly composed and manipulated bamboo constructs. The bamboo is strong yet flexible, like the young cast of performers.
The show is breathtaking and gives the much grander Cirque du Soleil spectacle a run for its money. It is astonishing largely owing to the simplicity of the concept and implementation. Redundant are the elaborate animal costumes required for staging Disney's The Lion King - impressive though this production is. Instead, bamboo poles, fishing baskets and equipment for drying rice morph into ducks and beetles at the hands of the performers. Elegant and minimalist lighting completes the effect.
Far from being hidden out of view, the musicians are integrated into the stage. At one point the saxophonist joins the cast on stage to head up a packed commuter bus, while wailing on an alto sax.
In a scene reminiscent of François Ozon's In the House, the performers, distributed among bamboo scaffolding, depict everyday activities as observed through the windows of an apartment block. Part way through the show, there is a dance-off between two halves of the cast that mirrored the rehearsals we had witnessed in Tao Dan park. The dancers put body and soul into their turns and looked as though they were having the time of their lives. Hopefully this production will tour (I imagine the equipment could almost be carried on the back of a motorbike, judging from the loads I have seen around town), but if you are in HCMC, I would heartily recommend seeing the show.
HCMC is a youthful and exuberant city, full of energy and creativity. With 42% of the country's population under 25 years old, I suppose this is unsurprising. By invitation from our host, Oanh, we joined her regular swing dance class after the theatre. Never having tried swing, the half-hour introductory class on the basic step and two turns was a baptism of fire before the free dance. This class teaches a 6-count version of swing, which I picked up reasonably quickly to the teacher's count. However, to music in 4/4 time, I constantly felt off the beat, as it takes three bars of music and two counts of 6 before things are again aligned. With brief experience in salsa, this method of dancing felt quite alien, although the movements of those more familiar with the dance bore more of a passing resemblance to salsa stylings as they jitterbugged about the floor. This corner of HCMC is swinging indeed.
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