Saigon

After nearly 24 hours of travelling and transit (I could have gone to Europe in that time!) I finally made it to Vietnam, pretty weary. Because I used my Frequent Flyer points, I flew from Melbourne to Sydney to Darwin and 7 hrs later (thanks to a flight delay) from Darwin to Ho Chi Minh City.

Today's been pretty uneventful - basically wandering around and getting a feel for the craziness of this busy city. Crossing the roads with care, making sure I don't get ripped off and getting used to the warmer weather (luckily, it's not too bad - just a bit more humid than I'm used to).

Thankfully I've been here before - I can imagine the culture shock of arriving here before anywhere else in Vietnam - it is sensory overload with motorbikes and horns and crowds and people selling everything and Vietnamese pop music. But I still love the vibe and enjoyed wandering the little back alleys behind the tourist streets - people living their lives with their loungerooms open to the street, children and grandparents napping on the cool tiled floors, women sweeping and cooking. On the tourists streets, it feels like I'm in Australia because every foreigner seems to have an Aussie accent and there are lots of them.

I don't feel like I've really begun my trip and am looking forward to flying to Hanoi tomorrow.