We left for Singapore on March 20 in the late morning and arrived March 22 early morning. This is our fourth time in Singapore so we are enjoying the beautiful scenery, trails and warm weather, rather than sightseeing.
Howard developed a flu/cold so he went to see a doctor here. He got in the clinic right away, the doctor was very thorough and the 15 minute visit cost $22. He prescribed some meds and the same clinic filled the prescription. Very efficient.
We arrived in Ho Chi Minh city on March 25. It was hot (35 degrees) and sunny. Our hotel was only 6km from the airport, but it took 40 minutes in the traffic to get there. The hotel was on a side street quite close to most of the sites we were interested in seeing. However, even the closest distance can be a challenge due to the congested streets and city life that spills onto the sidewalks. The sidewalks are for parking and driving motorcycles, selling goods, cooking food, playing cards and generally living life.
Ho Chi Minh City has a population of 8.5 million people and 7.5 million motorcycles. At a major intersection, thousands of motorcycles can fly by in seconds. If the street is too congested, they ride on the sidewalks. Crossing the street for pedestrians is a science. Crosswalks are marked, but not mandatory for motor vehicles to stop. Green walk lights are respected by cars but not by motorcycles -unless there happens to be a police officer standing at the intersection.
