Motorbikes. They are everywhere. One cannot just stroll the streets as they come at you on the sidewalks. No mindless strolling that is. Do not seem to hit people but one always has to dodge them. No rules.
Imagine the Palo Alto Arts and Craft market in late August. A very hot summer day with very clear skys. No clouds.
Now make some modifications.
-Get rid of the sourounding buildings as they are far too tall and cast far too much shade. Make them single story and move them back about one inch. Leave them there, the one inch is critical.
-Add humidity, the more the better.
-Add another row, a double row of course, of vendors on both sides of University Ave.
-Bring on the crowds. Lots of shoppers and buyers and gawkers.
-Add another row of vendors as it is not dense enough yet.
Now, squeeze yourself down the rows to look at the goods. Keep an eye out for the motorbikes squeezing past – in both directions. They have horns blaring just for background atmosphere.
This is a market area in HCMC or Can Tho or, I suspect, elsewhere.
The floating market was not much different except is was boats of a very wide variety of types.
After an afternoon stroll in the area and market it was time for a Vietnamese massage. An excellent one. Ah….
A short nap and then off to a dinner. Nothing special this time. OK dinner at the waterfront – tomato soup, pumpkin flowers deep fried, clay pot fish, string beans with garlic, pork with mushroom sauce (strange combination to me).