Roundtrip Indochina

After breakfast, we take a bus tour through Ho Chi Minh City. The streets have gotten a lot busier. The sheer number of scooters is astounding. Of the city’s eight million residents, four million use a scooter. They swarm through the streets like ants. At traffic lights, the scooters pile up in thick rows, zipping past us on both sides. Driving a bus during morning rush hour is no easy feat. Still, it’s great for taking photos, especially from our slightly elevated position in the bus. Along the way, our Vietnamese guide tells us about the buildings and the city, though his English is hard to understand. Our first stop is the Giao Lam Pagoda. Dating back to 1744, it’s the oldest in the city. The guide explains the Buddhist sanctuary. Just as we’re about to leave, a service begins. I quickly head back inside. About eight monks are attending the ceremony. It clearly shows that Buddhism is a smaller movement in Vietnam—quite the contrast with Laos. We continue our tour with a walk through Chinatown. As in all Chinese neighborhoods, the streets are bustling, and people are selling just about everything from small street stalls.