My first and lasting impression of Saigon is the trashiest, dirtiest city I've visited. Not by a close magin either, As beautiful as Hoi An ls - Saigon isn't. There is trach, garbage and small disgarded items absolutely everywhere, ecept mayybe government buildings and grounds. and some of the high-class hotels. The Saigon River we came in on full of tash and vegatation floating by and many drainage pipes dumping raw sewage. A guide told us the party line that the river was not polluted only muddy. It makes the Mississippi look like tap water.
The traffic is nuts but fairly smooth flowing wit almost not stop lights or signs, even at major intersections. Everybody goes every which way but, at a steady predictible pace that all driver can monitor to get in and out of the flow, even in the opposit direction. I saw only one accident in two daoes here. This way of driving would result in an accident every 15 seconds, 24/7 in the U.S.
Having said that it is a very colorful and vibrant nation. I took a boat out to an island on the Mekong River, hiked around, took a small paddled boat down a dirty, dirty creek, lined with boats and the backs of tiny homes. If my boat tipped I would be less worried about drowning and more about coming down with some deadly disease.
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