Paragliders

Tourist boats

Channel marker

House boats in Nha Trang

Scuba tanks

Nha Trang port

Roundabout reflection

Art deco public buildings

Shoes from Sapa

Barbecue garden

Kite flying

Jazz at L’en Tête

Advertising

Roadside sale - belts, wallets, purses

Sunday night peak hour

Banana cart

Stairs at Cepage

Cantavil apartments

Outer Saigon is becoming an apartment bonanza, with construction ringing all directions out of the city. These 3 are on highway 1 heading north in District 2.

Xích lô gathering

Blooming Vietnam

Medical help at Long Hải beach

Old villa in Long Hải

We were in Long Hải over the weekend (100 km north of HCMC) and drove past this old villa sitting proudly on top of a hill. We have no idea what it is currently used for but it certainly looks out of place in Long Hải, and in most of the country for that matter.

Pasteur Institute

Best coffee in town - Au Parc

Propaganda posters at Dogma

The Virgin Mary stands guard

Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City is arguably one of the most beautiful buildings in all Vietnam. It was built in 1877 - 1880 by the French architect Bourad, has a Neo-Romanesque facade with twin towers and a large statue of the Virgin Mary in the front square. The history of Notre Dame Cathedral, including an incident in 2005 where some believed the Virgin Mary shed a tear, can be read here

Laneway meat and veg

Stalls selling all manner of meat, fish and vegetables operate in the early morning in many laneways around HCMC. I pass many houses like this every morning on the way to work.

Roadside kites and balloons

Commonly called the "circle of death" for those who spend hours trying to get through it every day, the roundabout where Ðiện Biên Phủ and Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh meet also gives those stuck in traffic the opportunity to purchase fluorescent kites and animal balloons. Obviously selling kids toys in the middle of heavy traffic does not induce improved commuter flow, but it may pass the time during peak hour.

New Zealand Wine and Food Festival

Sunset on the Saigon river

Graffiti

There is very little street graffiti in HCMC. What I have seen is usually just poor quality writing with little in the way of "art". More common is the stencil and spray paint advertising for renovations which consists of a mobile phone number. This advertising is so common that I took this collage in a 400 metre radius from my house.