Adios 2009

A more common sight

  

Following on from yesterdays post, this is a more standard view when looking up on streets of Saigon

A rare sight

There is something strange with this photo and at first I could not figure it out. Then I realised that there are almost no power lines, which is a real rarity here as can be seen here and here and here

The Mask Man

Stray coat hanger near Zen Plaza

The champagne of beers?

Christmas present delivery

Bicycles

There are only a few places where you see a lot of bicycles gathered these days. One is at schools, the other around markets, and then there are places like these - internet gaming shops. Unlike wireless internet cafes which are a staple of the city but require your own laptop, these gaming shops are targeted at children who do not have access to the internet at home.

Mobile seller

Christmas with a price tag

Christmas outside the Sheraton

Something akin to waffles and pancakes

More Yamaha!

Reindeer in Saigon

More occupational health and safety

These roof tilers were working on the kindergarten site across the street from work and are working about 4 stories up. The guy applying the tile cap at the front is actually wearing a harness. The other three bozos smiling for the camera are not.

Dinosaurs for sale

I wonder how long these have been sitting on the shelf?

Kindergarten construction nears completion

With the removal of most of the vegetation, the multi pastel fluorescent technicolour kindergarten across the street is nearly finished. It seems like only a few months ago the foundations were pounded into place, and it actually was. From demolition to completion in under 6 months and during the rainy season - impressive. The silence in the office is now a weird feeling.

Morning fix

A bit of a blur last night

Breakfast in the street

Hotel Continental Saigon

The Wild Horse Saloon

Its beginning to look a bit like Christmas

Christmas is coming

Restaurant lighting

News stand

Deserted food court

Fish pond toilets

Hard not to think pink at the Sheraton hotel

Loretofest 2009

December Theme Day - Waiting

The "heads" of two lions taking a break between performances.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Arborist Vina style

We have a construction site across the road from work and it was interesting to watch this bloke cut down a tree with an axe. It was not that he was barefoot, wearing no harness or any other safety gear, but that for the most part other workers were not standing under the tree and endangering themselves. An oddity

Rice

Last weeks Christmas Bazaar

New Mekong highway

I travel down to the mekong delta regularly and the current road is ridiculously over crowded and congested. It is expected that the new highway will change this as there wont be many on/off ramps. A bigger bonus is that they are planning to not allow vendors on the side of the road either, which will probably make the most difference

Live mollusks

I love Asian restaurants were the seafood is live and you choose your seafood directly. Everyone wins

Rural bicycle parking

Thin hotels

With the rise in popularity of the mini hotel you can see many examples where there are only two rooms per floor (at front and back) and the lift and staircase in the middle. Le Thanh Ton st is full of them

Caravelle and Sheraton hotels

Awaiting collection

One of the things I really like here is the delivery of decent food to your door, in fact there is not one outlet I know of that does not deliver. However the cheapest (and possibly tastiest) are noodle dishes that turn up hot, cost around a $1 and then you just leave the bowl outside for the vendor to collect later. Easy

New Zealand Natural Ice Cream

This is my kind of advertising, so woeful it makes you laugh out loud. Especially the putz on the left sitting on a watermelon, is that even a flavour?

Red Door Deco

Restaurant lighting

Old and new on the street

Prawns in the wet market

Fish sale

Saigon river and District 2

Loaded with herbs

Somewhere in the west of the city

Saigon Paragon

Built in the swamps of District 7, the Saigon Paragon shopping mall (centre) takes up space between the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (left) and the Lawrence S Ting building (right). The top end shopping mall is aimed at the burgeoning market of Phu My Hung but on the day I went inside there was not another soul to be seen.