Saigon 2 Street Life

Our second day in Saigon (which most of the older residents still call it), was about getting into the alleys and byways and markets of Saigon and learning more about how the people lived. We climbed onto Vespas. No, that first picture of Jeanne looking badass was not accurate. She rode in the backseat as you can see below. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Zipping down narrow alleyways and weaving among traffic on the highway, it was good to just be along for the ride.

Wherever we were, and these surroundings were quite humble, the children were playful and the people were friendly.

This alley was made very special by a local artist. He didn’t like seeing garbage piling up in the alley where he lived, so he started painting artwork on the walls. No one wanted to put garbage against his paintings, so the alley became cleaner. Sadly, the artist died from Covid in 2020.

You could see lots of signs of Lunar New Year preparations in this local market, including the beautifully carved coconuts and decorated fruits below.

We visited this temple below where a few of our drivers made their prayers to the gods for the new year.

This 120-year old alley is where a group of people who call themselves Hoi live. They are a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese ancestry. Each of these doorways, upstairs and down, is a separate home where one or more families may live. A lot of their activities, including cooking, are done outside. In the evenings people hang out and sing and play cards and entertain each other.

Our guide Aline is showing us the scratch off cards these people are playing. It’s a type of lottery.
This woman has prepared a beautiful offering platter to please the gods for the new year. It will be eaten by the family later.
Her husband is putting gold paper, representing money, in this metal can and burning it, another offering to the gods for new year luck.

Until 20 years ago this was known as the gangster alley–the part of town you avoided if you didn’t want to get your necklace ripped off your neck or be caught in a fight. After a government crackdown, it became a peaceful place. Our guide pointed out shops where reformed gangsters now run businesses. ” Now they can sleep at night,” she said. It seemed like all of these byways were little towns, complete unto themselves. The front rooms of a home could be a grocery, a laundromat, a hair salon or a cafe. And laundry hangs everywhere

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