My first recollection of HCMC is being propelled feet first on a cyclo into the dazzling glare of an afternoon sun. Hemmed in by motorbikes with no sense of self-preservation, after the initial disbelief, I simply melted into the melee.That set the tone for what was to come. Inexplicably mesmerized, I went with the city’s flow – literally.Flying in from snowy London in 1998 as an “intrepid” backpacker, I was seduced instantly by the broad sunny smiles, sultry tropical climes, pulsating street life and palpable energy.Thus commenced an all-consuming love affair with Vietnam, especially HCMC. Samantha Coomber is at Saigon train station, 1998. Photo courtesy of Samantha Coomber. During the initial trip and repeat stays until 2002, HCMC was, in parts, a different world. It was like walking into the pages of Graham Greene’s ‘The Quiet American.’ For me, the city still lived up to the ‘Paris of the Orient’ legend – the cyclos and push bikes, white ao dai fluttering in the breeze, dreamy French Indochina-era buildings and tree-lined boulevards.It was a voyage of discovery – of ca phe sua da and local street food, com tam and pho ga shops and sizzling banh xeo; and it was a… Read full this story
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