Fledgling Expat

I never thought it would come to this!

This is not my idea of ‘going for a walk’

But after four weeks of pottering around city streets, the odd walk in a jungle

Beng Maelea Temple, Angkor Wat

and stroll along a beach

Koh Rong Samloem

my legs needed a decent workout and so this was my unchanging view for a little over an hour while I slogged over 5 miles on incline 5 (whatever that may be), at 6k/per hour.  Give me the wind, rain and mist of Cumbria any day when it comes to walking.  Bring on Google Glasses!  That view over Saigon has about as much interest as looking out of a goldfish bowl.

Saigon River District 2

An occasional person hanging out laundry a highlight.  OK I had my iPhone, but no visuals.  If anyone would like to put together a ‘hills highlight’  slide show, iPhone compatible I would be eternally grateful.  I think I may be seeing that view for a few more hours if I am to stay fit enough to climb the hills on the plan in a couple of months time.  Until then, well my feet were not much more interesting.  Just had to imagine those fabulous views.  And the wonderful August weather!

Great Carrs, August

You may think walking around the streets would be preferable but believe me here the air-conditioning is currently on to chill the room down to 27C!  Open the door and your immediately wrapped in more moisture than Wainwright would ever have dreamt of on the wettest Cumbrian day.  Being colder inside than out is something I just can’t get used to.

Herdy?

And this is as near as I got to a ‘Herdy’!

Ho Chi Minh is far more cosmopolitan than I expected it to be.  For two weeks I was practically in the centre.  In the hustle of District 3 where Europeans generally only stop off for the War Remnants museum.  There is a wonderful range of extremely inexpensive Vietnamese restaurants and street food.  You can eat well for under £2 per meal.   And if you get fed up of going out then order in from over 100 restaurants in the city anything for Indian to Mediterranean.

Central city claustrophobia was fast approaching though, so I have moved out a little.  Over the river to District two.  It’s much quieter, so much so the Vietnam guide says its more suitable for ‘older’ expats who prefer fresh air and a quieter life.. I figure that must be me!

Saigon River at night

Being only day two I haven’t explored much yet but there is muesli in the supermarket, at a price, so I can drop the rice for breakfast and the view from the 8th floor shows how vast the city really is.  Something I hardly noticed with my daily two street walk in District 3.  Downsides so far, not so much street food, and rather full, as the guide suggests, of white caucasians.  But can’t have everything and my lungs are appreciating the fresh air.