Ho Chi Minh City / Vietnam

07/11/17 - 12/11/17

Here shopping was first on the agenda. What unexpectedly took two whole days 😀 We ran around the huge market for 5 hours a day, which was almost impossible to overlook. Thousands of stands, thousands of voices calling you to their stand, thousands of hands pulling at you. Yes, afterwards you are really exhausted and just need some rest - even the radio is too much 😀 But it was definitely worth it, because we brought home quite a few bags! It really had to be done, because we can't stand the few clothes in our suitcases anymore 😀 At noon, we were stuck in a café for an hour because it was raining so heavily that you would have been soaked in 10 seconds!

The city itself is not really beautiful... for the most part, the buildings are very run-down and everything is very dirty. In addition, the city is incredibly huge! Ho Chi Minh City is divided into several districts and it takes 30-40 minutes to drive to the neighboring district alone - insane... Life in the city is very hectic and restless, which eventually rubs off on you unconsciously. You are constantly on edge and can't really approach anything relaxed.

Markus' friend from home is now living here for a year, so we could meet someone we know again🖒 It was also nice to be able to have a proper conversation with someone again, because apart from restaurant owners, a few waiters, and some vendors, no one here speaks a word of English, which makes communication really difficult and exhausting.

We were really lucky with our 'neighbors'. Although a conversation only worked through the mobile phone with Google Translate and sign language, they were so open, nice, and warm-hearted. Every morning we were invited for coffee and in the evening for a beer. They even lent us their motorbike without wanting any money in return so that we could explore the city... On the day of our departure, they even said it feels like letting family members go. So sweet!!!