Bob and Heide in Saigon, Vietnam - August 2005

1 May 2006

Bob and Heide in Saigon, Vietnam - August 2005

Posted by Bob Keith at 5/1/2006 1:30 AM

Categories: Pictures from Vietnam

This picture was taken by one of our motor bike drivers outside the big Chinese market in Saigon.  Inside the buildings the vendor stalls are packed together tightly and the vendors seem like they are so crowed.  The outside picture does not capture the inside economic frenzy going on in the main and adjacent buildings. 

Photo courtesy of Heide Keith

The back panorama of Da Lat, Vietnam

                                           Da Lat city center 

This is one of Heide's favorite scenes from Vietnam.  The city rims a bowl of agriculture.  If the picture could be panned out more, you could see we and the fields are pretty much surrounded by city.  Also rather hidden is the reality that the whole scene is up in the mountains.  Photo by Heide Keith

The author taking a break in Eastern Saigon

The author taking a break in Eastern Saigon

Posted by Bob Keith at 5/1/2006 1:30 AM

Categories: Vietnam -pictures from

One of my favorite places is on the east side of Saigon on the other side of the river.  It is a departure from the Westernized main city and its big modern buildings and breakneck commerce pace.  But, the roads on the other side of the river are mostly unpaved and my driver's motor bike tire picked up a nail.  Never fear - there is a cafe every 25 yards in many places.  Likewise, there is a repair shop every 25 yards as well.  If one has a couple plastic kindergarden chairs, a stump for a table, and a cooler full of Coca-cola you have a cafe.  If you have an air pump, a tire repair kit, and a screw driver you have a motor bike repair shop.

My mini DVD camera was giving me trouble the whole trip so it never bothered me to have an excuse to stop and put it back together again.  In the picture is a shady tree, a river view, a small chair, a class of Coca-cola, a tree stump for a table, and my driver's cigarettes - the consumate Vietnamese cafe.  Photo by Heide Keith

Heide in Saigon, Vietnam - August 2005

1 May 2006

Heide in Saigon, Vietnam - August 2005

Posted by Bob Keith at 5/1/2006 1:30 AM

Categories: Vietnam - pictures of

Heide on her first day in Vietnam in Saigon.  I could not remember this location and first thought the picture was in another town.  It is way to easy to get lost in Saigon and other cities in Vietnam even in a familar neighborhood, but Heide says she had the blue outfit on for her first day in Saigon.  I think we just walked around the block from our hotel to get the lay of the land.  Note the dude climbing a wood ladder leaning against the utility wire.  Wires hang everywhere in Vietnam.  They must be behind in the underground wire technology.  It often looks like they have dozens of wires on any given overhead pole system.  Sometimes they hang low.  I recommend not touching stuff like that but that's just me.

Saigon has pretty wild traffic.  Da Lat and Na Trang are better places to get the hang of the motor bike culture if you are inclined to rent one.  Photo courtesy of Heide Keith

Bob in Vung Tau, Vietnam - August 2005

1 May 2006

Bob in Vung Tau, Vietnam - August 2005

Posted by Bob Keith at 5/1/2006 1:30 AM 

Categories: Vietnam - pictures from

   This pic is from Vung Tau, the coastal town south of Saigon.  In the background is a hydrofoil boat that is used to shuttle people from Saigon to the coast.  They get up to maybe 70 miles an hour (seems like anyway) and lift up out of the water.  They are a pretty rough ride and the machines are old (the Vietnamese seem to be able to make anything run), but one runs about every half hour both ways up and back most of the day until evening.  The trip takes an hour or so.  I think it is about seventy miles down the river to Vung Tau from Saigon.  

Photo by Heide Keith