Saigon Markets

When I travel I don't see everything.  I decide on a limited number of things in a place.  On this trip to Viet Nam I was interested in the food, the people watching and the markets.  Here are some images from a couple of the markets I visited.

I have visited the markets in Mexico and the markets here in India.  We have summertime markets in Kansas as well.  I like them all.  The Markets in Saigon were some of the best I have visited.  There I saw the largest selection of things in the smallest space.  Mexico runs a close second for variety but these markets definitely take that prize.  I saw wonderful lacquer ware pieces, bolts of silk, dishes, jewely, watches, and on and on.  Shown below is one of Saigons largest and most popular markets.

This lady met me as I got out of Hoi's bike rick. She was selling something.  I was so taken by her face I don't even remember what she was selling.  She is shown here as she was presenting her wares to me.

On the left a European woman is bargaining for a watch.  I bought a fake Rolex from this guy for $12.50.  I don't know how this lady came out.  These guys sell knock offs of all the big brands.  The knock offs have quartz movements which the Swiss poopooed in the beginning and now do their best to keep the prices up.  The reality is those quartz movements are reliable and cheap.  My $12.00 Rolex from Mexico has kept perfect time for three years now.

I was amazed at what is shown in these next images.  These market aisles were narrow.  Very narrow; and folks rode motor scooters up and down them.  Nobody hurt.  Just not what I would expect to see.

I included a close-up of this gal because it shows something my new friend Chris pointed out.  Folks in Saigon do not like the sun.  They cover up.  Long sleeves, gloves and face maskes.  All this in hot and humid conditions. 

More motor scooters in the aisles and scooter acoutrement.

More market scenes.  I just liked the way the one on the left turned out.  There is no particular story to go with it.  The image on the left is a coffee stall.  Now notice the moniker "weasel coffee".  I think I may have discussed this before but weasel coffee in Indochina is very special.  The beans are gathered from the jungle floor where they have been deposited by the marmots who ate them.  Apparently the enzymes in those little critters have a profound effect on the taste of the coffee.  I am quite sure this coffee was not "weasel" coffee in the strictest sense.  I think it was probablly the bean that is consumed by the animal or maybe just beans from that region but definitely not the "re-processed" bean.  I am sure of this because of the price.  It wasn't nearly expensive enought to be authentic.  Anyway I bought some, brought it home and tried it.  It was OK but not nearly as good as some premium blend I bought at another coffee shop in Saigon.

More shoppers.  I took this image to try to show one more time how confined the spaces were.  Definitely not "WalMart" aisles.

I don't know what this is.  I have no idea.  My guess it is expensive and religious in nature.

Tell me.  What do you see in these faces?  It was early in the day.  These ladies were sitting around in their market stalls waiting for the day to gain momentum.  They resisted my camera.  Their resistance was coy in a wholesome way.  Genuinely humble yet very friendly.  The memory I will take from my time in Saigon is how friendly and warm all the folks were.  To me these ladies are communicating that in their coy and bashful dance with my camera.  That memory will draw me back there.