Saigon: Taalla kasvatetaan puita parvekkeilla - Here they grow trees on balconies

Saavuin siis tovi takaperin Ho Chi Minhiin, Vietnamiin. Kiireinen kaupunki. Tassa ensimmaisia vaikutelmia ja heittolaukauksia. :)

Nailla nakyy olevan aivan omanlaatuisensa pieni liikennekulttuuri, eraanlainen siistitty versio Indonesian sekoilusta. Taalla ei ajeta kuin jokamiesluokassa mutta taallakin kasitteella kuten "kaista" tarkoitetaan lahinna toisen kuskin vahemman mairittelevaa kutsumanimea ja "etuajo-oikeus" on jotakin mika taytyy vain ottaa muilta. Jalankulkijat ovat oman rohkeutensa ja royhkeytensa varassa. Hassuinta minusta on etta kaikki toottailevat aivan koko ajan kaikille ja kukaan ei tunnu tietavan miksi...

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So I arrived to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, a small while back. Busy city. Here's my first thoughts and some snapshots. :)

These guys seem to have their own little traffic culture, it's kind of a tidy version of Indonesia. Here people don't drive like total raving lunatics like there, but here they don't have tracks or rows, and people make their own rules who gets to go first. It's like a neverending, slow-paced rivalry. The pedestrians rely only in their own courage and balls. The funniest thing is that everybody is beeping to everybody all the time for apparently no visible reason...


Toistaiseksi olen ottanut aika iisisti, enimmakseen vain lorvinut hotellillani, koska se Malesiassa saamani tauti ei oikein ole talttunut. Olen kylla ihan voimissani mutta keuhkoni ovat melkein yhta limaiset kuin Kanervan tekstarit ja se ei suorastaan kannusta riskeeraamaan mitaan valtavaa seikkailua ympari paikkoja. Puhumattakaan etta hotellihuoneessani on eras Akilleen kantapaistani, suurista heikkouksistani, nimittain hapeallinen addiktio nimelta Cartoon Network! ;)

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So far I've been taking it easy, just been loitering in my hotel, because the disease I got from Malaysia hasn't quite died yet. I do have my strength but my lungs feel like they are filled with frogs and I don't want to take a risk of it growing stronger. Not to mention that my hotel room has one of my many weaknesses, my real heel of Achilles, my shameful addiction called Cartoon Network! ;)

Heh. Valilla minusta tuntuu etta minne ikina menenkin, jotain aina sattuu ja tapahtuu jotain. Hotellini vieressa oli tuhoisa tulipalo, minka vuoksi alueelta lahtivat sahkot. Ja, nyyh, Cartoon Network.
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Heh. Sometimes I feel like Wherever I May Roam something happens. Next to my hotel there was a severe fire causing the loss of electricity. And, sob, Cartoon Network.

Palo oli aikamoinen. Tarvittiin nelja paloautoa sen sammutukseen, ja nailla kapeilla kuijlla se ei ole ihan iisi nakki.
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The fire was quite and then some. Four fire vehicles were needed to extinguish it, and that's not an easy task on these thin alleys.

Puita parvekkeilla. Joka puolella. SIISTIA. :)
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Trees on balconies. Everywhere. COOL. :)

Ensihavainnot kaupungista ovat lahinna positiiviset. Hurjan saasteista kylla, ja internet haisee pahemmin kuin missaan tahan asti, mutta kaikkialla on mielenkiintoisia pienia liikkeita, ennatyskapeita pikkukujia joilta loytaa vaikka mita, kasittamattoman hyvaa ruokaa ja PARASTA kahvia mita olen ikina juonut, ja olin sentaan Jaavan saarella tovi sitten. :D Ihmiset ovat ystavallisia mutta heidan englanninkielen taitonsa on aivan kasittamattoman heikkoa aivan joka paikassa. Alla (engl. tekstin peraan) esimerkkikeskustelu hotellini respan kanssa sahkojen lahdettya...

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My first impression of the city is more or less positive. The pollution levels are high and the internet is sucking more than anywhere ever on this this trip, but there are interesting small shops everywhere, record-breaking small alleys where from one finds lots of weird stuff, brilliant food and BEST coffee what I've ever drunk, and that's quite something since I just were on the island of Java a while back. :D People are friendly but their English skills are incredibly bad everywhere. Below there's an example discussion with the receptionist of the hotel I reside when the electricity was gone...


- Do you have any idea when we get the electricity back?
- Yes. Big fire. Elektrisiti down. Sorry.
- Uh. Right. So when is it?
- Yes.
- I mean, when is the power coming up again?
- Yes.
- You don't understand me at all, do you?
- Yes.
- Ok. This is getting me nowhere.
- Yes. Big fire. Elektrisiti down. Sorry.
- *facepalm*

Koko keskustelun ajan henkilo nyokkaili ja hymyili leveasti. X)
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Due the whole conversation the person was nodding and smiling widely. X)


Tama on kujaksi aika levea. Nama paikat ovat erittain viihtyisia, oikea kaupungin suola.
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This is actually quite wide for an alley here. They are very cozy places, the salt of the city. :)

Paikallinen lihatiski.
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A local meat counter.

Naita on joku hetken napertanyt: Yli 400 origamia eraan kahvilan seinalla! :)
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Someone has been busy: Over 400 origamis on the wall of one cafe! :)

Paikallista riisiolutta. Vastoin odotuksiani tykkasin kovasti. :)
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Local rice beer. Against my expectations, I liked it a lot. :)

Hotellihuoneessa minua odotti jotakin mihin en myoskaan ollut yhtaan varautunut: Suihkusta tuli LAMMINTA VETTA! No, kolme minuuttia, mutta se on kolme minuuttia enemman kuin Indonesiassa ja Malesiassa yhteensa. ;)

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In the hotel room there was a surprise waiting for me: The shower gave WARM WATER! Well, for three minutes anyway, but it's still three minutes more than in Indonesia and Malaysia together... ;)

Kommunismin viimeinen linnake. Naita ja vanhaa kunnon vasarasirppia nakyy joka paikassa.
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The last stronhold of communism. These and the good ol' hammer-and-sickle are seen everywhere.

Eipa tassa talla hetkella kummempia. Laiskottaa kovasti. Huomenna ajattelin ottaa itseani niskasta kiinni ja lahtea oikeasti vahan keekoilemaan, jos koen kunnon tarpeeksi hyvaksi. Uudesta tatuoinnistakin jalleen kuvaa seuraavalla kerralla. :)

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That's it for now. I'm feeling lazy. Tomorrow I was thinking of getting a grip and actually go for a stroll, if I feel my condition as such. And next time you'll get a pic from another new tattoo. :)