We finally got our car! Actually, it had been here since about
September, but it took about another two months to get our license
plates from the Vietnamese Government.
We've been driving it for over a month now and - much to the
astonishment of many of our friends - we don't have a driver. First,
it's hard to describe what it's like to be a witness to the chaos of
Vietnam traffic, especially in Saigon. Like Manila, it can best be
described as "organic." Movement is constant. The big difference is
that the main culprits here are the innumerable motor-scooters
swarming around, and moving about akin to a swarm of bees surrounding
you. Whenever you turn, you literally just "dive" into the swarm of
scooters and just trust that everyone gets out of your way - which
they do. However, drivers here (on two and four wheels alike)
concern themselves strictly with what's in front. The concept of
blind spots or checking your rear view mirror is completely alien.
So honking is constant.
