Folks in Saigon (Vietnam)

A lane like this is where you find the real Vietnam.
Carrying two heavy baskets of food slung on a bamboo pole, the woman in the conical hat is a common sight.
Wearing hats to keep out the sun, and masks to protect themselves from the polluted air, these girls stand out among the crowd.

The pleasing thing about travelling in Vietnam for me was the absence of touts and beggars unlike in Indonesia and elsewhere. In my three visits to Vietnam I didn't come across any beggars in cities and towns or in the country.

I was impressed with how hardworking the ordinary folks were, both young and old. Everyone was busy with some kind of work or the other. No work was too humble as long as there was money to be made.

The younger generation knows little about the Vietnam war to be bothered. They are more interested in getting the latest cell phone, computer games and that status symbol, the motor-bike.

A fellow passenger,probably in her early 40s, in an inter-city coach said, "I hate war."

Americans need not worry about visiting Vietnam.