Living dangerously - crossing the road

I did cheat by joining two men who were making their way across the road. I realised they were heading to the middle of the junction, so they could then cross the road to the other side.  Many manoeuvres in this game!

And another incident - without local help!

Last day in HCMC

Breakfast buffet, with Christmas decorations.

We went again to the main market.  A long time since I have seen a wet market.  This is the pork section. A pic doesn't capture the noise and the smell.

Bikes galore. This is the footpath.

Now to get to the other side....

Eventually..

This is lunch.  We had to wrap things ourselves.  Delicious.

And dessert.  Have had this at Hornsby!

And saw this in a pharmacy. Was told it was for men.

Putting one's faith in one's fellow man

We have become quite adept at crossing roads in Saigon - skills we will have to rapidly unlearn as early as our return to Singapore.  It is a dance between pedestrian and his fellow man.  No  crossing the road with eyes glued to mobile phones here.

Last time we were in Saigon, traffic was largely bikes.  Now there are more cars - and new ones too.  When crossing, best to wait until there are mainly  bikes.  Cars will stop for you too, but they are not as manoeuverable as bikes.  Some pics below - but very difficult to capture the intermingling of bikes and pedestrians.  A familiar person in a couple of them

One of the better pics....

Footpaths are not just for feet - but two wheels certainly and sometimes even four wheels.

HCMC - but you see a lot of Saigon around the place.

Today we went to the Museum of History.  A very comprehensive overview of the place from pre-history to the present.

Pics not allowed but snuck this one.  A perfect 200 year old mummy of a female aristocrat, discovered in 1994.  More info here

Food is easy to get, cheap and good.  We have discovered Wrap and Roll, a chain with a marvellous array of rolls, drinks and some desserts.  Tonight's effort cost us AU$15, including the cost of the wet towels.

The coffee is also good - one legacy of the French perhaps.  Almost got this one for you Rob - but we have something else in store for you!  Not sure how it would go in Pete's coffee shop.

HCMC

Our hotel.  Next to it is construction for a new rail line, built by a Japanese/VN consortium.

The Opera House.  The only way to see inside is to buy a ticket for a performance.

St Mary's Cathedral.  The only way to see inside is to turn up for Mass

The Post Office - outside

and inside.

History lesson - a group of school children, all dutifully carrying a letter to be posted.

More school children enjoying the pigeons.

Lunch

And Vinglish - at breakfast.  There is very little though.

The Guillotine

There was a guillotine on display at the War Remnants Museum.

Neat and tidy.

And just in case you were thinking of it.

Ho Chi Minh City

We flew in this afternoon.

The Mekong Delta from the air.

They sell durians here too! Bought some for you Rob. KM is choosing which one.

The streets have changed since we were here 9 years ago.  Now they have bikes AND cars. But rules for crossing are the same. First, find a local and walk with them. Second, cross slowly and the vehicles will go around you (we hope - so far so good).

Bellringing in Singapore UPDATED

We are now in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Kin Mun was involved in St Andrew's Cathedral's ringing for the Bicentennial of Singapore - being 200 years since Raffles did a deal with the Sultan of Brunei.  The Singapore PM visited, sensibly wearing a casual shirt before changing into a suit for the service.  Pic of this below.  Let's hope ScoMo doesn't get any ideas.

We both joined them for their practice night on Monday.
Pics below. The first is from PL on Facebook.

Broken stays are a hazard for ringers.  This is the aftermath.  The bell keeps turning and pulls the rope and sallie upwards.  Unringable until repaired.

They are a friendly and welcoming band who have made great progress since August.  A tribute to their enthusiasm and also the the benefits of intensive training.  We ring with them again on Christmas Eve and one more practice night before returning to Sydney.

Redemption

Always sought.

QANTAS

Yesterday's road trip was a short one.  I had been told by a fellow bell-ringer that Hudson Fysh was buried at Dural.  After some googling, we found his grave. he is buried at St Jude's Anglican church, Dural.  However the cemetery is not in the church grounds but about 400m to the south.

Self explanatory..

The two graves..

And the church itself.  A service was beginning, so we could see inside.  It was delightful - built between 1846 and 1848. Googling has revealed various descriptions - Norman style;  Victorian - hard to go wrong with that last one!  The architect is uncertain.