Getting around HCMC

#nextchaptervietnam

Upon my arrival in Vietnam, I truly thought I could get by walking, running and taking taxi cars everywhere around town. I really didn't think I had it in me to get on a motorbike and to ride through the chaotic streets of Ho Chi Minh City. It didn't take me long though before I learned about the advantages of motorbikes - much cheaper and much much quicker!

Motor biking debut
Last Saturday, I had my first REAL ride (I say 'real' because on day 3 in Vietnam I got a ride across the street from my hotel) on a Motorbike - Vietnamese style! I went to play soccer in another district of the city and it took me nearly an hour to get there in a taxi car. This was the second weekend in a row that I had experienced a very long taxi ride to get to soccer and I knew I just couldn't keep that up. So, after our extended 5-aside game, I asked my new teammates if anyone could give me a ride anywhere close to my home. Luckily, one of my Vietnamese teammates, who speaks very little English, was nice enough to not only give me a ride, but to also bring me out to dinner for some traditional Pho. Now, there is no turning back...I have since been riding Grab bikes (kind of like Uber) to the gym, to yoga, to restaurants and shops...The busy streets here can definitely be overwhelming, but I now see it all as organized chaos; they seem to know what they're all doing out there so I am just putting my trust in them. I don't think I will be driving one myself anytime soon, but hey...I've most definitely learned to never say never! For now, I'll just enjoy the ride on the back!

Picture taken from Google - I'm not brave enough to try capturing pictures while on the back of the bike.

Exploring by foot
In the past 7 days, I have also done lots of walking and running around my district. The lack of proper sidewalks, the traffic, the construction and the heat make it quite difficult to get around by foot, but it is doable. Last weekend I walked about 8 kms going around from shop to shop trying to find some western healthy foods - like almond milk, which I was totally craving! I got pretty sweaty, but it was a nice relaxing way to explore my surrounding area. In addition, this past Wednesday, I joined a running club for some interval training and we ran just over 10kms, which brought me to parts of my district I had not yet seen. It was yet another fun way to get around and explore, while getting my training in!

Runclub.vn - beginner, intermediate and advanced runners before intervals training session

There we have it - another successful week in my new city. Getting on a motorbike, walking to explore, finding a running club, playing soccer, doing Crossfit, trying out a yoga class, first full week of school, finding healthy western foods, eating lots more yummy food of all types...

What's next? Sit tight - more fun to come!

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