• Digital Nomad Resources
  • Southeast Asia Railways
  • Urban Rail Transit

Nomadic Notes

Travel blog and weekly travel newsletter

  • Blog
  • Travel Newsletter

Where I’m At: August, 2013 – Ho Chi Minh City

August 14, 2013 By James Clark 12 Comments

City Hall - Ho Chi Minh City

Language and moto mayhem in Ho Chi Minh City

It’s been a month since I got back to Ho Chi Minh City so it’s time for an update.

Heads Down In The Hoch

After months of non-stop travel it’s been great to unpack and stay somewhere I love for a while. In the last month I didn’t leave the city and yet I still find new cafes and eateries here on a weekly basis. The solid heads-down work time and being with friends has been exactly what I needed.

Language Lessons

Seeing that I’m spending so much time in Vietnam I’ve started taking language lessons. It didn’t take long for me to realise that I have no discipline to attempt an online course, so I am taking private lessons at a language centre.

Probably not the easiest language to start as a first new language, but at least Vietnamese has an advantage over Chinese and Thai of using Latin script. The lessons started off well enough with only 29 letters in the alphabet to learn, but then tone characters (of which there five) can be added onto to the twelve vowels. It’s tricky, but I figure if I learn the numbers and the names of food I will be happy with that.

Moto Mayhem

My language lessons are just a bit far to walk without taking up too much of my work day, so I am now renting a bike. This will also give me the chance to explore the other 23 districts beyond my walking circuit of District 1. The traffic here is legend for its craziness, but it isn’t as bad when you are actually in traffic. It is relatively slow moving compared to traffic in, say, Melbourne (where my last vehicle was a motorbike). I want to do some road trips outside of Saigon during the dry season, so starting with the craziest traffic first is good practice.

Saigon roundabout traffic
[Somehow these roundabouts work]

Site News

Now that I’ve had a month to clear a backlog of work, I’ve been looking at what to do next with Nomadic Notes. The site is about to go through redesign and I will be adding new features, such as a weekly roundup of travel and location independent news, and resources for working in popular digital nomad cities. Feedback is welcome.

Travel

While my plan is to spend three months in Vietnam, I will still be doing some travel while I am here. I have a trip to Hanoi coming up this month, and I am overdue for a beach break. Other than that I have kept my travel plans for Thailand in October open.

Filed Under: Where I'm At Tagged With: ho chi minh city, vietnam

Comments

  1. Andi says

    August 15, 2013 at 2:36 am

    Have the best time!

    Reply
  2. Ian Ord - Where Sidewalks End says

    August 15, 2013 at 9:13 am

    Hey mate – sounds like an incredible time!! I should be heading over to Ho Chi Minh in the next week or so, hopefully we’ll be able to connect while there! It’s my first time to Vietnam (if you can believe it). Otherwise, it would be great to reconnect in Thailand in October!

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      August 15, 2013 at 9:16 am

      Excellent! I will be here until the 28th so I look forward to catching up!

      Reply
  3. Andy says

    August 23, 2013 at 10:03 am

    Great article, it is pretty common in most South East Asia country where the city is dominated by the presence of motorcycle. It is also a normal view in my city.. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Jimmy Dau says

    August 25, 2013 at 4:15 pm

    Great that you’re getting stuck into the language. I’ve been taking Spanish lessons here and as frustrating as it can be, it’s the least I can do while living/travelling through South America

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      September 2, 2013 at 10:14 am

      Good on you Jimmy. At least in HCMC there are lots of people who speak English so I can get by anyway.

      Reply
  5. Mathew Duong says

    August 26, 2013 at 8:53 am

    Great post. Wish you have a good time in Vietnam

    Reply
  6. Samantha says

    August 28, 2013 at 1:13 am

    Awesome for learning some Vietnamese! It’s great being immersed in the culture so you have an advantage to learning. That is a lot of scooters!

    Reply
  7. Mark says

    August 31, 2013 at 1:59 am

    Great article mate! I do agree with you that Vietnamese is way easier than Chinese and Thai…. And if you’re planning to stay longer you can also offer English tutorials..

    Reply
  8. Rebecca says

    September 3, 2013 at 3:46 am

    what a great experience – your game to be on those cycles in that traffic and crazy rules! best of luck with the online course.

    Reply
  9. Arnold says

    December 8, 2013 at 12:46 am

    I just found your blog and I enjoy your monthly updates!

    Reply
  10. Zara says

    March 6, 2017 at 4:53 am

    hi, I like your writing a lot!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Weekly Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts, and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.
Subscribe For Free Here [No spam, unsubscribe anytime.]

About Nomadic Notes

James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

More about me and Nomadic Notes.

Follow Nomadic Notes

Recent Posts

  • Malaysia railways – a guide to train travel in Malaysia
  • Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh by bus
  • Tokyo subway maps – A guide to finding high-resolution maps of every railway in Tokyo
  • Vietnam Railways – A guide to every line, tickets, and FAQs
  • Manila Mass Transit System – LRT, MRT and PNR Commuter Rail of Metro Manila
  • Dubai Metro
  • Best beaches near Bangkok
  • Travel Twitter and the future of social media
  • Notes on Mukdahan – Isaan life on the Mekong
  • Notes on Khon Kaen – The Isan city with big ambitions

European Rail Travel

Eurail Pass Travel Guide

Europe Rail News – The new newsletter for train travel in Europe

Southeast Asia Rail Travel

Southeast Asia current and proposed railways

A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia

Featured Posts

Top 200 Travel Books
How to find cheap flights
Best new banks for travellers, expats, and nomads

About Nomadic Notes

About
Advertise
Contact
Contribute
Press/Media Mentions
Where I've Been

Search Nomadic Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Resources

Long-term Travel
Travel Blog Directory
Travel Gear
Travel Insurance
Travel Sites

Where To Stay In…

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Kuala Lumpur
Macau
Penang
Singapore

Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.

Copyright © 2023 Nomadic Notes · Site Map | Privacy · Log in