Third World Market

Sorry it's been so long. I really hope our internet at home gets up soon. I feel like I'm neglecting you guys.

Anyway, I had an interesting experience today. I rode Vietnamese style with Pete, Sol, and I all piled on Pete's motorbike to the market place. This is where I truly learned the meaning of third world.

The market is a grouping of stalls with fraying fabrics over top to keep out the harshness of the sun in the morning and towards midday when the markets get most of their business. You can find anything from perfume to a live squid under there. The floor is simply the ground. Muddy. And with the remnants of yesterday's unused produce added to the muck. It's a haven for insects...and rats.

Pete, Sol, and I were there in search of bui, mangos, watermelon, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and onions. It was quite and adventure. By the time we'd found an dpurchased these things, I had a suspicious muddy spot on my heel, was sweating like crazy, and had gained a thorough appreciation for Wal Mart.

I saw live fish flipping around in dirty water, live squids flopping around in dirty water, live fish flopping around out of water, live fish becoming dead fish...etc. Agh. I then proceded to drink a cup of something icy made from sugar cane, climb back on the bike ( holding the fruit an dother purchases precariously and my lap) and ride home. Wow. That is really what Viet Nam is like. The area where I live is the watered down foreign dominated section. I can't say I mind. HAha. It was a neat experience though.