I think at this point I can safely say, on record, that this rainy season has been the worst I've experience in Vietnam. Lots of tropical storms, lots of tropical depressions. Ho Chi Minh City remains well-situated to catch the tail-end of these howlers, not to mention the fact that most of the very southern part of Vietnam is naturally buffered by the Phillippines (who are currently catching TONS of weather). So the worst we get are unexpected power outages and a few extended hours of floods. And, wet. You will get wet. Nothing short of a full-body rain suit will protect you, and even then you've got to watch out for the nasty rain/street water that gets kicked up in your face from all the other motorbikes around you. Cars, though the individual usage of them would make traffic in HCMC unbearable, aren't such bad things for safe wet season travel. But who can afford that import tax? (Currently: 100%).
I've poached some pictures from various news sites that show what they're dealing with up north. Next week, I head to Danang/Hoi An for some R&R; though technically "Central" Vietnam, and though Hoi An itself is protected somewhat from the coast, I expect things will remain very wet indeed.
Another piece of Vietnam News: Last week in Quang Ngai, a central province that saw a lot of fighting during the American War (this is the province is where My Lai is located), a father and son were discovered living in a tree in the jungle for something around 40 years. The father, now 80-something, fled with his infant son, now 39, after their village was bombed. You can read the story here:
Thanh Nhien.
