A pedestrian's guide to HCMC (by Laura)

To cross a road in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam is to embark on a treachorous journey (see top).

As you take that first step off the curb and enter the fray, it's worth keeping these key rules in the forefront of your mind:

- Do not survey the road at all before you leave the "safety" of the pavement. If you hesitate even slightly, chances are you will never make it. You may as well go back to the bar for the day and try again tomorrow.

- Move slowly and steadily, without stopping and never backtracking (the chain reaction to such a rash action isn't worth contemplating). Give the moto drivers a chance to swerve to avoid you but don't give your feet a chance to freeze in terror.

- If you reach the other pavement, this is no time to relax. Pavements as we know them do not exist in Vietnam; if traffic lights are red, our indomitable moto drivers simply nip onto the pavement and continue their journey along there.

Pedestrians, especially tourists are cheap and expendable in HCMC. The life expectancy of your average moto driver isn't all that promising either. And just don't mess with the buses.

Laura