Saigon Doesn’t Stop When It Rains

Finding shelter between stops

The photograph above takes me straight back to that evening: our guests and local hosts together, sheltering from the rain. The route changed, but we still had food to share and plenty to talk about.

That is what I remember most. We didn’t need the evening to follow the original plan for it to feel like time well spent together.

A toast while the rain kept coming

Guests sharing drinks during a rainy Saigon street-food evening — A quick toast while the rain kept coming.

We kept talking over drinks. Looking back at this photograph, I remember the company as much as the weather.

Bánh mì, made right in front of us

A local vendor preparing bánh mì at a Saigon street-food stall — Bánh mì made right in front of us.

The rain is part of this story, but so is the food. Here, the focus was simply on watching bánh mì being prepared in front of us.

OG Saigon guests eating bánh mì with local hosts during a rainy evening — Still eating. Still smiling.

We found shelter, and we kept eating. The photographs hold onto those small moments together better than a list of stops could.

And Saigon carried on

Motorbikes and street lights reflected on a rain-soaked Saigon street — And Saigon simply carried on.

Beyond us, motorbikes and street lights filled the wet street with reflections. We watched the city carry on around us.

For me, these five photographs tell the story of that evening: a change of route, shelter, food and conversation. The rain became part of the memory.