What an exciting start to the year of the Snake it has been. We threw ourselves into the spirit of the occasion and enjoyed as many of the city extravaganzas as we could manage. We saw gymnastic dragon dances  in which the 'dragon' leapt from pole to pole across a piazza and the streets were busy with lots of local dragon troops dancing in and out of restaurants, offices and markets. The beat of drum bands could be heard round almost every corner in the city centre; it was enthralling!

Dragon dancers visit a local school

Saigon Opera House

At the wonderful little Opera House we witnessed a variety performance that showcased Vietnam's folk stories, legends, regional music and dance staged by the enigmatic Richard di San Marzano and his beautiful wife under the banner of Mekong Artists. 

When we arrived at the theatre we were greeted with traditional snacks, coconut wine and samplings of the 'miracle fruit' which is always a treat for the taste buds.

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The Soul of Vietnam

The singer is holding two porcelain cups in each hand to make a tinkling bell rhythm

Saigon City Hall lit up for the new year

 Nguyen Hue ( pronounced WinWay) boulevard was transformed from a bustling street thronging with buses, cars and motorbikes into a beautifully sculptured garden for everyone to enjoy for the week of the Tet (New Year) holiday. This was their 10th year of the Tet garden and it was an absolute tour de force - nobody could fail to be impressed by the ingenious displays and the very scale of everything.

The Vietnamese love to pose and have their photos taken in front of the glorious flowers. The beautiful young girls have practiced their poses all year and they have two favourite signs to make. One is a horizontal 'V' with the fingers next to their eyes and the other is a love heart formed with thumbs and fingers gracefully positioned just below the chin.  We also tried these poses but they lost something in translation I feel!