Rainy Season - Things to remember

57POSTS

15 years ago

This afternoon rain in the north-east of Saigon is considered as the first rain of this years rainy season. This information might be a good news since temperatures of these previous days are extremely high, even with Vietnamese people. Although there is no need to afraid of high UV index or sunburn, but the rainy season is not entirely good at all. These are things you need to remember.

Traffic: I had almost gotten in three accidents in 15 minutes travel in the rain this afternoon. Because of the wet roads, low visibility and careless drivers (not only the motorcycles but also cars and trucks), travel in Viet Nam is literally more dangerous, a lot!

- Dont forget to avoid traffic hubs why its raining. The traffic jam in rainy season are surely more terrible than those in sunny season. Drivers are less patient to obey the red lights or even the police.

- Dont forget to drive slower. The streets are very wet and slippery.

- Dont forget to stay away from water surfaces on the streets, you never know how deep are those holes.

- Dont forget to keep your umbrellas or rain-coats close. Saigons weather is unpredictable.

- Dont forget to bring a plastic bag if you travel by motorcycle. Youll need it to protect your mobile phones and wallets if the rain comes while youre on the road.

- Prepare to come home late because of the traffic jams. It doesnt matter that whether you are stucked in the offices or in the middle of some random streets, the matter is that you will be stucked.

- After the rain, some streets may turn into canals or small rivers. If you travel by motorcycle, all you can do is waiting or calling for KFC delivery. Dont try to go out with your motorcycle, its not designed for swimming. If you travel on foot, I would highly recommend you to wait under any random eaves no matter whether you have a umbrella or a rain-coat. The pavements will shortly be fulled of running motorcycles because of drivers dont want to get their pants wet.

- But at last, its a great season to enjoy Vietnamese foods (according to my personal experiences), not only with the food in Vietnamese cuisine restaurants but also from the street vendors. Nothing better than having a cup of Vietnamese milky coffee in a rainy morning or having a hot-pot with friends in a rainy evening, right!?

Happy rainy season!

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WideAwake Serial expat

262POSTS

15 years ago

Great advice. I'd add the following:

1.) Watch out for downed power lines. I've read numerous stories about people getting electrocuted by lines that were knocked down into water.

2.) Keep your feet clean and dry. Carry extra socks and shoes, if you can. Be mindful of cuts and scrapes on your feet and legs. Remember that the water on the street is mixed with sewage! I have a friend who came within days of dying from a parasitic infection and I've heard of it happening to other expats.

and

3.) Try to enjoy the rain. Personally, the rain slapping me in the face, as I make my way along on my motorbike, reminds me that I'm alive!

summerdays Active member

57POSTS

15 years ago

laidbackfreak wrote:
Cheers for info, this will be my first rainy season here and I'm looking forward to it in a strange kind of way ;-)

Hi, you make me wondering what strange kind of way are you going to enjoy your rainy season here

laidbackfreak Serial expat

976POSTS

15 years ago

Summer, back in my country we don't get the same kind of rain here. Mostly it's light rain and cold, damp and dreary.
Not the torrential downpours you get here.

Do the rains last long here when they come? Like does it rain all day or just short bursts but very heavy?

summerdays Active member

57POSTS

15 years ago

WideAwake wrote:
Great advice. I'd add the following:

1.) Watch out for downed power lines. I've read numerous stories about people getting electrocuted by lines that were knocked down into water.

2.) Keep your feet clean and dry. Carry extra socks and shoes, if you can. Be mindful of cuts and scrapes on your feet and legs. Remember that the water on the street is mixed with sewage! I have a friend who came within days of dying from a parasitic infection and I've heard of it happening to other expats.

and

3.) Try to enjoy the rain. Personally, the rain slapping me in the face, as I make my way along on my motorbike, reminds me that I'm alive!

The part about the rain slapping in your face sound funny, I thought you're Wideawake but you still need rain to wake you up?

annawang Active member

85POSTS

15 years ago

thanks for sharing this.yes, we need to be very careful and make sure our feet are clean.i walked on floody 3/2 Street D10 last year bcoz the motorbike of my driver just stop.I have no choice but to walk and its so yucky.I can see the water is so dark.When I came home, i took shower right away, brush my legs many times.Better to be safe than sorry.
anyway, i love the rain, i welcome this as a gift as weve been feeling HOT since February.Back home, i would usually run to our balcony and dance under the rain.Would love to try it at the park here, dance like no one is watching. I love the rain bcoz its cool,i love looking at it by my window and I love it because it helps our farmers.

yuot96 Guest

0POSTS

15 years ago

Raining is very interesting. But if your work often in outside, raining is big a problem. I hate some drivers made me wetter when they crossing the puddle.

summerdays Active member

57POSTS

15 years ago

Rainy Season - Flood

- Ive just received a bursting news, the city is gonna hold a street-swimming competition this season!

- What are you talking about!?

- Its rainy season, streets are going to turn into rivers.

Actually, the news is not that unbelievable although it isnt true.

If you has lived through at least one rainy season in this city, you will know that after the rain, how big rivers are streets turn into. Till now, its a great challenge for the government to change that fact, but fact is still fact, Saigon is built up on the ground of a huge swamp. Every year, new flood areas come up and I think it would help if we take a look at flood areas which are left from last year.

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3B/A1/FC/BD/ngap3.jpg

If you live in district 3, district 4, district 9 or Cần Giờ district, congratulation, those are non-flood district. And the rest may be affected by after-rain flood, this way or another. The most serious flood areas are Bình Thạnh district, district 8, Tân Bình district, areas close to Trần Hưng Đạo street and others suburb as South Saigon and Bình Chánh district.

So, most of the city are gone. What should we do?

- Dont try to go out after the rain, otherwise you must sure that the route youre about to take wont be flooded.

- Try to keep your feet dry and clean, the water is very dirty, dark and somehow blend with garbage.

- Dont go out in the storm if not really necessary. The trees may be break off and smash you in the head. Ive read lots of stories about crashed car, motorcycle and there were dead. So, people, this is serious.

- Drive carefully and watch out for downed power lines. You might be electrocuted. Kind of freak, right!

- Motorcycles and cars are not designed for swimming. So, please dont try it because weve already done that.

- And the last, enjoy the rain, fresh air and free time you have while waiting for the floods to go down. To Vietnamese, its a very good excuse to be late.

No one is going to blame you if youre late because of the rain and flood. Really.

by Trà

http://saigonstay.wordpress.com/2011/03 … son-flood/