How to cross the street in Saigon and sorting fact from fiction.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous before coming to Vietnam. I had spent a whole day reading horror stories about touts and scammers while I was in the planning stages for this little adventure. I heard that the Vietnamese are the nicest people while simultaneously hearing that they are out for your money. I must say that, while there is certainly an issue with scams and people who are only after your money, we have not had any issues and the guesthouse we are staying in has been nothing but a joy.
However, keeping in mind my reservations before coming, we got off the plane at 8:30am local time and were out of the airport after collecting our visa and luggage sometime close to 9:30am. From there we went in search of a taxi driver. We didn't have to search very far, as we were immediately greeted by one as we walked outside. Thank goodness for guide books. We had just learned two things while we were flying: a taxi ride from the airport to the center of the city should cost about 100,000-150,000VND (which ranges from $6-8) for a 15 min drive, and you must settle the price with the driver first. So when Matt asked how much the first taxi driver would charge, and he answered 400,000VND (~$20), we knew something was up. Matt haggled with him for a bit and the man protested that the ride would be very long - 45 mins - and that he was offering a reasonable price and we decided that this cab was not for us. Another driver had been observing this and approached us immediately and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the first driver nod at him as if to say "these people won't settle." The new driver walked up to us and offered right away a ride to our street for 150,000VND.
Driving in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) is something that I will never in my life attempt to do. The roads here are some sort of organized chaos, though I have yet to figure out where the organization comes in. Crossing the streets are even more of a chore at times. I feel my imminent death every time I see the motor bikes quickly approaching, though the owner of the guesthouse I am staying in assures me that they will never hit me. Now in Hanoi, I need to worry because they are all the sons of important people and will not pay attention... Good to know, as Hanoi is our next stop.

Yesterday we went to the War Museum. That is an interesting experience, though I would rename it the HCM propaganda museum. It always refers to the American's role in the war as the American's war of aggression against the Vietnamese people - though they very very rarely refer to the conflict that already existed between the North and the South (the real reason the war began). However, I feel like I am not in a place to judge as I have never known violence to the scale that the Vietnamese endured (not that long ago in the grand scheme of things). The museum's cavalier attitude towards fact and fiction would never fly at home where diplomacy and objectivity (which doesn't exist by the way) rules the day. This is not home though and I must respect the pain that I am sure still lurks under the surface. However, I don't think that they are really doing themselves any favors by pinning the entire war on the Americans (but really, they didn't have a right to be there in the first place... see how this the circular arguments play back on one another in my head?).
It is very interesting to think about though.

Tomorrow we go on an overnight tour to the Mekong River Delta, which promises to be delightful. Then it is off to Hanoi and Halong Bay.