Ho Chi Minh and Colonel Sanders: Same Person?

There is only one thing in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) as ubiquitous as the portraits and avenues dedicated to Ho Chi Minh and that is the Kentucky Fried Chicken's. There is no chain restaurant in the city with as many storefronts or with as wide a footprint. Vietnamese, much like the Chinese, are obsessed with KFC, yet one cannot help but wonder if this is due more to the Colonel's striking resemblence to their revered leader than to his delectable blend of herbs and spices. There are several websites dedicated to the phenomen which explore the similarities (both were born in 1890 and worked as cooks) between Colonel Sanders and Uncle Ho.

(coincidence?)

I've been under the weather since we arrived in Saigon five days ago and haven't been able to update the blog. Fortunately, not much has happened besides lots of movies being watched and gatorade being drunken. I left Saigon yesterday on a short flight to Hoi An, a tiny coastal town, which is one of the most well-preserved examples of colonial architecture in the country. Below are some pictures from the last week.

(monks posing for a photo in Phnom Penh)

(Along Route 1 - Phnom Penh to Saigon highway)

(advertisement on Sony's tuktuk)

Make sure to check out the flickr gallery for more photos from Vietnam and Cambodia.