Ben Thanh market is a huge warehouse, packed with hundreds of vendors! From food to handbags, knock-off watches to silk dresses and suits, it was a bee-hive of activity. You have to be careful what you look at, because every glance causes the local vendor to pounce with enthusiasm to sell whatever you are “interested” in.

A Buddhist flavor also hangs over the market, with vendors appealing to your sense of giving them good luck by making their first sale. That line works both ways, apparently. “You want only 1? Buy 2! It bring you better luck!”

Fixed prices don’t exist here. Everything is up for negotiation & price haggling. Not to worry though, almost everything can be found at multiple booths, so playing one off the others is sometimes fun. Took me a while to figure that out. (=