Good Morning Vietnam

Every morning here, We are blessed to have this beautiful courtyard as our backdrop to start the day. After my breakfast pho, eat all you can pomelo and heavenly Vietnamese coffee, we prepare for the long day ahead.

We meet our tour guide, Sang, at the hotel lobby by 8:15am. We are assigned a guide AND a private car with a driver to take us around the city. Naxxxxx.

Our first stop is the Notre Dame Cathedral. It may not be as massive as its namesake in Paris but it was just as solemn and as lovely.

In the immediate vicinity of the church is the Central Post Office. Right in the middle of the hall is the imposing picture of Ho Chi Minh.





A short distance away is the Reunification Palace. This was the last bastion of power before surrendering to North Vietnam in 1975. The famous picture of the tank going thru its gate eerily resembled our own famous uprising in 1986. The surrender of Duong Van Minh in 1975 signified the country coming together to become the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Next stop is the War Remnants Museum.
It was truly depressing and heart wrenching but the pictures and relics on display were real. All the killing, the abuse, the pain inflicted on this country - it truly happened. This museum was a reminder of that terrible event in history and it was placed there to constantly remind us that it should never be repeated again.

On to happier thoughts.

Sang brought us to a factory where Vietnam's most famous product, lacquer, is made and sold. It was quite inspiring as the products were made by those handicapped by the war and those disfigured by the after-effects of the chemicals used during the war. So many lacquer products in one room. Even if the products were more expensive here, I happily gave up a few dollars to purchase some items.

After shopping, we visited the Jade Emperor Pagoda. Beautiful kung beautiful but Reymond was about to have an asthma attack with all the incense burning inside the temple. Heehee.

So off we went to see the Saigon River. You had cargo ships at the far end, ferries with cars and motorcycles on board and a hundred others waiting by the wing.


From there, we walked along Dong Khoi where I chanced upon Authentique again. I was drawn to the store and before i knew it, I had two baskets on my way to the cash register.

At 1:30pm, we finally found our way to Le Mekong on Dong Du. In direct contrast to Lemongrass, this place had a very low ceiling. Coming from someone who is 5'2, you can just imagine how low it was! The most intriguing dish served to us was tender beef with onions in broth served inside a coconut husk which was currently lit with fire at the bottom. Gets? Well, it looked weird but it was yummy. The rest of the meal was delicious as well - just not as intriguing.

We had pictures taken at the Municipal Theater and the Hotel de Ville/People's Committee Building before heading off to the Cho Lon District.








Cho Lon otherwise known as Chinatown is buzzing with activity. Similar to our Chinatown, you could find anything and everything at this place. The most famous market at the area is Cho Binh Tay. This is for the wholesalers. Cho Lon also houses the Thien Hau Pagoda.






















For those who don't want to buy six of the same kind, Ben Thanh would be more your cup of tea. As one ad states, the only things NOT sold here are automobiles and real estate. It is a maze of chaos with people tugging---literally pulling you to come and see their goods. I enjoy a good bargain. I just don't like being pulled at. After purchasing a few items, we decided to head back to the hotel for a well deserved rest.

Two hours later, the sky is pitch black and the rain is POURING. The conditions were gloomy but how could you not go out on your 7th year anniversary. So we get dressed, borrow an umbrella from the front desk and head towards Nam Phan for dinner.

Nam Phan on Le Thanh Ton is on the street behind our hotel. It is, as they call it in New York, on the 'upper east side'. The resto is a refurbished old house with beautiful interiors and lovely decor. The food is excellent although a bit pricey. So despite the rain outside, we enjoyed our dinner immensely. One dish that particularly tickled our taste buds was the seafood salad that had generous servings of greens, prawns and squid. We were asked to dip it in some fish sauce (a.k.a. patis) and to place it on top of a shrimp cracker (a.k.a. kropek) before taking a bite. It was delicious!


After Nam Phan, we had an after dinner treat at Highlands Coffee in front of Park Hyatt. Highlands is a local brand and they are reputed to serve the best coffee accompanied by some great dessert choices. I had the honey caramel cheesecake which was divine. No caffeine in the evenings for me so Reymond would be the taste tester for the moment. The coffee is brewed and dripped direct to your cup. Reymond found it a bit too strong but he says coffee in Vietnam is unique and rich with flavor. After our nightcap, it was straight to bed for us. Long day tomorrow....