Weekend in Ho

  Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Sunday, November 16, 2008

After the respite in the Mekong Delta sharing the joy of the friendly locals, Saigon felt very foreign. In our time away, the city had filled with tourists, populating all the hotels! This meant we had to scout the town for a room. As our first was not up to scratch and sounded like it was on the highway - we moved to a quieter cheaper family run joint (actually quoting Vietnam Dong!), where all the staff/family seemed unable to speak English, except for an Australian family friend staying with them!
 
Saturday's sole purpose was shopping! We went to the Saigon China Town known as Cholon. Being away from the hordes and touts, we got to wander the streets. We visited a couple of beautiful, very well ornamented

01. Hanging Scents

pagodas - with large circular incense columns hanging from the roof. We stumbled over more pagodas than anything else, including restaurants! We finally found one - definitely a local joint - where we had travellers' lottery ordering food - hopefully it was pork! Right!!!
 
When we made it to the main market, we swiftly escaped, as it was packed, a bit smelly, and after getting shoved around a bit - decided the more touristy one was more conventional but comfortable! After perusing the different wares, feeling exhausted, we lucked upon a delightful French patisserie for coffee and pastries to recover. Revitalised we made our purchases and went in search of pampering- a facial for Kirsty and a hair cut (incorporating a head massage) for Mike. The night was finished with a good helping of Pho noodles (the Vietnamese staple soup) at a local stall.
 
Given the success of our shopping, we had to send off a small box of purchases home - 10kgs later (our backs will be grateful) we went to the Reunification Palace. Built by the French in the mid 18th century as their seat of government, it was bombed in the 60s by the Viet Minh and rebuilt in GORGEOUS 60s chic. When the Viet Cong conquered the South, the palace was turned into museum. The place is almost exactly how it would have looked on the 30th of April 1975! We kept thinking interior designers would have been orgasmic with retro envy!
 
Needing some Western solace, we went to the very smart 'Diamond Plaza' cinema to watch Quantum of Solace. It was great though they only make sweet popcorn which for Kirsty was disappointing. As we left the theatre we

06. Final Sunset in Vietnam

spotted the most incredible sunset over sprawling Ho Chi Minh City. We had supper including a soup of sea snails at a great place we had been to previously. For anyone wanting to know sea snails are quite tough and rubbery - their land based cousins are far tastier! We completed the evening drinking a local fresh beer called "Bia Hoi", talking to a local tailor and other travellers - the beer smells a bit like vomit and is more like barley flavoured water. Back to the real stuff for Mike!!

As we left Saigon - and so Vietnam - the following morning, it is only fair to try and reflect on our overall experiences. Both happy and sad, our farewell from Vietnam is not without regret.  Our time has been both frustrating and incredibly fantastic! Highs include our first day and a half in the countryside, the trip to Halong Bay and the cycling around the Mekong Delta. Lows would have to include the countless hagglers and con artists always looking for a dollar or two - arriving in both Hoi An  and Hanoi, the organised tour operators in Hoi An (from where we learnt very quickly to pay for what we would want!).
 
The country itself was very scenic and will provide very fond memories for both of us. I am sure that we will both return there one day - with more money - to enjoy the sights we loved, and the ones we missed. Outside the major centres the people are incredibly friendly, happy and always interested in you, wondering in amazement that we could be interested in them and the way they live. The fertility of the land meant that the food was always great, fresh and full of flavour!