SAIGON - Vietnam

Spent 5 days in Saigon. Met some really cool people, as mentioned in my previous post *here*

Did not do much touristy stuff my first few days here but spent time exploring the city. And thanks to my new Vietnamese friend, I got to experience and see more of Ho Chi Minh City while zipping through several districts on her motorcycle. Sweet!

Not the cheapest cocktails, yet cheaper than Malaysia's

Craft Haven @ District 5

Interesting sights of Saigon

My new friend and I at the posh side of Saigon @ District 7

I 'celebrated' my first Christmas away from home, tagging along a small 'Santa-con' crew. We walked around the streets of Saigon, being stopped a multiple times because the guys dressed in Santa suits made great photo-ops for the  locals. Did a live Karaoke in a Vietnamese Bar, being the only ones singing in English (to Queen and Journey). Embraced the chaotic Saigon traffic on Christmas eve, it was bewildering! I feel like Queen of the Roads now that I have graduated from crossing the main roads in Vietnam!

What KL Traffic?

That's my travel-party dress I was wearing. It is crease-free, which is why I love it so much. I can just roll it up and stuff it into my big backpack. It has partied in Phuket-Phi Phi-Bangkok-Phnom Penh, and now, Saigon! Pretty neat, eh?

Chris arrived on Christmas morning, and I moved from Hoang Linh Hotel to Saigon Backpackers' Hostel. There are 2 Saigon Backpackers. One located near the intersection of Pham Ngu Lao and De Tham streets, facing the main road, and the one we stayed in is located in an alley on Pham Ngu Lao.

We spent 3 days in HCMC together before flying off to Danang to catch the bus to Hoi An. Our gastronomical hunt began in Saigon. It was FOOD, FOOD, FOOD, and juice. My daily fix was an Avocado shake - the thickest, most delicious shake I've ever had. Cheap too (around $1) a cup.

Lunch at Ben Thanh Market

Rooftop @ Go2 Bar - Happy Hours

Banh Mi

Everyday, we had to get our daily dose of Banh Mi (15,000 VND). There are at least 5 Banh Mi stalls along Pham Ngu Lao. This is gastronomic-addiction!

Chris was raving about the famous Lunch Lady featured in Anthony Bourdain's travel series, and was determined to locate her. It was worth the long walk from Pham Ngu Lao as our stomachs were fully satisfied after a wonderful lunch. In fact, the Lunch Lady knew we were looking for her as she gave us a huge smile when we were walking towards her stall. She's been featured in several magazines and newspapers, yet remain ever so modest about it.

Tastiest, freshest Spring Rolls we've had in Vietnam

Bowl of Goodness from the Lunch Lady

There was an International Food Festival in the park near Ben Thanh Market, and guess what I chanced upon:

Malaysian Food Stall

Though the Roti Pratha they were preparing on the stove are frozen instant ones. Blah! We did not stop for food at the food fest though. Why come to Vietnam to have food from some other country??

As mentioned, we did not do a lot of touristy stuff, which means I saved a portion of money from all the sight-seeing, but spent it all on more food! Heh!

We checked out the War Remnants Museum before we went to the Lunch Lady as it was 'on the way'. Very informative history of the Vietnam War, yet according to many, I feel it was quite biased too. Though one can not deny the awful truth of war, plenty of photographs that depict the tragedy of the Vietnam war. Museum has 3 floors of photo exhibition - we only covered one as it got too packed with tourists and our minds wandered of to the Lunch Lady's whereabouts. 

At the compound outside the museum were planes and tanks used by the US Army during the Vietnam War. Again, too many tourists around. So we just snapped a few photographs and left.

 

After reading about the Cu Chi Tunnels, I was looking forward to the trip out to the former battlegrounds of the Viet Cong guerilla during the Vietnam War. It is without a doubt, really impressive how they have managed to dig such narrow tunnels as hiding spots and underground travel routes, and constructed rooms for several purposes (eg. medic, kitchen, armoury, living quarters, etc). However, I find the jungle too 'artificial' and it doesn't feel like it was once a battlezone. Maybe it was due to the numerous tour groups present. I crawled through the tunnel routes, though I was hoping for one with longer distance (it is said that the tunnels stretch as far to the city centre of Saigon)

Cu Chi Trails

Ventilation Holes

Part of our Tour Group - we came in 2 buses!

 

Maybe we feel that we get our money's worth by spending on food instead of tours - to go to or see some sights, one needs to follow a tour group. Though, we did not dine in any fancy restaurants, just stuck to stuffing ourselves silly at the food stalls by the streets - places where you hardly find any tourists!

Food market outside our hostel

SEAFOOD!!

I was in Saigon from the 23rd to 27th December 2011.