Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, August 2 – 17, 2009

 Notes from the Author.   This is my second time in  Vietnam.  My last stay was in 2003.  Not much has changed though.  Mostly, it’s  still the same from the way I remembered it in 2003. There are new infrastructures and also a new international airport.  It’s easy to walk around Ho Chi Minh city.   And if you want to go shopping, you’ll definitely do a lot of walking, as shops are not concentrated in one place as they don’t have big malls.  But they do have lots of fancy boutiques and souvenir shops, a few department stores and french cafes scattered around Ho Chi Minh’s District 1.

3 Things I enjoyed in Vietnam:  THE  Food (definitely!), cheap art galleries,  riding a motorcycle!

 

Notre Dame Basilica in 2003, HCMC

And the Notre Dame Basilica in 2009, HCMC

People's Council/People's Committee Building in 2003

 

Me and The People’s Council in 2009

The Saigon Central Post Office in 2003 is pretty much the same as today.

Other places …

The Saigon Opera House

Park near the Notre Dame Basilica.  A lot of people , mostly young people hang out at the park on the weekends.  Life here is simple.

3 of my favorite things  to eat in Vietnam:  PHO (which means Noodles), Springrolls and ice cream.

 

PHO (listed as one of the 1000 places to visit before you die.)

Wrap n’ Roll (All the spring rolls you can eat! YUM.)

 

Fanny’s Ice Cream (1st photo)    Tutti Frutti Yoghurt Ice Cream (second photo)

  Interesting souvenirs…

Vietnam is swarming with art galleries selling art replicas of famous paintings of Van Gogh, Klimt, Da Vinci, and lots more.   They also sell original paintings from local artists.  And the Vietnamese painters in my opinion are really talented artists.

There are many of these miniature boats hand crafted by Vietnamese locals.  Really nice.