Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) Part I

Ho Chi Minh was really crazy. There was about a billion things to do there, and though I stayed a week, I didn't get to see/do all the things I would have liked to do.

The first evening I arrived, I was pretty drained from all the traveling. Jon and I opted for western food, and I had some baked spaghetti. From my experience with Western food, the old favorites from home are prepared in a most unique way. Sometimes it is painfully obvious the cook has never tasted 'garlic bread' or 'grilled cheese sandwich'. It makes for a most exciting and unrivaled culinary adventure.

The next day we went to check out the War Remanents Museum, formerly titled, The Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes. (In Vietnam, the conflict is always referred to as the American War.) We took a cyclo to the museum (basically you sit in a little chair and a dude pedals you). It was rather frightening to be steered into oncoming traffic, when the traffic includes a zillion motos and a few buses. Ho Chi Minh traffic is on a whole new level. I definitely think it's crazier than Bangkok, which is saying a lot.

The museum exhibits provided absolutely no information on the impetus for the war, wartime strategies, times or dates of the conflict. It was mainly a collection of photographs, albeit unbelievably spectacular photographs. Though I didn't feel any more enlightened after touring the museum, I was in awe of the awesome work by the photo-journalists. It truly made me appreciate the power of the camera and its ability to make a social statement.

On the way back from the museum, we ran into some friends, Bridget, Mark, and Chris, who we met on our Mekong Delta tour. We all agreed to meet up for dinner after a long internet session. (I'm so far behind on blogging, it's not even funny. It's just plain ridiculous.) Chris had discovered a place that sold beer for 3,500 dong for a pint, or the staggering sum of .28 cents. We all had a few until I got a bit headache-y (homebrew with a bite). It was an enjoyable evening.

The third day, we headed off to the Art Museum, which was a lot better than the Lonely Planet implied. I really enjoyed a few of the more 'modern' pieces. We then wandered around looking at art galleries, which was quite enjoyable, and made me feel very cultured. That afternoon, I tried some Boba Tea, which is crazy stuff. There are little jelly balls in the bottom, which makes for an interesting drinking experience. You never know when something solid was going to shoot through the straw and into your mouth.

We then read for a bit until it was a suitable hour for me to ring Mi Madre. I ate out at a Mexican food place across the street (I was getting a little homesick, so between the Mexican food and phone call to my mom, I was substantially cheered.)

[I initially put Saigon/Ho Chi Minh in a singular post. I've been working on it for three days now, and it's getting massive, so I broke it up. This is the first installment.]