Blogs from District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast, Vietnam, Asia - page 33

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Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 March 7th 2011

Started the day off right with a Saigon sunrise at 5:30am and a stroll around district 1. It is amazing how many folks are on the move at this hour, setting up shop, exercising, milling about. A very refreshing swimming pool on the sixteenth floor, daytime temps in the mid 90's with 400% humidity. U.S. Commercial Service was our first tour. They are a U.S. government agency that assists American businesses wanting to do business in Vietnam. Very interesting visit on many levels. The Vietnamese leave nothing to the imagination in the (American) War Museum and the Reunification Palace, built by the French in the mid 1960's, was stately. Had a fabulous lunch for $100,000 dong (insert audible gasp). This is only five American dollars. :) Ended the evening with an entertaining dinner cruise, complete with ... read more
Our Hotel
Never seen a tree quite like this one
Our Group

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 March 6th 2011

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Hung had booked Monk and Saavas seats on the 9:00 bus to Saigon. Phuong Trang seems to be one of the better Vietnam bus companies. It's a 4-hour journey for a fare of 80000 dong ($4) and that included the mini-bus pick-up from the road bridge near Hung's house. The seats are numbered and reserved and there's no overcrowding. It also includes a mini-bus from the bus station on the outskirts of Saigon to a drop-off point in District 10, close to the centre, from where you can get a taxi for the short distance into District 1. Monk and Saavas had booked a hotel overlooking the river in the Dong Khoi area for a couple of nights. This area is fine and there are some reasonable restaurants and bars within ... read more
From the Fine Art Museum
Pavements for Pedestrians?
Another Pavement Obstacle

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 March 6th 2011

Saturday morning departure from Nashville at 6:45am headed for Chicago/ Hong Kong/ Ho Chi Minh City. Arrived at hotel at 11am Sunday, Nashville time (28 hours later) or midnight local time. It was a very long day but I feel good and am ready to explore. We were greeted upon arrival by a throng of screaming fans. Maybe Bieber was coming. Here is a short list of things I will try to avoid at all costs. 1) Hospitals 2) Dog meat 3) Karaoke Brian... read more

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 March 6th 2011

Vietnamese people are much more forward than Cambodians. This can be good and bad. My first morning in Saigon and going for a wander. The moto and tour touts and beggars are a bit more pushy than Cambodia but not too bad but I go and sit in the park to look at the map away from them. Then a couple of students ask if they can talk to me and practice their English. We chat about a range of things and they seem to be genuine. Just want to improve their English, get good jobs and travel. Their parents are both farmers in the provinces. Many Cambodians have reasonable English but are very shy about using it and never would be forward enough to ask to practice. Soon another guy and a woman join in ... read more
Ben Thanh Market
Inside market

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 March 5th 2011

Morning all, I hope you're all well. You might want to join me with a cuppa - it's set to be long un' I'm afraid! I'm currently sat in bed this Saturday morning with a cup of tea and a hangover watching Star World (crappy US girls TV channel), Take That album playing from the living room and the washing already in the washer. Yes, that 's right, it's Mr Cwiss here. Naaaah not really, he's off on a boys motorbiking holiday with a couple of mates. So indeed, while the cat's away... one must make like Carrie Bradshaw and enjoy a short return to the life of a (not at all) single (or) girl! Last night was a one off, one of those nights you think - 'Am I really doing this?!' I was invited ... read more
It's cold up there now, you know
At Hoan Kiem Lake Temple, Hanoi
Northerners would win....

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 February 22nd 2011

Vietnam!! We spent 4 days in Hoi An having lots of clothes made and have now got a selection of tailored dresses and Roseanna has a tailored top which are very practical to be carrying around!! We explored the area around Hoi An as well and as it was nice and hot so decided to cycle to the beach which was a very pretty. We then took another sleeper bus down to Nha Trang!!! After all being piled onto the bus and people being forced to sleep on the floor between the beds we set off!! The journey was interesting and reminded us of the Night Bus from Harry Potter with lots of banging stops and swerves - it was best to shut you eyes and attempt to sleep!!! We arrived safely in Nha Trang and ... read more
My Son
My Son
Hoi An

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 February 20th 2011

After the slow couple of recovereing days and a couple of bus trips we arrived in Ho Chi Minh city or Saigon. It was exciting to be in the hustle and bustle of a large city again. Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam and 10% of the population live here, thats 8.7 million people so its by far the largerst city we have been in to date. The city is amazing and instantely we fell in love with it , there is just so much to see and do and the food here was amazing! We managed to score a awesome guesthouse down a back alley that we shared with our roomie Cia again! After settling in and grabbing a feed we had an early night to get ready for our history lesson in the ... read more
War Remnants Museum
Having a beer and traffic watching
Reunification Palace

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 February 15th 2011

Well me made it to Vietnam safely despite flying with an airline that has a bad track record! It's hard to explain how it felt arriving in Saigon after travelling through sleepy Laos. Saigon is incredible, it can give London and New York a run for its money with the plush hotels, shops and restaurants. In a city of 8 million people, where every other person owns a motorbike, crossing the roads is a mission! It truly is motorcycle city, although we are told Hanoi is worse! Being true backpackers we managed to find a decent room for $4 each after some haggling. I think we're becoming experts at getting the prices down now. There is loads to do here. We visited the Cu Chi tunnels, which was unbelievable! The tunnels have been widened for tourists, ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 February 13th 2011

Saigon is a city on the move in all respects. The city roads are clogged with a mass of motorbikes and scooters. Crossing the busy roads is challenging to say the least as the bikes and scooters appear from all directions and appear to have no regard for the traffic lights. The city is also on the move economically with new high rise blocks of offices and apartments appearing out of the ground and sitting alongside those already dominating the skyline. It will not be too long before the city rivals the likes of Singapore and Hong Kong with the country's economic growth being one of the largest in the region. Officially this is a communist country but following recent economic reforms by the government free enterprise is coming to the fore and this is reflected ... read more
Reunification Palace - corridor of power
A trophy of war
John and Lynne with Vietcom fighters

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City » District 1 February 13th 2011

Leaving Phnom Phen (was a bit of a struggle as Carl had came down with what is known as The Backpacker Bug. However we stocked up with Imodium) we set sail upon our little cruise boat that would take us down the Mekong River and into Vietnam. It was a great alternative and far more enjoyable than taking any bus journey. Before we reached the border we were able to stop off at a little island village, meet some of the locals and try some local food. After an hour at border control we set sail again on the Vietnamese side of the river until we reached the first destination in Vietnam called Chau Doc. Vietnam is frantic it never slows down and even in the small port of Chau Doc we where taken aback by ... read more
Mich chillin on the our boat
Local lady at the village we stopped off at
Local Fisherman on the Mekong




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