Subs, Cyclos, Pho, 333 beer and Good times

---

So Day 2 in Saigon has been filled with all the makings of a perfect day filled with Vietnamese goodies!

We woke up at 6am today (and you know if this was Toronto, Thai would be complaining!). Cousin Ha, a lovely, sweet 13 year old took us out for a wonderful, steaming bowl of pho for breakfast. 3 bowls, plus one Fanta cost us the equivalent of a whopping US$ 3 !

We then jumped on a bus with The Aunties to head down to another Aunty's place closer to the city. Airconditioned buses, thankfully! The city was coming alive. The motorbikes were out and in full force.

Thai needed a haircut. All my attempts at trying to get him to have a haircut in Toronto were in vain, as he insisted he only wanted to pay $2 for a haircut! We went over to a hair salon with his cousin Tan. I was sent in the back room for a hair wash! Who knew that a hair wash could be this luxurious and calming! The guys too joined in for their hair washes after I was done. First off, you lay down on a bed, with your head and hair resting in a sink. Ohh, the head massage we got was out of this world. Then came a facial scrub, and cool, freshly sliced cucumber placed all over our faces. More scrubbing, more massaging, a very cold bottle of water and we were sent off with a bill of less than $10 for 3 "hair washes" and one hair cut!

With clean hair, and glowing skin, Bianca set off with The Aunties for some shopping, while Thai and cousin Tan set off on the Hondo motorbike to visit a travel agency. However, not after we had a delicious snack of French baguettes submarines, stuffed with sliced cucumbers, crispy pork and chili paste as a spread. Wow, so simple, so good!

Bianca and The Aunties enjoyed a few hours in colorful marketplaces, trying on clothes and shoes. There were fruits, meats, seafood, flowers, and restaurants in this huge market.

Bianca is considered extra large, or "sorry no size" in Vietnam. With little luck with shoes, or clothing she was left to buy one pair of wooden slippers and one pair of pjamas! Pjamas are considered acceptable clothing for outside the home, and they come in all the latest fabrics and designs. Bianca is currently wearing PJ's in the internet cafe, and could not be happier! :-)

After an exciting ride on a cyclo with Nhan (Thai's mum), we arrived home to some cool 333 beer! Never have we seen ICE so critical to every single drink we have! Beer n' ice, never tasted so good.

We returned home to Aunty # 5's home for some wonderful bun rieu noodle soup, made with pork and crabs.

Tomorrow will be another early day, as we will be off to Can Tho where Thai's Grandma lives.

---

Comments

[Samira]

exciting start!
Hey adventurous travellers! Glad to hear that you two arrived safe and sound and enjoying your first few days in Vietnam. The traffic scene in HCMC seems alot like the crazy scene in Bombay........I think I could use one of those hair washing and face pampering sessions right now ;o) Thai, your lovely aunties remind me of my aunties back in Goa who love feeding me with all the yummy Goan cuisine :-)) Pls. keep the journals coming - makes me feel like I'm on vacation as well ...LOL! Have an awesome holiday - Luv, Samira

[Mama]

no more news zabout Vietnam?
What happened ?? No more stories ? Hope you'll are well.

[Goose's brother]

Beer and Ice before whiskey and ice your in the clear...
Yea, I had beer and ice in Taiwan, on some small remote beach...interesting to say the least. Gotta love Asia!! Damn I miss some good Vietnamese food....wish y'all could stop over in Seoul for a day or two..would be something else.