It's the weekend in Saigon

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So we've finally left the family for our first night out on the town in Saigon! We've got a hotel book (US$10 - for a simple, clean room, with hot water and a/c!) What more could we ask for!?

This morning started off early with a city tour of Saigon, with 4 people from Malaysia, 2 from Argentina and one very non-enthusiastic tour guide. Our young tour guide obviously had better things to do on a Saturday morning, and was just not into showing us the sights. It's hard to get mad about such things here in Asia, as you learn that patience goes a long way!

We started off with a visit to War Remnants Museum which showcased an interesting collection of photography from worldwide war correspondents from the Vietnam war. It was a tough way to start the morning, as the often graphic images were very sad. The museum was filled with a class of young school children on field trip that day and they brought a new dynamic to the expereince as the incorrigible little kids swarmed by the foreigners (many Americans) smilling and giggling asking for us to take pictures.

We then headed to the Notre Dame Cathedral that was closed while we were there! Aargh!
It was very lovely from the outside. Right next to the Cathedral was the very impressive French Style post office. Our tour took us to two pagodas - Jade Emperor Pagoda and the Giac Lam Pagoda. Both very mystical, beautifully designed, however not so well maintained. Lots of followers were visiting the pagodas during the time we were there as it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the air was thick with burning incense.

We also went to a lacquer workshop where people handicapped by the effects of Agent Orange use were taught the making of lacquer art by the government. There were the lacquer screens we've all seen, bowls, tea sets, jewellry boxes, etc. It was wonderful to see, and the gift shop there was amazing and expensive.

Finally, we went to the Ben Thanh Market, where you could buy clothing, souveniers, food, shoes, etc. It was bustling with activity and trying to walk through the rows of stalls without being stopped by each store-keeper was a task in itself! "Hello, where you from?", "Hello, please coming my shop?", it was endless!

Traveling at this time of year can be tiring. It's HOT and humid, and we've almost gotten accoustomed to the one hour of monsoon rain in the afternoon to help cool things down. Showers provide immediate relief, but you can get sticky in a matter of 10 minutes. Evenings can be really lovely though.

For dinner we headed to Mandarin restaurant, in a lovely area of town. (Thanks to Sonny and Kevin for the recommendation!) This was a fine dining restaurant with traditional Vietnamese food, that was spectacularly presented. The shrimp and pork spring rolls were divine, as was the crab and asparagus soup, the beef salad in a banana leaf, and a fried rice in a steamed lotus leaf, steamed spinach in garlic and a crispy fried duck in a orange sauce. Oh and a chocolate mousse to finish it off! The food was great, the restaurant decor elegant, and it made for a wonderful treat at the end of our first chapter here in Saigon.

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