Round One - HCMC (Saigon)

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We've located the driver. Walked to the car. Tossed our bags and ourselves inside. The road out is smooth until we reach the city. Horns are blazing. Brakes squelching. People nodding. Traffic moves without traffic lights. Vehicles go off in every direction. People are crammed 3, 4 and 6 deep on mopeds. Mopeds veer in and out of cars, taxis, vans and trucks. Buses whirl past at break neck speeds slamming on horns. Driving in HCMC is a nightmare. Our driver says, "There are 5-million mopeds in Saigon." Crazy... is my only thought to this as we drift through traffic.

Twenty-five minutes later he pulls up to the curb outside the Spring Hotel. A doorman reaches out gripping the door handle opening it while greeting us in English. "Hello, we are happy you have arrived," his gentle smile permits us to relax setting our nerves at ease.

The Spring Hotel is located in the Dong Khoi area. (44-46 D Le Thanh Ton, $35/45 inc breakfast. [e-mail]) It is virtually the center of the city. Or at least that is what our guidebook shares with us. At the desk we are greeted by an elegant woman dressed in traditional Vietnamese silk gown. She asks for our name, explains where our room is located, hands us a key and asks for our passports. Hesitantly, we hand them over but ask "why?" She simply states it is a procedure that they need to copy our information and will return them to us before we leave the building.

Our room is classified as a "standard" but feels bigger with its king size bed and large window. We are on the fourth floor overlooking a tenement across the way. Laundry hangs on strings out of the bare brick backed building. We stretch out, unpacking our clothes and reading the regulations signage posted on the rear of the door. We test the safety deposit box, gathering our cameras and day bag to head out and explore Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon.

"It says here that we should leave our valuables at the front desk," Shauna states. I glance over at her. "I suppose its not a bad idea. How about we leave half at the desk and half in the safety box," I suggest. "This way if we get ripped off, it's only half our money." "Okay. Whose half goes where?" "I'll leave mine in the safety deposit box," I say standing walking to the closet. After securing the lock, I read through the regulations as well. "Actually, we don't have to give them the key, as you stated earlier. But if we lose it, they will charge us $3 USD. I wish they didn't have split prices here?" "Okay. So, lets get out of here. What did you want to do?"

Leaving the room, we walk down the four flights of square spiraled staircase reaching the decorative lobby. Approaching the main desk, the agent hands over our passports. Shauna stuffs them into her satchel then asks for it to be placed in the safe. The woman stares at the bulky orange plastic bag. She shrugs, even giggles a bit at the absurd lump of "valuables" sitting in front of her. She slides it into a white envelope, wraps it with 3-inch masking tape, grabs a pen and signs it. She asks Shauna to do the same. With the markings on the envelope and both ends securely wrapped in tape we depart on foot out the front door.

"This way..." I point to our right. "I'm pretty certain this road we are looking for is over here. It should take us down to the Opera House, then over to the central market. And we should get some food. So, if you see a restaurant, lets stop," I finish looking at Shauna whose pointing across the street. "What do you think they are serving over there?" "Street food? Are you screwing with me? You don't like street food in Korea, why would you here?" "I don't know, it just smells lovely." I laugh. She smiles. We walk half a block.

"I think its this way but let me consulate the LP map," I state pulling out the Vietnam Lonely Planet book. As I am flipping through the pages a man in a green security uniform spots us walking over to our corner. "Hello. What are you looking for?" "Oh um... Hai Ba Trung, Opera House?" "Yes. Just walk down this way (he points left) then walk one then two then half, turn right. Big street. Can't miss. Then walk one, two, three streets. Turn right. And you are there," he politely explains. "Okay, we go 2 1/2 blocks turn left, go 3 blocks turn right?" "Yes." He doesn't sound confident in his reply. "Thank you," I reply folding up the book and walking across the street.

"Do you think he knows what he's talking about?" Shauna inquires. "Nope. But at least he tried." We walk down Pham Ngoc Thach one block. Looking left we are both mesmerized by the Opera house. "Is this the Opera house?" Shauna asks. "I have no clue. But I guess so."
We stand across the street, gazing up at the structure across the way. Its deep white sculptures looking back at us. We snap off a half dozen photographs. And proceed down the road. "Is this the street that guy said?" Shauna asks. "I don't know. But the book says over there down the next street should be restaurants. Or I hope for us since I am hungry." "Me too. Me too. Can we find some Pho?" "We're in Vietnam and all you can think about is soup?" I laugh. "Buuuuut... It's Pho. It's Vietnam. It's..." "Soup," I keep laughing.

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Photos

Regulations
The Spring Hotel