Day in HCMC

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Got up early and had Pho for breakfast with my uncle and his colleague. Pho in Vietnam is a little different than back home, but still very delicious.

Went back to the hotel and rested a bit before walking to the Main Post office first. It is an old French-era post office very artsy. Pretty great place for a traveler to start out in HCMC. There is tourist info, telephones services and of course the post itself.

I also stopped by the Notre Dame Cathedral since it is about 100 feet from the post office.

Next stop lunch, ate at Huong Lai, a vietnamese restaurant on the recommendation of my Lonely Planet book. Had a simple noodle dish with veggies and chicken, quite good.

After lunch was Independence Palace. Has a lot of info about the Vietnam / US conflict. It was interesting to see the story from the other side. The place had many beautiful things for the purpose of the Vietnamese royalty.

Then shopping at Ben Thanh Market. It is crazy in there, many little booths of shops all overflowing with merchandise and all with people trying to get you to buy their goods. I shopped a got a few things.

Exhausted, I went back to the hotel by Taxi. Take the ____________ taxi company, seems least likely to rip you off.

I walked all day except to get back to the hotel from shopping. As I walked around I constantly was bombarded by men on Cyclos and motorcycles trying to get me to hire them to take me somewhere. Of course all the crazy honking, insande number of motorcycles and the treacherousness of crossing the street.

Went to dinner with my uncle and his colleague to Quan Nuong Vietnamese BBQ. It is tucked in upstairs from a bar. We ate Roasted Goat Breast, Roasted beef with cheese (it had onion too), and a Mixed Stew.

After dinner we walked back to the hotel. My Uncle wanted me to go to bed so he could go have drinks with his colleague... I basically waited and went to the 107 Pasteur restaurant and brewery (I think it is a brewery) which is about 300 feet from the restaurant and had a beer.

Today was tiring... time to rest up a bit.

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