Blogs from District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast, Vietnam, Asia - page 11

ein eher unspektakulärer tag beginnt mit einem activity-frühstück: menü-karten sind in can tho weiterhin nur auf vietnamesisch und auf der straße wird gekauft, worauf der finger zeigt. die auswahl ist erfreulich, auch auf unserer dreistündigen busfahrt von can tho nach saigon missen wir keine toiletten. zurück in der großstadt beginnt die übliche suche nach lunch, die heute etwas mühsam, schlussendlich jedoch erfolgreich ausfällt. mon hue mit markus' geliebten rice cakes (mittlerweile bestellen wir “ri”, nicht “rice”, weil das so hier ausgesprochen wird… vietnam-english!) und super teure ice cream in fanny's. wir machen noch einen abstecher in den financial tower, drehen aber bei den kaffeepreisen im 50. stock schnell wieder um. ich habe keine lust, für einen kaffee soviel zu zahlen, wie uns ein gemeinsames essen kostet…auch nicht, wenn er gleich viel wie in europa kostet! anschließend ... read more

So its time to move on from Cambodia... but i've learnt so much and have to recommend it to anyone that is into a culture that is pretty rich in history. The Gloria Anglor hotel was amazing.. and my guide Pysth also was great. Apparently WWE wrestler John Cena is a popular figurehead here as I was repeatly reffered to by the name from the local people when walking in to a restuarant or bar and having a drink. I took it as a compliment. The temples are worth the hype and the sunrise at Ankor Wat is unparrell to anything i've seen. I recommend taking the 3 day pass ($40).. do the temples in the morning and relax and in the afternoon. it gets hot at 2pm and its easy to get "templed out" and ... read more

We had just finished a somber walk through the War Remnant's museum - the sky outside was an ominous shade of grey as the staff impatiently ushered us through the entrance gates - the sounds of the traffic seemed more dense than usual in the thick humid air. We had made it about two-thirds of the way back from the museum when the sky finally opened up and furiously pounded the streets below - the moment seemed cinematic almost, though I can't necessarily say why. We sprinted through the park, backtracking across the street to the large Ben Thanh market to seek refuge until the skies might relent. As we wandered through the market we realized how the infatuation we had once felt for all of the tourist items and trinkets had dissipated after more than ... read more

So for Sam's birthday treat we went on a night time tour of Saigon with xe om tours. 2 young Vietnamese girls picked us up from the hotel and we hopped on the back of their scooters and whizzed off into the traffic, visiting 6 different districts and stopping for various food experiences. I was freakin scared to start as it was 5.30 and so rush hour - Sam was fearless - but it was fab fun, and we all arrived alive at each stop. 14 of us in total, and our personal guide did all the hard work peeling the prawns and winkling the edible stuff out of crabs legs. WE had loads of stuff - goat, frog, scallops and the most hardcore - duck foetus (Sam refused and I've spent today trying not to ... read more

We have had a very interesting few dáys in Ho Chi Minh City. The War Remnants Museum is very powerful and well worth the visit. We also saw the historic póst office, The Reunification Palace and the big Chinese Market. The weather hás bêen plus 29 most days and not a drop òf rain. At night ít remains hot so people move outside to eat and drink. The city is in high gear for the lunar New year. Mag leaves tonight for California. Nora has a few more days here. Pictures to follow.... read more