Thursday, October 08, 2026
Weeks 8-9: Ho Chi Minh City!
Almost done in Vietnam. I'm a little sad, I like here & would be happy to stay longer, but places to go, countries to see...
We tried the waterfall fried chicken, it wasn't bad, but not the best chicken rice I've had in Vietnam. The coffee continues to be good wherever we go, along with my coconut smoothies and a couple sweet treats we indulge in while out & about (btw, egg tarts are best when warm). Our AirBnB had a kitchen! I didn't cook much as I wasn't going to completely stock the kitchen just for a week long stay, but I did cook us a couple nice meals. I will continue to work on my tofu game...
We did a little swing dancing, so Ellie got to try out her new shoes. Everyone we met was really nice, we went out twice & even went for afterhours food & smoothies! Dancers are always so welcoming.
A few museums: the War Remnants Museum was a major downer for me (some wars I get, but the idea of killing lots of people over an economic theory feels really horrible to me & hurts my conscience. I spent most of our time there sitting on benches while Ellie looked at the exhibits). The Independence Palace was more interesting for me. It's basically a time capsule of the South Vietnam government from the war era. The architecture and interior design really captured the era for me. And for a bit more history, we did a walking tour of Cho Lon, the Chinese district of HCMC. It was a great tour. It was just us & our guide, so impromptu private tour! We tasted food, explored the neighborhood, & learned a bit about Chinese immigration in Vietnam. I think history & culture are better subjects for me these days...
We also saw the AO Show Bamboo Circus at the Opera House, it was stunning and the opera house was impressive, even if I have complicated feelings about colonial era architecture, the seats were amazingly comfy...
While in Ho Chi Minh we were able to use public transit. There's a new metro system (just 1 train now, with more planned) & LOTS of busses. And it seems that everything is free for tap card users until the end of the year as they try to increase ridership. Extra bonus. The buses, which are smaller/shorter than the city buses I'm familiar with in the US have a passenger attendant, who helps people board, & swipe/scan their cards to pay their fares. It was nice to see someone helping us clueless tourists and the local senior citizens make their way to where they're going.
We'll be back in a little bit for another round. I want to see some happier museums (Pho Museum?), eat some more things & we've got a few other things to do before we go to Cambodia...
Labels: Vietnam
