Phu Quoc to Saigon …….then back to the Great White North

December 14th – 17th

Our final breakfast by the sea. It is a beautiful morning but it is time to check out and head for the airport. Smooth check-in, a short delay and after a 45-minute flight with Vietnam Airlines, we are back in Saigon…

 

 

This time around we have chosen a much better-located hotel as we are in the center of the older area where most of the sites are located and can access everything we want to see by foot…

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City built between 1902 and 1908  in the French Colonial style, is a beautiful piece of architecture surrounded by extremely well-kept gardens and smooth paved roads. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public but it is a great spot for photo opportunities.

As we passed the Saigon Central Post Office we dropped in to see if Duong Van Ngo was there …he is fluent in English & French and has worked as a public letter writer for 30 years at the Post Office. Now almost 90 he is the last letter writer in the city, another position which technology has claimed…

 

Although not often seen on the streets, the Ao Dai is the national garment worn  for the most part by women, a fetching example below:

The Opera House below was built in 1898 following the “flamboyant” style of the French 3rd Republic, now certified as a National Relic, it serves as the venue for a multitude of performances…

Saigon also has a modern downtown as the city is seeking to be an active participant in the development of South East Asia…

Traffic is intense but is simply accepted as part of daily life…

The Streetfood Market is a good choice if one is hungry/thirsty before going into the fray at the Ben Tanh Market which is the most popular market in Ho Chi Minh City….

……with food items as well as local handicrafts, artworks, souvenirs and various clothing…

Yes, those ladies in the above pic will leap to their feet and aggressively pester you to buy, but that is why you are there, so enjoy it… a great place to put your haggling skills to the test….. I think I “won” a few but also suspect, one in particular, was a loss, as after paying I was complimented on my negotiating skills, a sure sign of overpaying! It’s kind of fun but also tedious when you get “hangry”. Some stalls and stores are fixed price where you can avoid the haggling. Lots of trashy stuff, fakes but also pretty good quality fakes and cheap …if you don’t pay the asking price !!

Our last night of street food …and an interesting sign:

..and the next morning with a copious breakfast we “Grabbed” to the airport. Another long flight on EVA Air, but I was successful (even though the flight was allegedly full), in scoring emergency exit seats on both legs >> Saigon to Taipei and then Taipei to Vancouver, smooth flights and we both slept pretty well > with no one reclining their seat-back and with the extra legroom, it is a godsend on a long flight. Ella, our daughter, was at the airport to pick us up (but without a placard with our name on it) and we had enough energy to have dinner with her and Steve, our son, who was in Vancouver on business. Finally collapsed at the Best Western in North Vancouver, concluding our return trip to the Sunshine Coast, the next day.

A great trip, better weather in the North would have made it excellent, an interesting country to visit, with superb food, and inexpensive with excellent transportation for the DIY tourist. We had no problems with scams etc. and avoided sickness > I will again tout taking Dukoral  > as their ad says, “…spend your vacation on the beach and not in the bathroom…” and no we do not get any $$$ for saying this.

Thanks for everyone’s comments and hope you will tune in when we next hit the road …..