How do you waste a day away in Saigon? Easy, follow us! We’d already hit most of the tourist highlights when we were here 3 years ago – so we didn’t have much planned in the way activities, except the market. Armed with our trusty hotel map, we have breakfast and head out into the heat.
First stop, the Ben Tanh market, the biggest in the city. It’s only about a ten minute walk, but we have to cross a few BIG streets. That’s probably the biggest challenge here – just figuring out how to get across the street. On smaller streets, its not too hard – but we’re on one of the main avenues, plus a huge circle where the market is. Yikes. We manage to weave uneventfully through the scooters and successfully avoid the cars (by following a local woman – we’re not proud!) and end up at the market unscathed.
It is huge – silks, fabrics, tshirts, clothes, shoes, tchotskis, everything. I want a hobo bag and a pair of sandals, but you know? It’s just too much. You have to know your limits and I’ve hit mine. I can’t even begin to make a decision as we wander through the narrow alleyways created between shops. Wandering around aimlessly is getting old too – so we blow that popsicle stand and head toward the river.
Why? Because. Well, actually we thought maybe we’d find a tourist cruise or something to pass some time, but mostly because it's a good destination to get some walking in. Plus once across the massive circle, we don’t have to cross any streets! Strategy!
Along the way we pass into the business district. Past the big “bullet” like tower and other construction projects (like Times Square – 44 floors of space coming your way soon!). We also past scooters, as normal, parked all over the sidewalk so there is barely any room to walk – and sometimes no room so that you are in the street. But also included with the scooters are the scooter watchers. Guards, parking attendants, call them what you want, they watch your scooter while its parked there and deliver it to you when you leave. We think some are attached to the buildings or businesses where the scooters are parked. Others have large lots in open areas like a car park, but for scooters, 100s and 100s of them.
We reach the river, the boat terminal and get hit up by a guy who will take us on an 1hour boat ride for 500,000D. Eh, you know? That’s how much we paid each to go to the Mekong. Yes, we know we’re in Saigon and it’s more expensive, but we’re not THAT interested in going on the river. Pass.
We end up sitting at a cafe right next to the terminal for an iced coffee and lemon and water drink to waste some time. It’s pleasant, a breeze, worth 30 minutes of watching the boats leave and come in and the Wrigley’s girl deliver gum and mints on her bike.
That’s Uncle Ho there in the background.
Finishing our refreshing beverages, we
head off down the River promenade, find a tour boat just leaving (with only 5 guys aboard!) and ask the price - $20US each. Nah. We’re walkin’. And walk we do. Past the cute little penguin trash cans (they are all over the city – penguins? Don’t know the symbolism there – but they’re cute).
From the river we head up into the main part of the city, heading for the Ho Chi Min City museum. As we get further into the tourist district there is a distinct change in atmosphere and prices. It’s amazing how much things cost here – we stopped for a drink at the Ciao Cafe. Cute place, 3 floors with little coaches and seating groups on floors 1 and 2, and a swanky looking restaurant on floor 3. Water and beer – the water (small bottle mind you) was $2US. The beer was only $2.50US. Ridiculous. We’re liking the backpacker section a lot!
Continuing on our journey, we pass the Rex Hotel, famous for
being where the US Military officers stayed during the war, and the site of lots of partying or so we are told. Snap a pix of the Ho statue and we’re 
off past the People’s Committee hall and onto the Ho museum.
It’s an interesting way to spend an hour or so. A little disjointed, but some neat exhibits. About the war, the resistance, and now about the country and Saigon – statistics on production, trade, population – and lots of really cool before and after pictures of 
the city – as a whole and specific buildings. Kind of cool.
And a really fun part of the museum is that brides and grooms come here for their photos. We were there for an hour and a half and the parade of couples never stopped. Oh – the dresses! Intricate and beautiful – it was terribly fun to watch.
Heading back to our side of town, we stop to take a picture of the electrical work here. This is the norm all over the city – these wires stung everywhere in big looping batches. We’re not sure how it all works – but there seems to be power. It’s just so different than what we’re used to!
Back in our stomping grounds, we stop at Alley Oop – hoping for some more refreshing beverages of the alcohol type and a quick snack, because we aren’t really that hungry. Alley Oop is a huge bar/restaurant right on the corner of the main road the the backpacker area. It’s neat looking, with all bamboo railings and tiki-hut looking decor. We’ve passed it a couple times and thought it would be fun. Except once we sit down and look at the menu – wow! prices are triple what other restaurants here are. Food and drinks. Plus they don’t really have any app’s – just sandwiches and stuff. We don’t see a thing we want, so we head out and go to SaSa for lunch. We know the wine and beer are good and they have great app’s. We end up with fried spring rolls that hit the spot. And for dessert, I get a lemon shake, thinking it will be that great mixture of freshly squeezed lemons and crushed ice. No, not so. This one is a real shake – lemon and coconut milk. It is really, really, really good.
Next up on the agenda, I leave Ed at the hotel to do some computer work and I head out for a manicure and pedicure. The spas are everywhere around here – so I have my pick. I end up at “Sai Gon” upstairs in a little room with two girls, one who talks my ear off about life in Vietnam and one who actually does the mani/pedi. An hour or so later, I’m polished and out the door - $4.50US for the mani/pedi – and of course about the same tip for the girls, because, come on….even if you believe only 1/2 of what she was saying – which I tend to believe more than half – it’s not an easy life.
That done – relax time before we go out for dinner. Tonight we’re going Western at Zoom. They’ve got a burger and beer deal that Ed has been eyeing. At night Zoom is a great place to sit and watch the madness of the scooters. They set little tables and beach type chairs out on the corner so you have an up close and personal look at the traffic. It’s great. We end up with one burger and one ham and cheese panini which totally hit the spot.
As we sit there watching the procession – we’re accosted by a street masseuse who does not know the meaning of the word “no”. He comes up out of nowhere behind Ed and starts giving him a massage, we keep saying no, but he just totally ignores us. I’ve got the giggles because he’s really giving Ed the “Thai” treatment - then he starts in on me. No matter how much I protest, I still get the massage. Not as hard as Ed’s, thank god, but still pretty “firm”. He finally goes away after $4.50US.
Honestly though, we feel pretty good afterward! Now we can sit and watch the scooter procession all relaxed. We’re totally intrigued by the 4 person scooters – how do they do that and balance? Crazy. 
It goes on all night. We spend a good time there talking to the waitress who is so sweet. Telling us about Hanoi, where she’s from, and different things about living in Saigon. How she likes it better. Great last night here in the city.
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