Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam Day 8: Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City
We took a morning bus from Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. The ride was pleasant except my would-never-pass-as-a-camel bladder couldn’t seem to handle the 2 hours from leaving Mui Ne to our lunch stop. Ughh. Lunch was interesting, to say the least: a little street market in the middle of no where, selling all kinds of fruits neither of us had ever seen before, as well as ice creams, sandwiches, soups, and snacks.
We arrived in Saigon a little after noon, and paid a taxi $3US to take us to our hotel, which he was not sure of the location. Upon figuring it out, we realized it was one and a half blocks from the bus stop. Oh well! The hotel, Elios Hotel, was overpriced but nice. For US$50 we had a room with no windows (except a tiny one in the bathroom), but internet was free and it was only for a night.
The city of Saigon was our favorite yet. The chaos of the motorbikes and other vehicles is at an apex here. In order to cross the road you just have to go - amidst hundreds of bikers and cars wizzing by. If you stop, they will hit you. So, put your head down, and step out off the curb. Miraculously, they weave in front and behind you, reading body language. The city was alive with people doing all kinds of things, from selling trinkets in the street to people on dates in the park, to kids kicking around something that resembled a tube-like hacky-sack.
We found a pho place for a yummy meal and then headed to some rooftop bars to see the city from above. After $15 cocktails at one place we headed off to another - this time to the 23rd floor. The views were spectacular. So was the $3000 bottle of Richard Hennessey on the paper menu.
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