RocketJim's

Ho Chi Minh

...rocks. It was a good trip to rest a little; I really like the city because it's so different from everywhere else. Time past very slowly and I like how it's almost perpetually stuck in the 70s. I don't know about most of you but it mesmerized me from the time I got off the plane. On the road, the sheer number of scooter traffic fascinates me. Then, there are the girls with wind blowing through their long, flowing hair. Nobody wears a helmet in HCM. So dangerous.



We stay in a reputable hotel in HCM and I almost felt guilty walking into it. It looks as grand as the Raffles Hotel but on either sides of the building, the shops and houses look war torn. Many slum dwellers hang around the perimeter of the hotel and I had never felt the divide between the rich and poor so clearly. The exchange rate of the Vietnamese dong was so weak it was impossible to fathom the value (at least for me). They gave me a 1000dong coin and it took me several minutes to calculate - it's USD 0.06 cents. My senior told me it's usual to tip about 5000 dong...so cheap! Apparently it makes them very happy.



A sight for a tired mind.

I had great food in HCM, the beef pho particularly wins hands down. The soup was tasty yet light and the beef was so tender! (Yes, I am a terrible Buddhist.) I like how they use so much fresh vegetables in Vietnamese cuisine. I had carrot juice along with my pho and the meal came up to a couple of dollars only. Along the way, we (senior and I) dared each other to try the roadside stores...but we were too chicken.



On the second day, we had dim sum for lunch. It was the hotel's speciality and they were very generous with the fillings. I think it's something very lacking in Singapore where the businessmen are trying every means to cut costs (and ultimately customers). It was so good I skipped dinner and breakfast the next day. A special honorary mention to the BBQ pork buns and mango pudding! Absolutely divine~



After lunch, we went for a walk around the famous Ben Thanh marketplace. It's kinda like Mustafa Shopping Centre because you can find anything and everything there. Shoes, bags and embroidery were more popular because you just can't beat the Vietnamese when it comes to handicrafts. And sex do sell I guess - the girls who look after the stores usually wear singlets that show off their cleavages. Nice looking bunch, these girls. Petite, gentle and soft-spoken....in fact I don't think I have seen a fat Vietnamese girl.

The next time I go to HCM, I hope I am holidaying at a beach resort or something. Love the place.