VIETNAM FEBRUARY 2010

Vietnam trip day 1 & 2

Continues here: Vietnam day 1-2 - Vietnam day 3-4 - Vietnam day 5-6 - Vietnam day 7-8 - Vietnam day 9-10

I was on a fantastic vacation in Vietnam from the 1^st February to the 10^th February 2010 with my uncle Morten.

The reason for the trip was simply that my uncle had planned a business trip to China and he knew that he would need some REAL vacation after that trip.

So before he left Bangkok for China, we talked about it and as we are both Danes, I told him that we get free visa on arrival to Vietnam and that I was sure that Vietnam would be a big surprise for him. I used to live half a year in Ho Chi Minh City from September 2003 to March 2004 and I have been travelling to VN countless times as a part of my work, so I know just a little about the country.

1^st February: OK, as planned we left Suvarnabhumi Airport with Air Asia  - this time unfortunately not dead-cheap as it was Chinese New Year or Tet as it is called in Vietnam in the middle of February. Anyway Air Asia is always a great way to fly - clean brand new Airbus planes, nice beautiful staff and mostly on time. Not much to complain about.

Morten enjoying the flight with Air Asia to HCMC

We landed on time in Tan Son Nhat International Airport, HCMC and were instantly attacked by the usual cab drivers and because it has been a while, I did the mistake and went with the wrong car - a so-called limousine! Don't do that - use only the Mai Linh or Vinasun taxis and ask them to put on the meter - if not; just get another. Or even easier - arrange that your hotel will pick you up in the airport - not cheap; but it'll free you from the hassle! :-)

I had booked a high room with two single beds at Oscar Hotel in Nguyen Hue Street which is very convenient for walks around the city - the hotel is smack in the middle of it all.

The first day was meant to be a quiet day, so first we walked to Thoung Xa Tax, the Russian Market right on the opposite side of Oscar Hotel to enjoy a cop of Vietnamese Coffee - the best a man can get!

With a nice view to Rex Hotel at Lê Lợi Street

After Throung Xa Tax, we walked down to Bến Thành Market further up Lê Lợi Street, a fantastic market with a wide array of food, clothes, cheap electronics and souvenirs. The market has been around for ages almost without being changed. A great place for buying cheap T-shirts, áo dàis and spices.

Bến Thành Market

We walked from there to Ho Chi Minh City Museum or Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese language: Viện bảo tàng Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) which is located between Lý Tự Trọng Street and Lê Thánh Tôn Street and the entrance is on the corner of Lý Tự Trọng Street and Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Street.

View from the entrance to Ho Chi Minh City Museum

Don’t get the museums of Ho Chi Minh City mixed up! There are three major museums to see: Ho Chi Minh CITY Museum (the one mentioned above about the CITY!), Ho Chi Minh Museum (About the MAN Ho Chi Minh) and the War Remnants Museum (We visited this museum the 7^th February). They are all somehow always mixed up by tourists. People who are going to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, thinks that they saw the War Remnants Museum as there are also a lot of guns, war planes, helicopters and tanks on display there. It is also easy to overlook the “City” in the name and mistakenly think that it was the Ho Chi Minh Museum. You can find more information here!

I have placed a lot of KMZ files for Google Earth linked to the different locations that I am mentioning, so just click on them and you can see the precise location. You will need to download Google Earth to use these location markers.

We are drinking some local brew; 333 or as you say: "BA-BA-BA"

After a stroll around in the area of Oscar Hotel looking at shops and taking in the atmosphere, we walked up to a Danish bar Storm P , owned by a friend of mine Klaus Krogh, just to say hello and get a single beer.

Storm P bar's wall decoration of "Nyhavn" in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In the evening we went to a Vietnamese restaurant 3T Quán Nướng on the third floor above The Temple Club situated in 29-31, Tôn Thất Thiệp Street on the right side of the Sunwah Tower in Nguyen Hue Street. It’s pretty easy to find and the food is great! You might have to call (0903770921) for a table in the weekend as the place is always packed! They are serving western food and traditional Vietnamese food and this include “Jumping scrimps” which is fresh live scrimps that you grill at the table – it can’t be more fresh. We got the local brew Ba-Ba-Ba or 333, Saigon Beer and Halida Beer (Which is in fact a Danish beer made by Carlsberg) together with the dinner.

The "Jumping scrimps" - FANTASTIC food!

The staff preparing more "Jumping scrimps", probably for take-away.

After the dinner we went to the famous club Apocalypse Now in Thi Sach Street for a night cap. This was the perfect way to end the first day in Saigon.

2^nd February: Breakfast in the restaurant of Oscar Hotel with a grand view over Saigon.

We walked down to Vietnam Airlines to see if it was possible to get tickets to Huế in the middle of Vietnam. This turned out to be possible and we got two round tickets HCMC – Huế the next day the 3^rd and back the 6^th.

View from the office of Vietnam Airlines

The first sight of the day was Saigon Central Post Office (Vietnamese: Bưu điện Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) , a remarkable building designed and constructed by the French architect Gustave Eiffel.

Morten under the iron roof of Eiffel

The Danish scientist Hans Christian Ørsted on the wall of the Post Office

Uncle Ho with the friendly smile looking over his people

Opposite the Post Office is the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica

After that we went to Cholon or China Town in HCMC . We took a taxi from Oscar Hotel to Binh Tay Market (Vietnamese: Chợ Bình Tây or Chợ Lớn or Chợ Lớn Mới) in Cholon and saw the market. This reminds of Bến Thành Market in a way, but with more Chinese-looking stuff and the building is a finer layout, in my opinion.

After seeing the market we walked outside to get a taxi and I had one of the lesser funny experiences as a guy on a small bike tried to grab my camera, but as I had the strap tightly spun around my arm, he could not get a hold of it – but at least he tried. Be careful in HCMC – the pickpockets are all over the place and if you are careless with your stuff, someone will take the opportunity to seize it from you. It is not unlikely that it is two guys on a small bike driving up on the pavement stealing the bags off of the shoulders from women.

We then went to the Buddhist Giác Lâm Pagoda (Vietnamese: Chùa Giác Lâm) also located in Cholon about four kilometers to the north of the market. There is a seven storied stupa where you have a great view over the city.

After that we jumped in a taxi and drove to Miếu Nhị Phủ Pagoda (Ông Bổn Temple) in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, a ride of approximately 4½ kilometers. This was another small but beautiful pagoda.

It was a bit of a mistake to go to Giác Lâm Pagoda first, as the Miếu Nhị Phủ Pagoda was much closer to the market, but I actually first found out when I plotted them into Google Earth. Anyway; no big deal!

We took a taxi back to Oscar Hotel and later my friend Karl Rønhave joined us for dinner at Al Fresco’s in Dong Du Street opposite Sheraton Hotel. This Australian owned restaurant caters to the expats with Italian, Mexican, American and Oz styled food and they serve some very tender ribs that we had together with more good Vietnamese beer.

After dinner we walked across the street to Sheraton Hotel – took the elevator up to Level 23 , found a table with a view over the city and finished off with Margaritas and wine. Another day was gone in the good company of some of my best friends.

Continues here: Vietnam day 1-2 - Vietnam day 3-4 - Vietnam day 5-6 - Vietnam day 7-8 - Vietnam day 9-10