Day 01 Saigon

Ritey,
Merry Christmas!!! to everyone here again!
Did i mention that wj and I went on a budget airline to HCMC? well..so once we got down, we were starving like ravens and of cos we went hunting for food! ! LOCAL FOOD to fill our tumtums!
So what's best at HCMC? why of cos their PHO BO - Sweet tasting and fragrant broth made from beef marrow and thigh bone with noodles made of rice flour that is soft and light! So wholesome!!! esp with basil leaves, beansprouts, lime, slice chillies and saw leaves...Yummy!

Above: We settled ourselves at PHO24 which is a franchaise outlet here....found at almost every corner down a street. And of cos for drinks! you've got to try their thick vietnamese coffee! called..erm...ca phe sua nong? haha, something like that. It comes in their very own Vietnamese coffee strainer and tastes very thick. Super gao.

Street side photos of Le Loi and Dong Khoi.

Dong Khoi street is a very busy street with many restaurants, cafes and hotels scattered along itself. The hotels and most retail shops retained the charm of French Architecture and of cos top notch services. Here i found Gucci, Prada, LV!!! and many souvenir shops where i bought most of my stuff from. i think u gals will love this place...really! it's really a delightful place with many arts stuff and LIFE stuff to buy for your home!!!

Photo Far Left and Far Right: Almost every vietnamese is his own boss here. And i bought my very own Vietnamese hat too!

After walking down 2 streets and gotten a map of HCMC from the tourist information centre, we found the dessert stall which was recommended by many! Kem Bach Dang. Here's the addy if anyone is interested.

Address: 26 & 28 Le Loi Street, District 1, HCMC

Directions: Kem Bach Dang is located on the Le Loi street.

Since it is famous both with the locals & tourists, every cab driver knows it. It is located on the main road in District 1

Next stop: Ben Thanh Market!

This market was built in 1914. The clock with 4 clocks facing 4 directions is considered the symbol of the city. U can find the widest selection of stuff ranging from vegetables, fish, spices (coffee beans! i bought mine here!), electronic gadgets, souvenirs, clothes and of cos the very Vietnamese hat!!!

Above: Binh Tay Market (far right)

Built in 1928, this market is considered the biggest market in Chinatown with a wide variety of products and goods from the Mekong Delta. But personally i find the Ben Thanh market more catered to tourists and much easier to navigate your way along the aisles. This market however is definitely very localised and planned in a narrow grid system. Sometimes u might even find yourselve a wee bit suffocated by the limited walking space.

Giac Lam Pagoda:

This old temple, i wouldnt call it a pagoda since in my mind a pagoda is like many tiers stacked on top of each other. yup, as i was saying, this temple was built in 1744 and is considered the oldest temple in HCMC. Located 7km from downtown, but wj and i just took a cab there. Cab is really cheap in HCMC. SO...just take the cab. Plus the weather is so scorching hot!!!

There are 113 buddha statues made of precious wood dating from the early 19th century. All the construction reflects the fine art of oriental culture. There are 60 wooden pillars, gilded descriptions in old Vietnamese characters etc.

as far as i'm concern, it's quite far from the rest of the 'touristy spots' so maybe not everyone is keen on going there just to see this temple. It was under some restoration works while i was there. So not many tourists there...but i certainly love the vibrant colours of this temple!!!

Beautiful mustardly yellow painted walls with rich emerald green wooden framed windows.

to be continued....