Surprising Ho Chi Minh

I dream of a Laos-Cambodia adventure with my husband. Just the two of us, this time. When (if) it happens, it'll be our first foreign trip as a couple; and we're going to do it in two idyllic countries unlike the ones we've visited. Countries that will not feature a theme park or high-rise, modern buildings. Countries that'll make us wonder, open our beings, make us want to meditate, make us want to believe in all the good that remains in the world. It'll be a great adventure --- one that I'm sure we will remember and treasure as we grow old together.  

It'll be like reliving our funny, beautiful, and awe-inspiring Vietnam trip last March 2015. Here is the article I wrote on that:

Surprising Ho Chi Minh

Research did not do justice to the Vietnam I experienced from March 25-27.

One word, SURPRISING, but it was a wonderful kind of surprise. Ho Chi Minh brought the old and new into one tasteful city. There are the markets filled with vendors hawking affordable wares, as in movies about the Vietnam of past. Then there are the modern-looking, tall buildings of today positioned all over the city.

Thought Vietnam would be this laid-back boondock swarmed with smiling Vietnamese on their bicycles and in traditional wear. When Mama and Papa were in Vietnam in 2012, I didn’t mind this part of Asia so much. I was still at the time more interested in visiting the more developed, theme-park-filled countries of Singapore, Japan, and Malaysia.

What struck me as most memorable, however, were her stories of tunnels that the ingenious Vietnamese people built because they needed to hide from American soldiers at the time of the Vietnam War.

Thought, once again, that this was the only tourist destination that Ho Chi Minh had to offer and their colorful markets.

I thought wrong. I fell in love with Ho Chi Minh – from its airy, spacy airport upon arrival and departure to its humid, dry weather the whole time I was there.

The company matters, too. Therefore, the combination of a “maverick” of a city that is Ho Chi Minh, the affordable and worry-free tour package thanks to Arco Travel and Tours plus Cebu Pacific’s promo fares, the lovely Lavender Hotel, and the “go-lang-ng-go” crew that could never stop giggling and whose energy is bottomless made my 72-hour Vietnam experience fun and memorable.

March 25 (Day 1) started with a visit to three of Ho Chi Minh’s historic structures – the Notre Dame Cathedral, a “cute” replica of the one in Paris, France, the city’s Grand Central Post Office, of which I personally experienced snail-mailing a letter for the friend of an office colleague who used to reside in Ho Chi Minh, and the Reunification Palace, which used to be the home of Vietnam’s former presidents.

Us, kidding around at the Reunification Palace.

The whole afternoon, afterwards, was spent exploring the Cu Chi Tunnel. One word, AMAZING.

A lot has been said already about the famous tunnels of Vietnam so I just had to experience being in one. The tunnels were welcoming, beckoning me to enter but I couldn’t take on the tour guide’s challenge to go 10, 20, or 30 meters deep into the tunnels. No, it wasn’t scary but it wasn’t the nicest of experiences. The duck-walking, however, made me appreciate some more the ingenuity and resilience of the Vietnamese people.

The author trying out one of the numerous entry points of the Cu Chi Tunnel.

Night was, of course, spent at the Ben Than night market. It was time to go shopping for our “pasalubong” and we did. Oh, did I mention that I was a millionaire in Vietnam? I was. The Vietnamese Dong (VND) is worth 21,500 to a dollar so imagine the first 100 USD I had exchanged at the money changer!

March 26 (Day 2) started earlier than our first day. The Mekong River awaited us and it was a good two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City. Per Wikipedia, the river is the 12^th longest in the world and the 7th in Asia.

Beautiful, beautiful river plus beautiful, beautiful islands around the river, of which we explored one by one beginning with the honeybee-making and coconut-candy-making island. This is where we bought our true-blue honey and coconut candies. The reason our baggage almost went overboard.

Afterwards, we were brought to an island that grew Vietnam’s tropical fruits. The country has its own versions of our mangoes, watermelons, pineapples, and even Caimito. Ours are tastier, sweeter, and juicier. What just made the experience more unique was because we were serenaded by a family who grew the fruits we ate and sang at the same time. We were also treated to a horse-drawn ride and a paddle-driven boat ride around the water coconuts that lined the same island.

Dinner that day was on the Tau Saigon cruise ship that cruised the Saigon River for an hour. Sumptuous food and a one-of-a-kind experience. My first time on a cruise ship so imagine how happy I was! Not to mention that Ho Chi Minh is a sight to behold at night. Building lights are all turned on. Then there are the street light decorations that made the entire city shine brighter.

Beguiling Ho Chi Minh City at night while cruising the Saigon River.

To cap the wonderful, tiring day, we treated ourselves to a real Vietnamese massage. Four opted to have a whole body massage and the rest of the touring group immersed ourselves in a relaxing foot massage.

March 27 (Day 3) was a free and easy day. First on the agenda was a visit to the War Remnants Museum. It was painful to watch the exhibit but I needed to know what really happened during the 20-year Vietnam War, so I immersed myself in everything that the museum had to offer.

The author posing in front of the War Remnants Museum.

Lunch was at the famous Pho 2000 restaurant. The small eatery became famous for hosting a meal for then President Bill Clinton. We weren’t disappointed. There really was a picture of former President Clinton with the restaurant crew in the year 2000. The food was not exceptional but it was good. Everything I ate Vietnam was “really good”. I couldn’t complain.

Saigon Center and the Ben Than Market were next on the agenda but before those the high-end Diamond Plaza first. We bought shoes, shirts, blouses, and bags. Reruns of popular brands they called it but who cares. Everything we bought were affordable and items we liked very much.

No wonder Mama and Papa want to go back. No wonder they want to take us with them upon their return. Someday, when my children are all grown up, I would want them as well to come and tour Ho Chi Minh City.

It might be a more different city than the one I witnessed ten years from now but I am pretty sure Ho Chi Minh City shall remain as charming and as beguiling.

P.S. - This article came out of the Eastern Visayas Mail in one of its March 2015 or April 2015 issues. You can check out their website at: http://www.evmailnews.net/.