Wednesday, May 03, 2023

Day Five of My Inaugural Visit to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Vietnam


Detailed Postings for the Day
Making full use of the complimentary buffet breakfast at Vien Dong Hotel to start the day with a cup of Vietnamese coffee, a small bowl of congee and tons of bananas! 

That's insufficient, not when you are with the Great Kon! Let's proceed to have deconstructed banh mi at Bánh Mì Hòa Mã! I was way more impressed with the Vietnamese iced coffee from the same eatery.  

A walk shall be good for digestion and just right; a nearby supermarket where we can do some walking under air-conditioning! I love exploring supermarkets when I am overseas; it gives me a good glimpse of the local variety of fast moving consumer goods.

And we found Hao Hao instant noodles! Costing just 4,500 per bag (less than S$0.30 each), Alex got one whole carton as he remembered how much he enjoyed the noodles after visiting the Lacquer Painting Factory (Part of the Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Tour). Personally, I prefer Thailand's Mama noodles. 

Took a GRAB to our next destination as it was located at District 10. We contemplated strolling there but not when you have a carton of instant noodles to lug along.

Drove past Quoc Tu Pagoda, which didn't have that ancient of a history. The pagoda itself was built in 1963, just two years before Singapore gained independence. 

The Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine; at six floors high, it's amazing how the supposedly modern building, with a lift, was able to transform into a place compartmentalized into rooms of history-rich materials with antiquated interior design! p.s. there are nearly 3,000 artifacts! 

I was too busy taking photos; the rest were done much quicker and waiting for me patiently at the lobby. Do remember to check out the souvenirs on sale, like the lotus and lingzhi tea.

On GRAB again; as a Buddhist, it's assuring to have a statue of Guanyin bodhisattva on the car's dashboard. However, Buddhism believes in cause and effect and having a statue of a bodhisattva wouldn't help if you are evil-hearted. 

Another meal where I had my first bowl of bun cha, at Quan Nem Restaurant! It's also famous for their crab spring roll; sadly, it failed to impress any of us. 

Now for some animal time; a visit to Catfe, which was Short for Cat Cafe! Unlike cat cafes in Singapore, this was huge, across a few floors, and had about 40 cats of various breeds. 

Repeated this a few times; entry to Catfe was just 89,000 dong a person (about S$5.00) and aside from being able to spend unlimited time with the felines; it's free flow snacks and drinks (specialized beverages like latte would be separately charged)! 

Nnice; the vibrant colors caught our attention and I did a check on Google to check out what it was. Turned out to be a karaoke joint by the name of Karaoke Nnice! 

It's mesmerizing whenever the cars we took drove in between these tall trees that lined the streets! Maybe we should have them in Singapore too as the ones usually planted have too big a crown.

Got a drink from Katinat Kafe! 

Didn't realize that the barista was photo-bombing! After my trip to Hanoi earlier last month, I concluded that people in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) were cheekier; there were so many instances of photo-bombing! 

Another eye catching building! It belonged to Concung, a "Vietnam based retailer of maternity and baby-care products". If you read Vietnamese, you may check out its website at https://concung.com/.

Huyen Si Church - built in 1905, it was named after a Vietnamese man who was founder and one of the wealthiest man in Saigon at that time. The body of the founder and his wife were buried in one of the chapels within the church. 

While a urinating dog wasn't uncommon, I was more surprised with its actions after his number 1. He hopped onto the side of the motorbike (where motorcyclists would place their feet) like it's the most natural thing to do before the owner drove off.

Along the street of Phạm Ngũ Lão, where Vien Dong Hotel was located.

Honestly, there were a lot of pet dogs in HCMC and many were not chained up, although most stayed within the safe compound of their owners' home / shop. The problem I faced was more the inconsiderate action of not cleaning up after their pets' poo; there were a few occasions I almost stepped into one! 

September 23rd Park; opposite of Vien Dong Hotel, it was famous for being the site of a flower market during the spring festival, commonly known as lunar new year for us Chinese. 

After a short rest at Vien Dong Hotel, I was out again; this time alone as our dear Alex was happier staying in the hotel rather than sweating in the great outdoors! 

Photos along Bui Vien Street. 
It came alive only at night 

Vua Cha Ca - I didn't recognize this name back then in HCMC. Now that I am freshly back from Hanoi, I regretted not stepping in last October. Serving Vietnamese grilled fish, it was one of the most memorable meal I had in Vietnam's capital last month! 

In HCMC, you don't really see kerbs along pavement. 
Do you know the reason why?

Around the world, pavements are for pedestrians but in Vietnam, it's co-shared with the motorbikes and the lack of a kerb was to facilitate the ease of movement for the motorcyclists, when they move from road to park at the pavement!

I noticed these signages across lanes which couldn't accommodate a large motor vehicle. Being the curious person I have always been, it was my intention to explore further although I was mindful I was all alone in a foreign country. 

Tran Huu Trang Cailuong Theater - a performing arts theatre said to be for a "form of modern folk opera in Vietnam that blends southern Vietnamese folk songs, classical music, hát tuồng (a classical theatre form based on Chinese opera), and modern spoken drama".

Random photo showing the deep yet narrow buildings in HCMC. For someone who used to be a fire safety coordinator in his workplace, I am deeply concerned of the effectiveness of their fire evacuation routes.

A young boy with his obedient dog.

Bui Vien Street is actually about 500-meter long but this end was less happening for its night life. Even the closure on weekends centered more on the busier 315-meter stretch of the street.

An aptly named shop; cartoon.
I searched Google; actual name is Cartoon Story.

Did I mention before that you would see a lot more motorbikes than cars in HCMC? I thought it would be the same in Hanoi but truth was, HCMC still had a higher density of motorbikes! 

Street view along Đ. Cống Quỳnh.
Pretty near Thái Bình Market.

Short alley; with the dog as the logo, I assumed this would be a dog cafe. Nope, it's just your normal milk tea cafe. There's also a 3-star hotel by the name of Aloha House. 

Photos along the street; including Thái Bình Market. I shall be visiting it on my last day, where I also had my first bowl of bun thit nuong in the same market! 

Phương Nam Book City - when I was slightly younger, I would visit book stores when I am overseas. It's a pity that I don't read as much as before, with the exception of daily newspapers, and the tons of work emails I received on a daily basis. 

Back on Bui Vien Street! 

Woah, there's a SG Food and Beer restaurant! Aside from serving our national beer brand, Tiger, you can even grab a bowl of Singapore laksa! I may miss Singapore food a lot whenever I am out of the country but I am not usually not keen to check out such eateries when I am overseas. 

Halloween decorations! 

Finally had the courage to check out one of the narrow lanes in between buildings at HCMC! I did a search on Google Map and noticed a clear path along this Hem 241 Phạm Ngũ Lão. Given that it's a direct path towards Vien Dong Hotel and the area was bustling, I presumed I will be fine! 

In terms of the small lanes, I believe this was the more happening ones near Bui Vien Street; known as Hem 40 Bui Vien, the lane was flanked by commercial entities, including eateries, hotels etc.

Another dog on the street!

After seeing all those tightly packed buildings, it's refreshing to chance upon this restaurant / beer garden. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to save its name although for sure it's located along Hem 40 Bui Vien.

Loving the charming canopy of hanging Vietnamese lanterns.
Bet they would be more captivating at night.

With a Google review score of 4.6, I guess The Hungry Pig would be a great place should you be craving for Western food like burgers, American breakfast etc. Damn, I am so craving for burgers now.

Chua An Lac - a temple that looked so out of place amidst all the modern structures! Built in 1970 and restored in 1991, it might be worth a visit if you are in the vicinity.

Ball of fire that was slowly making its descent! 

Only 165,000 dong (slightly less than S$10) per person for buffet breakfast! Unlike Bangkok, it's very common for hotels to provide complimentary breakfast in Vietnam (regardless of whether it is HCMC or Hanoi).

Stepping into September 23rd Park for a closer look; nothing much except for this lake filled with lotus flowers. So sad that I didn't manage to jog in this park at all throughout my stay.

Taking the opportunity, while waiting for my friends, to check out a residential block! It did feel quite similar to those low rise HDB blocks in Singapore although it's not exclusively for residential purposes.

Our most expensive meal in HCMC; at Quince Saigon Fine Dining Restaurant! Based on what we ordered, we highly recommended dishes like the Not So Mashed Potatoes, BBQ Kerguelen Toothfish and Aged Barbary Duck Magret! 

Our last night in HCMC warranted a celebration at the oriental beauty; Madam Kew Saigon Cocktail Bar! Key highlight was the four of us experiencing our first taste of coconut sprouts! Before Madam Kew, I didn't even know what they were!

Peering into a store where piles and piles of wood were stored. They were essential fuel for the wood-fired ovens in Quince Saigon Fine Dining Restaurant, which was in the same building as Madam Kew.

Making our way back to the hotel, using our feet! 

Poor poodle was chained to the bike but I must applaud its sense of cleanliness; definitely better to lie down on tiled flooring instead of on pavements.

K-Supper - a "reputable high-end car importer that offers supercars and super luxury cars such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, etc. Rolls-Royce, Bentley"! Well, I can't afford it anyway and I will be happy so long I have a 4-wheel motor vehicle to drive around.

JUMBO Seafood - an import from Singapore! In HCMC itself, there were three branches! Based on current data, Singapore branches only comprise 26% out of its total outlets; 6 out of 23. 

Last massage in the city; Zen Spa Foot and Body Massage! Tips were included in the price but you could top up if service was exemplary! 

It's Halloween Night and this deserved another separate posting on Bui Vien Street as the mood was bewitching with people who purposely dressed up for the occasion, despite the fact that 31 October 2022 was on a Monday!

The racket could be heard from my room in Vien Dong Hotel even past midnight! In Singapore, this would have resulted in numerous complaints from residents living in the area.


=====

Vomited by Cavin Teo at 10:59 PM
Labels: , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)