Asia Steps

Festive Ho Chi Minh City

Last night, while dancing at a stylish club to celebrate our last evening in HCMC, I heard from Philip why he loves this city so much, “Saigon just has magic, it draws you to it and you just can’t leave.” Like many other expats living here, Philip is enjoying the rapid changes and overwhelming modernism that has swept this city. Visiting here again after 6 years, I find that there are hardly any cyclos but double the amount of motorbikes and a lot of cars everywhere. Tall buildings are being erected in city center, featuring a gym, spa and other luxury amenities to a nouveau riche population. Fancy new malls have sprung up in addition to upscale stores scattered all around selling gourmet chocolate, haute couture and expensive jewelry. Countless new cafes and outdoor restaurants offer excellent meals, some of the best I have had in a while in a charming and laid back atmosphere.

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Phu My Hung Neighborhood

Today we decided to explore another residential neighborhood in the south of the city at District 7 called Phu My Hung. This fairly large, new area features newly built buildings atop stores, cafes and beauty salons. There are wide streets shaded by trees and an 8 lane highway leading to it. It reminded me a lot of “Ramat Aviv”, the affluent north Tel Aviv neighborhood where Tel Aviv University is, only missing a fancy mall (for now). After a fruit shake in one of the nice places at Phu My Hung, we drove back to the city and headed to Ben Thanh market. The large and colorful market has not changed a bit since the last time I was there 6 years ago. There are still lacquer souvenirs on top of clothes on top of shoes right next to food stands. The whole market is very crowded and after an hour of navigating the narrow alleys (and a close encounter with a huge cockroach) we got out to eat lunch elsewhere.

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Hotel Continental in HCMC

Today we woke up especially early to get the most out of our last morning on Phu Quoc Island. After eating breakfast and snapping some photos of the resort we had a last tan and swim on the beach at Mango Bay. The taxi to the airport was a welcome change from the dust of the road by motorbike and we boarded our plane back to HCMC.

We returned to the city very hungry and promptly ate a meal of delicious crab/asparagus (Tamar) and melon/pork (Kevin) soup and other goodies at Vietnam House, a restaurant in the Don Khoi area. In the evening we met up with our friends, Aryeh and Jesse, at Jesse’s house in District 1 where we enjoyed excellent Indian food take-out. It’s great to be back in Ho Chi Minh City!

With Tim & Magalie

The Coffee is so good in Saigon; I find it hard to not have at least two a day. Before starting the day’s adventure, Kevin drove us to a cafe he knows by the Notre Dame cathedral, called “Au Parc”. We had great coffee and were quickly on our way to meet friends in District 2. In order to get to District 2, we drove over the Saigon Bridge along with about a thousand other motorbikes. Our friends, Tim and Magalie, have recently moved from France to Vietnam with their two daughters-Niko-Linh and Suzanne. They live in a big house in a beautiful residential neighborhood. Very close to their home, Magalie recently opened a children’s clothing store, named “Little Anh-Em” where she sells unique clothes she designs for kids.

After a visit to a local French school where Niko-Linh dances and we had a great lunch at “Mekong”, we said goodbye and drove back for another meeting at “Highlands Café”. Kevin was starting to feel sick so we headed back to the hotel for some R&R but not before getting the local remedy for every sickness- pho bo (beef noodle soup)!

Today we celebrated our two year wedding anniversary and for the occasion we booked a couple’s package at the fanciest spa in town called “L’apothiquaire”. We were picked up from our hotel in a 60’s looking lavender car and taken to the French villa in district 3 where the spa is located. We spent 4.5 hours in a gorgeous setting getting body and foot massages, facials, mani/pedi and eating a wonderful meal by the pool. It was INCREDIBLE.
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The Night Lights of Saigon

On our first full day in HCMC we woke up not knowing what time it was since the room we were in at the NY Kim Phuong Hotel (complete with photos of New York in each room) had no windows. We skipped the included pho breakfast (hard to believe one can skip a yummy pho breakfast) in favor of the banh cuon at modern looking joint down the block called “Wrap & Roll”.

Vietnam Airlines has an office next door so we went in to book tickets to Phu Quoc Island. We were told that tickets are nearly sold out and we managed to get the only 2 seats available this week and nothing for a return flight. Fortunately, there’s a ferry/bus combo as an alternative should we get “stuck” on the island.

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Today we woke up at 5:30 to the sound of the town’s public loudspeaker (many Vietnamese cities have news, public information and music pumped out of these speakers at dawn) and a competing rooster. We took a morning stroll to the other side of town and were greeted by many smiling kids and Chau Doc’s very friendly population. We were the only tourists in sight.

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