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Bookmark & shareA Top Day in Ho Chi Minh City
My top day in Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by everyone who lives there) would probably begin with a bowl of pho (noodle soup) from a streetside stall in the Pham Ngu Lao area. With camera to hand, I'd then set forth into the traffic and wander up to Cong Vien Van Hoa Park for a stroll among the exercising locals, before continuing on to the War Remnants Museum. With all the military hardware on display, at first glance this museum can look like a celebration of war. It's not. Each time I visit it is a sobering but intensely worthwhile experience, often with a new exhibition to take in. The Reunification Palace, just down the road, speaks to the same turbulent period of modern history but in more extravagant language. I love the classic '60s architecture, the furniture that's remained unchanged since 1975, and the shaky television pictures of tanks bursting through gates that run through my head while sitting in the grounds. Saigon is all about street food, so I'll walk down to Ben Thahn Market and follow my nose to the food vendors for lunch with a bia hoi (draught beer) or two. My nose will also lead me to the market's coffee merchants, a tasting session and yet another kilogram or two of the best arabica. In the afternoon I'll sit in a cafe (the long-running Givral, perhaps), read the paper and conserve energy for the evening... Ah, the evening in Saigon! I'll meet friends at the Saigon Saigon Bar for sundowners and discussion of the latest and greatest Vietnamese beach resort, before moving on to dinner at one of the Dong Khoi restaurants (probably Quan An Ngon if we feel like local cuisine, or Augustin for delicious, cheap French food). Dinner is followed by a round of cocktails at trendy Q-Bar, where, suitably lubricated, I might allow myself to be persuaded into a dancing mission to Apocalypse Now. The final act is a xe om (motorbike taxi) trip back to Pham Ngu Lao, a great way to clear the head.
My top tip: crossing the street in Saigon can seem impossible to the uninitiated, but it's actually pretty simple. Don't bother waiting for a break in the traffic, just step out and walk at a steady pace. Try not to stop and never ever step back. Vietnamese motorists are used to all manner of random obstacles and are perfectly happy to go around pedestrians... after all, running you over is just too much paperwork.
Author: Andrew Burke
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