Today we visited Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon in Vietnam. It’s interesting to note that the port we arrived at is actually called Phu My and is located approximately 2 hours drive from Ho Chi Minh City. We had heard about this before we left, so it was OK, but some of the other cruisers had not prepared for this. It was a bit of a headache getting off the ship this morning, as almost everyone onboard had organised a shore excursion. Even those who wanted to explore the city by themselves could catch a bus transfer from the port to the city and back (which costs USD $50 per person).
We did a tour where we got the transfer into Ho Chi Minh City, then visited a traditional Lacquerware Factory (basically a tourist trap, but still interesting to see). Following that, we went to Notre Dame cathedral and the Main Post Office and took some more photos. A bride and groom were having their wedding photos taken and were attracting quite a bit of attention. We then continued to Ben Thanh Market (where you could buy souvenirs, tshirts, shoes, food, etc). We could also have a look around the surrounding streets and have some lunch. We decided to try Pho 2000 whose catch phrase was ‘The Noodles of Vietnam, Pho For The President’ as some American Presidents had been known to eat there. It was delicious and I would highly recommend it – so much so, that is the picture for today.
After catching a bite to eat, we left for our last destination which was a shopping strip in downtown Ho Chi Minh. There wasn’t too much to see or do, apart from buy things, so we tried to find some wifi and had something cool to eat/drink (we found a funky ice cream shop). Unfortunately our tour guide got his times mixed up (as Vietnam was one hour behind the ship’s time) and we all had to wait over an hour longer than we originally thought we had to, for the bus to come back and pick us up. Once we were picked up, we left for the port again. We stopped at a rice paddy for some photos on the way back – it was amazing how much it actually smelt like rice!!
Tonight we enjoyed dinner onboard the ship and The Muse Band and Tianmusic Inc which was an Asian inspired band – the sound was different, but they created an excellent fusion of eastern and western music. After the show we went for a walk around the ship and got some fresh air. There was a dance party on the pool deck and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
My impressions of Vietnam are that most people were very helpful, the food is delicious, the traffic is hectic and the weather is humid! Could be a place to visit again in the future – maybe this time with a local to see the more authentic side of Vietnam.
