SAIGON : sights

Within a week, the trip was planned and we were off to visit Ho Chi Minh City or as locals call it, Saigon. Vietnam was how I envisioned it to be. It was a fabulous trip and I had a wonderful time with my good friend, Andrea!

Back in the day when the village flooded, the people would do water puppet shows for entertainment. We got to see one in a theater.
Everything was in Vietnamese. The music was so loud. My seat was lopsided. Everyone had their cameras out. It was the perfect way to start the trip.


Stepped inside to get a manicure and pedicure for $7 and when we went outside, the Ben Thanh night market was set up!

We grabbed some frozen yogurt, walked around, and bought some knock-off purses. When I asked someone where the rubbish was, he pointed to the sidewalk. I must have looked confused because he walked over to me and grabbed the bowl out of my hands and threw it in the gutter. I just had to take a picture of it with the police officer in the back. There are garbage collectors that clean the streets there. So different from the US where you would be fined for littering.

Another day we did a tour of the city via cyclos.


It was a great way to see the city and be right in the midst of the street chaos. In reality, it's not so scary. We even became pros at crossing the street! Like my friend Annie said, "The bigger cars take care of the smaller ones, the smaller ones, take care of the motorbikes, and the motorbikes take care of the pedestrians." Everyone is aware and the system is quite safe even if it may not look like it at first. I didn't see one accident there!

We went to the War Remnants Museum, which was a sobering and uncomfortable visit as an American. Good thing we were from Singapore. ;)


Toured the Reunification Palace where the North united the South.

Visited the Post Office with the air-conditioned telephone booths.

Saw the Notre Dame Cathedral

Headed over to the backpacker's district on Bui Vien Street

Bought some paintings from the spunkiest Vietnamese lady

Upstairs from the paintings, we got $8 hot stone massages every. single. day. Okay, we tipped $5 too. The massages were amazing. Faces ecstatic when they saw the tip.