DAY 75 - SECOND DAY - HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Excellent Time At The Dining Room Last Evening ✔ Enjoyed Our Full Day Tour Of Ho Chi Minh City✔


Since we woke up in Vietnam this morning we thought we should start today's entry with an iconic phrase that was made popular by actor Robin WIlliams.


Good Morning Vietnam.  


We wanted to begin by saying that the Pedicab was a nice way to take-in (see, smell, feel) Ho Chi Minh City rather than being in a tour bus.  True, as we mentioned it had its moments between the buses, trucks and motorcycles coming directly at you head-on and on either side of you as your driver makes a dash to go straight through an intersection or makes either a left or right turn.  In addition, there is no Air Conditioning to turn on and with temperatures in the mid-90's (Fahrenheit) and with a good deal of humidity it was rather hot and stick.   With that said, as we were driven around the city we could really get a nice sense of the city from our open air Pedicabs.  At the same time we could hear lots of things that were taking place all around us and we could also take in the smells, many of which were pleasing as we passed various restaurants and cafes. We could also see so much more from the Pedicabs.

As we were driven around we passed many small shops selling a wide range of items including auto parts, computers, phones, motorcycles, cosmetics, fabrics, clothing, food and drinks,  and the like.  After awhile there was something reminiscent of our travels to India which seems to have almost every part ever made on this planet.  All of a sudden Keith looked up and saw a very large table with lots of rotary phones on it which must have dated back to the 1960's and early 1970's.


We also were able to make visual contact with many of the locals particularly as we were stopped at intersections and some of them said hello while others waved to us.  We also said hello and waved back to them.


Since our drivers did not speak much English that made it quite interesting but we did figure out how to communicate with them.


We also wanted to mention that the dollar gets you quite a bit in Vietnam compared to other places around the world.  Many guests have or will shop over the next few days in Vietnam and will be able to pick up a wide range of items for very low prices.  Think about it.  Some of the sports shoes you buy are made in Vietnam.  Much of what you are paying for is for packaging and shipping, marketing/advertising and related to that the extraordinary amount of money that  professional athletes receive from endorsements associated with the companies,  the profit that is made beyond the wholesaler such as the profit for the distributor and retailer, the cost of shipping the goods and other costs such as loss of items in stores, and taxes.   The actual cost to produce that shoe is likely to be just a few dollars.


As was the case in 2008, there were some vendors at the pier selling items including shirts, shorts, back packs, luggage, bookmarks, wooden items, dresses, and a wide range of other items.  Prices were quite low.  At the same time there is an outdoor cafe that is set up that is primarily for the crew and we were told that the food is quite good and the prices as some would say is "dirt cheap".  Cambodia was even cheaper where we were told that people could get a very extensive lunch for a few dollars. The low cost is also reflected in many of the prices for the shore excursions.


While not having the land mass or the overall population Vietnam is the China of many years ago or even like Japan was many years ago where the emphasis was on producing low cost goods with overall quality taking second fiddle.


We also wanted to mention that on a World Cruise that truly travel becomes discovery and it allows us to see how others in the world live and in some cases in stark contrast to many of us.  For those who don't want to experience cultures that are quite different from our very own, they would be better off to stay at home or to limit themselves to visiting places that are more close in lifestyle to their own areas.  As we visit such diverse places we are reminds that based on our own respective backgrounds that often people around the world have very different challenges from one another and also see things differently than one another.  In Vietnam, one will learn from the locals that prior to the year 2000 that the biggest challenge for most families was being able to have food to eat each day.  While certainly not on the par with  many Western Countries or certain other countries around the world, food is more plentiful now and overall their standard of living is improving.


As we were driven around the city yesterday, Keith closed his eyes for a few second (not the time he wondered if the Pedicab would be hit by a motorized vehicle but another time) and thought that fifty years from now this city may look like major cities around the world.  After all, in the early 1990's when Keith visited Beijing on business most of the locals were on bicycles,  wore black clothing, and on his way out to the Great Wall drove mainly on dirt roads.  Lots of things have changed in less than twenty years.


After we got back to the ship following yesterday's tour, we cooled in our room and then each took a shower before dinner.  


Last evening we dined a the Crystal Dining Room. These are the menus from last evening's dinner.

Before dinner we sat in the Crystal Cove and listened to the music of John Mentis.

We each began our meal with a salad.  Keith went with his standing order salad and Anne Marie ordered the Four Seasons Salad.

For our entree we had pre-ordered with Augusto the entree that was on the menu the night before when we had dined at Silk Road which was the Broiled Fresh Ahi Tuna.

Anne Marie also had a few scallops from the entree that was on last evening's menu and Keith tried a plain piece of the silver dory.

For dessert Anne Marie had the non-fat New York Cheesecake Yogurt and Keith had fresh berries and also tried some of Anne Marie's yogurt.

Although we were docked last evening we still managed to sleep very well even without the gentle rocking of the ship.  The only disturbance was for about ten minutes when we could hear horns from another ship(s) which may have been ferries.

We both woke up early today as we had a full day tour.  Keith managed to get in his normal workout at the Fitness Center.  Anne Marie skipped the workout.

We had breakfast in our room earlier than we normally do so that we could get ready for our tour. We really appreciate Rao bringing breakfast to us so very early.

Before we left for the tour, the Silver Whisper Cruise Ship pulled into port.  Since it is a relatively small cruise ship it could go under the bridge and dock closer to the city.

Our tour today was the third of five tours that we arranged with our travel consortium.

Our tour began at 8:00 AM when we were met by our guide and driver at the pier.

Our Tour Guides name was Son Nguyen.  She was extremely knowledgeable and spoke English very well and did a truly outstanding job answering all of our questions and changing up the tour as we requested.

She was born in 1984.  She was initially born in Hanoi but many families from that area were encouraged to live in Ho Chi Minh City as those in Ho Chi Minh City were encouraged to move to other areas.  This was part of the integration of former North and South Vietnam into one integrated country.

Our Divers name was Thien. He spoke no English but he drove wonderfully.  He was very safe as he drove us all around the city.  Often on the tour we walked and then Son would call Thien who would pick us up in a matter of minutes.

This was the vehicle that we drove in.  It was very comfortable and air conditioned.

Son provided us with a lot of useful information throughout the tour.

Vietnam has over ninety million people with almost nine million people living in Ho Chi Minh City.

Unemployment stands at around 5% despite some economic issues related to the housing market and the closure of some business.

Inflation is high as is interest rates for loans including home mortgages.

The Vietnam War as we know it in the United States is referred to as the American War in Vietnam.

The literacy rate in Vietnam is around 95% which is the highest in all of Asia.

Around 70% of the Vietnamese population was born after the war ended.

Vietnam is major exporters of Black Pepper with 40% of all Black Pepper coming from Vietnam.  They are the number two exporter, behind Brazil of Coffee, and also are a major exporter of cashews.

We first visited an area on the river where we saw several riverboats that made their way from the Mekong Delta.  They bring fruits and vegetables to sell and will return back after they have sold all of their items.  Normally around five people work and live on each boat and they have all sorts of appliances and even animals.

We then drove to an area known as Fabric street where we walked for quite awhile.

Wedding Dresses

Then we walked on another street known as Cigarette Street.  Some of the cigarettes are smuggled into the country from Cambodia.

Everywhere we went we saw delicious looking fruit.

We then visited the oldest temple in Ho Chi Minh City dating back to the 19th century and was built to honor the Goddess of the Sea.

We filled out a card with our family names on them along with Anne Marie's parents family name and the family name of our daughter and son in law and the family name of our daughter in law's parents and
then the card was attached to a cone of incense.  We lit it together and then it was raised and should burn for approximately one week.

Often items are paired in odd number such as these candles which total seven.

We then drove to the Reunification Palace which was formerly known as the Presidential Palace.  On our last visit we only saw the palace from the outside so it was nice to get a guided tour of the palace which had been used as the former headquarters for the South Vietnamese Government and also as the residence of the Presidents.  There are over 150 rooms on the inside.  We are including some photos and will post more tomorrow.

 Our tour guide playing some music for us.

We were then taken to a factory/store where they make Lacquered Wood using egg shells, mother of pearl and paint.

We then visited the Ngoc Hoang Padoda where people worshop to the Sky God.  Some people even sell lottery tickets with the idea that today will be your lucky day after you pray.

Many people brought offerings which include egg, pork, and rice beans.  They also light incense.

We were then taken to Hoian Restaurant for lunch.  There was a pre-set menu. The restaurant was lovely and the service was great and the food was very tasty.

Grilled Pork Wrapped in Rick Pancake

We each had local Beer.

Sprin Roll "Hoi An" Style

Stewed Pork in Clay Pot

Fried Rice with Vegetables

We also each had Spinach Soup.

We ended the meal with Tropical Fresh Fruit. The one with the seeds is Dragon Fruit.

There was dining on the first and second floors.  We dined on the second floor.  The bar was on the first floor.

After lunch we visited a museum, the Opera House, walked through the Market and also had coffee so that we could experience local coffee which was excellent.

The locals that we met throughout the day were terrific.  There was lots of traffic but people do show patience.

To cap off the day when we arrived to the pier our tour guide, Son, and our driver, Thien, gave us each hugs.  They were terrific and really made this tour and day so very special for us.

This evening we were originally supposed to dine with friends Sandy and Mike but when we got back to the room we had a message from Mike that Sandy was not feeling well so we will do this another time.  Instead we will dine at Prego with a special guest.  More tomorrow.

TODAYS' THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.

"Goooooooood morning, Vietnam! Hey, this is not a test! This is rock-'n'-roll! Time to rock it from the Delta to the DMZ! Is that me, or does that sound like an Elvis Presley movie?" -  Robin Williams playing Adrian Cronaeur in the Movie Good Morning Vietnam.

Keith and Anne Marie