Back to Saigon

Can Tho to Saigon, January 2  2010

From the Mekong Delta we headed back to a more comfortable life in the city called, Ho Chi Minh City. Once again we got on a ferry. We're on our way back to Ho Chi Minh City a.k.a Saigon.

Our stop over.

This place where we stopped by, said our tour guide, was a big house. It's about 100 years old, he said.

That’s a big restaurant there. Was it the dining room? How many maids did they have? 10? 20? I wonder how many generations and how many families had lived here.

What a peaceful backyard pond.

Here we are now back in Saigon. TNK Travel is the travel agency that operated our 2 days and 1 night tour to Mekong Delta.

We stayed for 2 nights in Spring Hotel. It's not as luxurious as Palace Hotel Saigon, but quite comfortable and for sure had an elevator!! 208 USD per room for nights with double bed I think is quite reasonable. The services were excellent. The front desk took good care when our travel agent left a message for me.

I also learnt a new technique to get plain water for free in hotels that don't serve mineral water as complimentary. I asked for an electric kettle. I meant to boil some water for my coffee using the mineral water I had bought. Instead, I got a full thermos of hot water. The next morning I poured the rest into my mineral bottle. During check out I thought I would be charged, but I wasn't. So... when you need plain water, don't get it from the mini bar, but just ask for a kettle... and see if you get lucky ;-)

Actually I took this picture the next day. This was where we had our dinner. It's a Vietnamese Broken Rice Restaurant.

To my astonishment, Com Tam Moc was cheap, but served an excellent taste in an elegant atmosphere. I spent only 42.000 VND for this rice chicken wing and ice lemon tea. I think it has been my cheapest meal in Vietnam.

After a full dinner we headed for the bookstore. I got to wonderful books: "A Concise Guide to Butterflies and Moths" (80.000 VND) and "Birds of Indonesia" (474.000 VND). The first was very cheap, indeed, and contain beautiful photographs of butterflies which is the other reason for me to buy this book. Both these books I need to identify the butterflies and birds I had captured.

Okay, so now you must be wondering. No. This is not the bookstore. This is City Hall. It was already the 2nd night of 2010, but there still were so many people in the park in front of City Hall. I had to give up shooting from the front side. I crossed the street and shot from the side. I think... I have to come back to Saigon for the 3rd time ;-)