Walk ~ Discover Saigon

Chao, Dong Khoi street! ^_^

For the last stretch in Ho Chi Minh City, let's explore the city center by foot! Yes, you read it right! Walk to discover Saigon! Para magawa ito, humingi ng mapa sa inyong hotel receptionist. They should be able to provide you one. Our very friendly Saigon Mini Hotel receptionist did give us one. Thank you! ^_^

Brace yourselves everytime you cross HCMC streets. XD

It is not really hard to explore HCMC landmarks. Just find Dong Khoi street, decide where to start and to end. Then before you know it, marami ka na palang nabisitang landmarks. :3

Just a piece of advice mga teh. When exploring HCMC, expect a buwis-buhay scenario while crossing the streets. Hindi hihinto ang pulutong ng mga motor para patawirin kayo. I tell you. Don't say I didn't warn you. Pero achieve na achieve ang feeling tuwing nakakatawid si Teh sa mga kalye ng HCMC. Wagas lang. :)))

So Teh and Ria decided to start the DIY walking tour from the Saigon Opera House. Judging its location on the map, magiging efficient kung dito kami magsisimula. Obviously, wala kaming plano pumasok sa mga bibisitahin naming landmarks. Mas bet naming magpicture lang sa labas ng mga ito, dahil building architectures ang talagang gusto naming pagmasdan at maalala. Ito kasi ang kakaiba sa Saigon ~ a city fused by Western and Eastern architecture. You can see British-inspired buildings, American-inspired buildings and of course, Vietnamese-inspired buildings. Pero mga teh, since Vietnam is a Buddhist country, specifically Mahayana, may mga Chinese-inspired structures din sila, tulad ng mga temples nila.

1st stop: Saigon Opera House

Anyway, moving on, we hopped from one intersecting street to another along Dong Khoi Street. Pakiramdam ni Teh, naglalakad ako sa isang kalye sa Europe. Renaissance ang peg ng mga buildings dito. :)

Some other Western-inspired buildings (clockwise, from top-left):
Hotel Continental Saigon, Vietnam House Restaurant,
some office buildings and Diamond Plaza.

Top: Rear of Ho Chi Minh City Hall 
(maling direction >_<)
Bottom: mga nagkakape by the garden

Medyo fail, kasi likod ng City Hall ang nakita namin. >_< Pero on the other side, we saw some Vietnamese making tambay by the flower gardens para chumika at magkape. Coffee break instead na yosi break. Hashtag: #HealthyPeople. ^_^

At isa pang fail. Likod lang din ng Ho Chi Minh City Museum ang nadaanan namin. T_T

Ho Chi Minh City Museum exterior

Finally, we reached the end of the street, at bumungad sa amin ang napakagandang cathedral na ito. The Notre Dame of Asia... ♥

The Notre Dame Cathedral of Asia... ^_^

The cathedral and the pigeons. :3

And beside the Notre Dame Cathedral is the Saigon Post Office. Also inspired by Western Architecture. ^_^

Saigon Post Office Exterior

Pagkagaling dito, medyo naligaw-ligaw pa kami ni Ria sa kakahanap ng Reunification Palace. Kaya ayun, napabuwis-buhay ulit kami sa pagtawid-tawid kung saan-saan. >_< 

Anyway, this is a special place where the civil war has ended. It is where the North and the South were reunified... :)

Reunification Palace...
Reminds me of The Mansion in Baguio City.

Few blocks away from the Reunification Palace, you will find the War Remnants Museum. 

Welcome, welcome!

Pumasok kami sa loob ni Ria dahil may time pa kami. And we wanted to see na rin these cool war machines. The machines are cool, but the war ain't cool. :( 

The real war thing. Buti pang-display na lang. :))
Hashtag: #GunLove

The photos and clippings from around the world 
about Vietnam War.

And of course, hindi namin pinalagpas ang chance na tumingin ng Vietnam War pictures and news clippings. I felt proud na rin when we saw a photo of a protest in Manila against the civil war in Vietnam. Truly, Filipinos, together with the rest of the world, are sympathetic regarding this matter... :)

Ho Chi Minh and Manila. One against the War.

And our last destination was the Chua Vinh Nghiem Pagoda. Hindi keri lakarin ito mula sa War Remnants Museum kaya nag-taxi na sina Teh at Ria papunta rito. Mura naman kasi ang taxi rito. Pero paano nga ba namin na-discover ang pinakamagandang pagoda sa HCMC? Well, we asked a local resident. Salamat ng marami ulit kay Ate Receptionist ng Saigon Mini Hotel. ^_^

The most beautiful Mahayana Buddhist Temple in HCMC... ♥

Lotus flower is ♥ ^_^

As much as Teh wanted to buy lotus flowers for offering, I do not know naman how to use them. Mag-wiwish ba ako? Magdadasal ba para sa namayapang kamag-anak? I really don't know. :| Anyway, lotus flowers are really beautiful... ♥ 

First time ni Teh na makapasok sa isang Mahayana Buddhist Pagoda at sobrang nagandahan ako sa temple na ito. Sana pala, namili ako ng insenso para sa pagdadasal. Pero puwede namang magdasal kahit walang itirik na insenso. :3

Wishing for a good life... :)

Very oriental man ang itsura ng temple, may mga similarities pa rin ito sa isang typical na Theravada Buddhist temples ng Thailand at Cambodia, most especially the Garuda design sa edges ng temple roof. Very beautiful. :)

Demons ba sila? Hmm...

Sa mga Christians, ang tingin natin sa demons ay masama. Pero, sa mga Buddhists, they consider some demons as gods, parang sa Greek and Roman mythology. More of being death god or god of nuisance. :S Wala lang, nabanggit lang ni Teh dahil sa labas ng temple, may mga bantay na mukhang demons. Kamukha nila kasi 'yung mga demon illustrations sa Ramayana epic. :3

And finally, to complete the temple visit, we went inside. I prayed here, even if I was born Catholic. I just believe that God is omnipresent kasi. So kahit saan ako sumamba, maririnig Niya ako. :) 

Medyo creepy lang, kasi sa loob nakakita kami ng mga pictures na naka-frame. Pictures kaya ng mga namayapa 'yun? @_@ Naawa ako noong nakakita ako ng picture ng baby... :(

But truly, masaya si Teh dahil na-checkan ko ang isang task sa aking bucketlist in life - to visit a Mahayana Buddhist temple. :3

And this concludes our adventures in HCMC. Sana nag-enjoy kayo kasama sina Teh at Ria! Till our next adventures, mga teh! Thank you very much for visiting my travel journal. Paalam! ^_^

Cu Chi Tunnels ~ The Stronghold of Viet Congs

Welcome, welcome!

Ngayon naman mga teh ay ikukuwento ko sa inyo ang mga kaganapan sa Cu Chi Tunnel tour ni Teh and Ria. Pero bago 'yon, dumaan muna tayo sa isang Lacquer factory in the middle of the nowhere. Hindi ko kasi alam talaga kung saang lupalop kami dinala ng tour bus. Nagpa-last minute booking lang kasi kami ni Ria ng Cu Chi Tunnel tour sa receptionist ng Saigon Mini Hotel.

So sa bungad ng factory, makakakita kayo ng summary ng Production Process ng Saigon Lacquer Mother of Pearl boards, na hindi masyadong inintindi ni Teh dahil hindi ko naman talaga planong pumunta rito. (Bad.) :)))

At para mas maintindihan naming mga turistang lost (yep, 'yan ang pakiramdam ni Teh dahil hindi ko naman alam na kasama ito sa itinerary ng tour), nilibot kami ng factory guide sa loob at ipinakita sa amin ang step-by-step procedure ng paggawa ng isang Lacquer Board artwork. Natuwa na rin ako, dahil nakita ko kung gaano kabusisi gawin ang artwork na ito. Kaya siya pricey. :3

The processes inside the Lacquer Factory. Astig ang tiyaga ng mga workers. Very dedicated!.. :)

Bili na mga teh kung marami kang pera. :))
(Kaya hindi kami nabili kasi konti ang pera namin.)

Pagkatapos ng factory tour, you will find yourself in a store full of Lacquer Boards and other Lacquer-finished artworks. Nakakalula sa dami pero Teh and Ria ended up buying nothing. Hindi kasi advisable mamili rito dahil mas mataas ang prices dito compared with those sold in Ben Thanh Market and in some shops along Bou Vien street.

Sunflower is ♥... ^_^

Sa bungad ng Cu Chi Tunnel, naaliw si Teh panandalian dahil nakakita ako ng sunflower in full bloom. Habang busy pa ang guide namin sa pagbili ng tickets namin, ngumanga muna si Teh sa mga sunflowers sa paligid. Paano naman kasi, the month before we went to Vietnam, sa Baguio hindi nakakita si Teh ng sunflower in full bloom. Dito ko lang pala matatagpuan ang mga ito. Ang saya lang ni Teh... :3

Sana puwedeng humarbat ng maski isa lang. :)
Hashtag: #GunLove
(Push mo Teh ang pagha-hashtag. Baka mag-trend.)

May isang hall din sa entrance na puro lumang rifles ang laman. Well-kept in glass cabinets. Gumagana pa kaya sila?

Welcome, welcome!

Pagkabili ng ticket ay dinala kami ng aming guide na si Kuya Mikkey papunta sa isang tunnel. At pagkalabas ng tunnel, dinala naman niya kami sa underground kubo.

Dito sa kubo, pinanood kami ng documentary at pinakinig ng lecture ni Mr. Binh. Would you believe, that Mr. Binh is actually a half-Pinoy, half-Vietnamese? Paano nalaman ni Teh? Well, actually, nalimutan ko talaga ang pangalan ni Mr. Binh kaya si Teh ay nag-research muna sa google. Tapos, nabasa ko ang blogsite ni Excursionista (redirect here), at doon ko nalamang may dugong Pinoy pala ang magaling naming lecturer sa Cu Chi Tunnel. Kaya pala may halong jokes ang kanyang lecture, kasi Pinoy siya. Also to add up, Mr. Binh was actually a local spy for the American troops. But his heart remained loyal to the Vietnamese. ^_^

After the short documentary film, Mr. Binh explained to us the territories of the American and the rebel Viet Congs[1], the interior design of the Cu Chi Tunnel and how did the Viet Congs survive underground. Walang nasabi sina Teh and the rest of the tour group kundi "WOW"! Napakatatalino ng mga Vietnamese! Very witty! By using common sense alone, they survived and even defeated American army with intelligence. As in, bawat part ng Cu Chi Tunnel may significance talaga, no matter how simple that portion may seem.

Kaya mga teh, I tell you, you are very lucky kung siya ang magiging lecturer ninyo when you visit the Cu Chi Tunnel. A tour here, for Teh, would not have been completed without Mr. Binh's lecture. ;)

The lecture and the photo op with Mr. Binh.
(Against the light, but then, it's better than nothing! ^_^)

After the lecture at kubo, Kuya Mikkey showed us around the Cu Chi Tunnel exterior ~ the forest. In-explain niya sa amin ang bawat trap na madaanan namin. At grabe, ang morbid lang kasi nai-imagine ni Teh na paano kung ako ang nabitag ng mga patibong na 'yun, nararamdaman ko ang pain. X_X

1st series of deadly traps. X_X

Final stretch of deadly traps. X_X

At siyempre pa, dinala kami ni Kuya Mikkey sa isang small hole, which is the entrance to the tunnel. Bongga lang. Kasi binigyan ang ilan sa tour group namin ng chance para ma-experience ang pagpasok sa tunnel. At dahil minsan lang ito, game na game si Teh sa pagvo-volunteer! So step-by-step, heto ang mga ginawa ko. Una, tanggalin ang takip ng entrance. Second, bumaba sa entrance (malamang!). Pangatlo, lagyan ng dried leaves ang takip for camouflaging effect. And then last, ibalik ang cover ng entrance sa ulunan mo. Then poof! Teh's gone... (One minute of silence...)

Enter the tunnel... 8)

Nakakaloka lang mga teh. Kasi muntik na akong hindi makalabas! Kasalanan ito ng pagiging majubis[2] ni Teh. Ang bigat ko, kaya hindi ko mabuhat sarili ko pataas. At bukod pa diyan, may injury kasi ako dati sa kaliwang elbow kaya mahina ang left arm ni Teh. (Rarason pa eh. XD) Salamat, Kuya Mikkey, dahil hindi ako na-stuck sa entrance forever. ^_^

Help me. Spare me. >_<
Hashtag: #Heavygat

Push mo 'yan, Kuya Mikkey. :D
(Siya na ang skinny. T_T)

Sige, dahil payat sila, 
kasya kaya mga Vietnamese dito? O_O

Along the forest, marami pa kaming nadaanang iba't ibang tunnel entrance na mas maliit pa kaysa doon sa may takip. Dahil skinny ang mga Vietnamese by nature, walang kahirap-hirap sa kanila ang paglusot sa mga lagusang ito. And this is one of the biggest advantages of Vietnamese against Americans na na-discuss sa amin ni Mr. Binh sa kanyang lecture. "The Americans have big a**es, so they were not capable of entering the Cu Chi tunnels." Dami kong tawa diyan, mga 200. Benta eh. :))








Obviously, hindi kasya ang tao sa butas na ito. Ito naman ang lagusan ng usok kapag ang Viet Congs ay nagluluto sa gabi. O kapag nakatunog silang may mga Kano sa ibabaw, palalabasan nila ng toxic gas ang butas na ito. Clever, right? ;)

Sa paligid-ligid, nakita namin ang mga tropang Viet Congs na nakatambay. 'Yun nga lang, hindi nila kami pinapansin. </3 :P

Tropang Camouflage. :D

Top Left: Tambayan ng mga Viet Congs
Top Right: Shooting Range entrance
Bottom Left: Squid balls! ♥
Bottom Right: Bomb crater. 
(Pero unaffected pa rin ang tunnel nung bumagsak dito ang bomba.)

Then after roaming around the forest, pinagpahinga muna kami ni Kuya Mikkey. Mukhang masarap ang squid balls kaya nag-meryenda muna kami ni Ria. By the way, sa hindi kalayuan, may gun shooting range kaya kung nais ninyong mag-gun firing, puwede kayong dumaan dito basta may time. :)

After the short rest, dizizit! The much-anticipated portion of the tour! Puwede ba namang umalis kami nang hindi nae-experience ang pagrampa sa loob ng tunnel? Pagbaba, there are five exit points, one in every 20 meters. Bale 100 meters ang total length ng Cu Chi Tunnel challenge. Medyo epic fail kasi akala ko panglimang exit na. Sobrang dilim na kasi, kaya akala ko, dulo na. Kaya sa 80 meters lumabas si Teh. (Sayang...) :'(

The Cu Chi Tunnel Rampa Challenge!
Rak na itu! :3

After a tiring duck walk inside the Cu Chi Tunnel,
revitalize with Sweet Potato and Hot Tea! ^_^

The Cu Chi Tunnel tour ended with a heavy snack ~ kamote with hot tea. Perfect after workout. :))) Sabi ni Kuya Mikkey, madalas ganito ang kinakain ng mga Viet Congs sa tunnel kasi mabigat sa tiyan at madaling lutuin. Naisip lang ni Teh, hindi kaya sila naumay? Well, siguro hindi, lalo na kung 'eto lang ang readily available para makain nila nang mga panahong 'yon.

Outside, you may buy some war memorabilia and other souvenir from Vietnam tulad ng signature salakot nila. ^_^

Bili na mga teh! ^_^

Jetty ride back to HCMC. Epic fail?
Nah, I'd rather call it fun experience. ^_^

By the way, habang nasa tour bus kami, Kuya Mikkey asked the tour group kung sino ang may gustong mag-jetty ride back to HCMC. Dahil gusto naming ma-try, kumagat kami ni Ria. Additional Php 500 (when converted).

The rescue operation, kakaibang bridge and the jetty booking office.

Medyo epic fail dahil nasiraan ng motor ang nasakyan naming boat. As in kumabog ang puso ni Teh sa kaba dahil kahit marunong akong lumangoy, ayokong lumangoy sa ilog kasi medyo madumi. Basurang na-stuck sa elisi ng bangka daw ang reason ng paghinto ng makina. Buti na lang medyo malapit na kami sa HCMC nung natuluyan ang motor, at kami naman ay na-rescue. (Salamat, Lord!) :)))

Masaya na rin, dahil approaching HCMC, we saw the sun almost setting down. :))

Sunset after one helluva jetty ride. ^_^

I hope you enjoyed reading Teh's adventures in Cu Chi Tunnel. Abangan ang susunod na adventure ni Teh along the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. Thank you so much for visiting! ^_^

~ Vocabulary ni Teh ~

[1] Viet Cong - Vietnamese guerillas from South Vietnam and Cambodia during the Vietnam war (1959-1975, thanks wikipedia) against the invading Americans.

[2] Majubis - mataba, parang si Teh. :)))

Chao Saigon!

It's been a while mga teh! After almost 7 months of silence, I'm back para kuwentuhan kayong muli, mga teh...

This time, Teh and my travel buddy, Ria goes to Indochina. And our first stop is at Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam.

It's been a while, A320. ^_^

We alighted at Tan Son Nhat International Airport at around 12:30 AM local time (GMT+7). Something na hindi ko makalimutan about this airport is that they do not have immigration checkpoint sa arrival. Nagulat kami ni Ria na palabas na pala ng airport ang pintong natanaw namin pagkakuha ng gamit. Para sa isang komunistang bansa, Teh expected a very heavy security. Hmm, how come?

Aerial view of HCMC (Top);
Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Bottom)

Sa labas ng baggage claiming area, pinuntahan nina Teh and Ria ang booth ng SASCO airport taxi to fetch a taxi and for currency exchange beside it. And you need to pay a small fee (which is around PHP 50 when converted) para sa airport taxi.

Anyway, tip lang mga teh. Since US Dollar (USD) is widely accepted in Vietnam, it is highly recommended na magbaon nito. Aside from that, it will be very helpful kung puro small bills ang dala ninyo para kung sakaling magfu-food trip or magsho-shopping kayo sa streets ng HCMC, hindi kayo mahirapan. Madalas kasi, 'pag masyadong malaki ang bill ninyo, masusuklian kayo ng Vietnam Dong (VND). Well, okay lang din namang magkaroon kahit konting VND pero at least before leaving Vietnam, you must be able to use all of them, unless may plano kayong bumalik ng Vietnam. Well, kami ni Ria, nagpapalit kaming konti para kung sakaling kailanganin may magamit.

Palit-palit din ng money 'pag may time. :3

Eh bakit nga ba ayaw ni Teh gumamit ng VND? Kasi ang laki ng values ng pera nila. Napapakamot-ulo kami minsan mag-compute. (1 PHP ≈ 500 VND). Siguro para mas madali, lagay kayo ng imaginary decimal point after 3 zeros to the left then x2 para ma-convert sa pera natin. ^_^

Expectators nina Teh and Ria. Hi fans! (Charaught lang). :)))

Tandaan ninyo ang taxing ito. >_<

Unfortunately, despite the fact na sinalubong kami ng maraming fans (kasi ang dami talagang tao paglabas namin promise), medyo minalas kami sa nasakyang taxi dahil masyadong maangal. Akala ni Teh, sa Pilipinas lang may mareklamong taxi driver. Aside from the payment to SASCO airport taxi booth, napilitan pa kaming magbigay ng tip. Eh dahil maangal yung taxi driver, USD 1 lang binigay namin sa kanya. Hashtag: #MukhaMoKuya. >_<

Vinasun Taxi - maaasahan sa oras ng pangangailangan. :3

Eto rin kasi ang problema kapag hindi kayo masyadong nag-prepare ng malaliman para sa trip. May mga sablay factors na hindi maiiwasan. Buti na lang, at na-research pa namin on-the-spot ang most credible taxi company in HCMC ~ Vinasun Taxi! Walang kaangal-angal ang mga drayber at no hidden charges pa. At mukhang pwede pang gumamit ng credit card. :)))

Welcome, welcome! :)
(Sorry na, hindi mabasa 'yung tips...)

For the lodging, finding a hotel along Bou Vien street is highly recommended by different travelers. And along Bou Vien, we had chosen the Saigon Mini Hotel since sa Agoda, magaganda naman ang feedback sa hotel na ito. This lessened the risk that we will end up in a no-good hotel. They even have list of tips for tourists na very worthwhile to read before going out to the city jungle. ;)

Ang room na naibigay sa amin, although medyo masikip, ay malinis at very comfortable. Beyond expectations, actually, dahil mura lang ang lodging dito. Ang verdict nina Teh? Havey na havey! ^_^

Pose time! ^_^
Kahit pagod at antok na... -_-

Ang pagpili ng kakainin ay mahirap dahil mukhang masarap lahat.
Struggle itu. :3

A perk that you get when booking in Saigon Mini Hotel is that meron silang restaurant which serves very delicious Vietnamese dishes. Bou Vien has been a rice noodle paradise para sa amin ni Ria. Ang sarap ng luto kahit saan! ^_^

Saigon Mini Hotel restaurant on the Penthouse. :)

Another beauty that I've appreciated in Saigon Mini Hotel's Restaurant is its location ~ the morning rooftop view! Well, parang Binondo lang ang peg, pero the morning felt so good na nagustuhan namin ang simpleng view sa rooftop. While enjoying the rooftop view, Teh and Ria recommend the Pho[1] Set meal, chicken or beef, kung anuman ang bet mo, with water and your choice of beverage. The best way to start your morning in Saigon... ^_^

For the first day, we had decided na puntahan muna ang Cu Chi tunnel, which is around 1-2 hours away from Ho Chi Minh city center. (Full story in a separate post...) Pupuntahan din sana namin ang Cao Dai temple, which is around 40 minutes away from the city center. Kaya lang wrong timing pala ang punta nina Teh, dahil sarado ang Cao Dai temple for the whole month of February to give way to a certain celebration (na hindi na namin inalam dahil malungkot na kami). Isa pa man din 'yun sa talagang gustong puntahan ni Teh, out of curiosity for Caodaism. So may rason si Teh para bumalik dito. :) Well anyway, enough of the bitterness as we had to continue the journey... *sob*

After visiting the Cu Chi tunnels, before sundown, we headed back to the city center para mag-shopping. We also decided to maximize our stay by shopping in the late afternoon till evening. Pagod, pero worth it. And shopping lead us to the famous Ben Thanh Market.

Chao, Ben Thanh Market!

Pero siyempre, out of pagod, nag-food trip muna kami ni Ria. Before going here, we have read na masarap mag-food trip sa loob ng Ben Thanh Market. Isa sa mga principles namin ni Ria sa pagpili ng makakainan ay kapag maraming kumakain, most likely masarap kumain doon. And so, we found ourselves having fun with Banh Cuon[2] at Lan Hue Banh Cuon. Matatagpuan ito sa bandang gitna ng market. On the spot, after you order, saka nila gagawin para fresh na fresh. Served with typical Vietnamese starter salad and special dip. Mukhang konti pero mabubusog ka dahil heavy ito sa tiyan. Dish price ranges from VND 30,000 to 40,000 (Php 60 to 80). Sulit na sulit! :3

Banh Cuon is ♥... :3
Choose your stuffing - pork or shrimp. ^_^

Dahil nakapag-recharge na kami ni Ria ng energy, namili na kami ng mga pasalubong. Since we only had 1.5 days stay at HCMC, kailangang naka-pack na agad-agad ang mga gamit namin during Day 1 para hindi ma-delay sa itinerary. Baka maiwanan ng bus kinabukasan. ~_~

Dried fruits, Vietnam coffee and tea at Vietnam noodles. ^_^

While going around the market, we came across stall number 1053 at dito kami na-salestalk para bumili ng Vietnam coffee at dried langka. Super bait ng isa sa mga vendor doon (lower left pic ng collage) dahil sinamahan pa niya sina Teh na maghanap ng dried coconut at pack ng Vietnam rice noodles. One thing na hindi ko makakalimutan sa kanya is that, after niya kami sinamahan, bibigyan sana namin siya ng tip. I was really surprised na tumanggi siya, and at the same time, Teh learned two things - that Viets are not really into tips (well, except dun sa taxi driver na nakuwento ko kanina...) and marami pa ring taong gumagawa ng mabuti sa kapwa nang walang kapalit. Thank you, kuyang taga-stall 1053, for reminding me this. :)

Ang mga pinabili at nabili (Top), 
ang namili (Bottom-Left)
at ang nagtinda (Bottom-Right)...
Bow!

Another mall that you should not miss is the Saigon Square. Just walk few blocks away from Ben Thanh Market, at may access ka na sa mga cheap North Face bags. Well, maniniwala ba kayong original sila (except for the biggest bag, kasi walang stock ng original) kung sasabihin ni Teh na nasa Php 850 to Php 1200 ang price range ng mga bags na ito? Almost x4 kasi ang price ng mga ito pagdating dito sa Pilipinas. And yes, these are original as inspected by Teh and Ria. Hindi naman nakakapagtaka 'yun dahil sa Vietnam pino-produce ang mga North Face bags. So when in Saigon Square, just look for the very shy teh in the photo (oh yes, she is very shy dahil ayaw niyang humarap sa camera, though I asked permission naman) and she will sell you authentic TNF bags. Tip lang mga teh, to know that the bag is authentic, look for a monochrome seal sa loob ng bag. That is the proof that the bag is original[3].

Now we go back to our home in HCMC - one of the happiest places on Earth during nightfall - the Bou Vien street! Party-party kahit sobrang Haggarda Versoza na ang arrive namin. Medyo hindi lang gets ni Teh kung ano ang ganap sa kalsada at lahat ng umiinom at kumakain eh nakaharap sa kalsada. :)))

Bou Vien at night. Very lively! ^_^

Pig-out at Mimosa Restaurant.
Ang sarap ng Saigon beer. ^_^

Sa dami ng makakainan dito, nag-set sina Teh ng guidelines (meganon?) sa pagpili ng kainan. Una, dapat ang kainan ay nagse-serve ng Vietnamese dishes. At pangalawa, dapat maraming kumakain, tulad nang peg namin habang naghahanap ng makakainan sa Ben Thanh Market. And we ended up choosing Mimosa Restaurant. ^_^

Dahil super love ni Teh ang Pho, kahit palaging 'yun, 'yun at 'yun pa rin ang inoorder ko. Dito rin namin nasimulang ma-tripan ni Ria na i-try lahat ng local beers ng mga mapupuntahan namin. So dahil 1 night lang kami sa Vietnam, pinili na namin ang inoorder ng karamihan - the Saigon[4] beer. :)

Well, in the morning, parang wala lang ang street na ito. Pero still, marami pa ring yummy restaurants na open kaya 'wag mangamba para sa breakfast at lunch. ^_^

The mornings at Bou Vien. Very quiet. ~_~

Breakfast at Saigon Noodle Soup House before the city tour:
Walang-kamatayang Pho at Vegetable Pancake :D

Quick lunch at Santa Cafe:
Garlic Tofu Rice for Teh and Croissant for Teh Ria :3

And this ends the summary of Teh and Ria's tour in HCMC, Vietnam. Sa susunod na post ni Teh, idi-detalye ko sa inyo ang mga ganap sa Cu Chi Tunnels. Thank you for visiting! ^_^

~ Vocabulary/Sources ni Teh ~

[1] Pho - Vietnamese rice noodle soup

[2] Banh Cuon - rolled Vietnamese rice cake with stuffings inside. Pork or shrimp, anuman ang bet mo. :D

[3] TNF Bag Authenticity - before gumora si Teh sa HCMC, na-google ko ang blog na ito:                                      http://welscua.blogspot.com/2012/03/vietnam-north-face-bags-authentic-or.html 

[4] Saigon - old name of Ho Chi Minh City