As expected, I woke early in Saigon and dozed till around 0530. I took breakfast on the hotel’s rooftop in their main building; I was housed in their annex.
Surprisingly, they had no pho for breakfast so I settled for an omelette accompanied by a very good personal baguette. It was very light inside and crusty on the outside, just the way I like it.
In view of the warm conditions, I decided to take a morning walk while it was still relatively cool. The weather here is a smidgen cooler than Malaysia.
The Cathedral was about 20 minutes away. It was nice to revisit the little bit of France that exists in SE Asia. The Post Office was next to the Cathedral. I continued past the Opera House, various historical hotels (including the one we stayed in 17 years ago) and ended up on the Saigon River.
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- Saigon’s skyline has changed a lot since my first visit 17 years ago.
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- Saigon’s French influence is a rarity in South East Asia. The Hotel Continental where I didn’t stay.
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- Saigon’s “Opera House” or Municipal Theatre.
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- At the Cathedral. Officially Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception, hence the informal name Notre Dame (Our Lady).
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- The Cathedral. Officially Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception, hence the informal name Notre Dame (Our Lady). Shall we go bowling?
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- Cathedral. Officially Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception, hence the informal name Notre Dame (Our Lady).
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- Saigon’s French influence is a rarity in South East Asia. The Post Office.
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- Saigon’s French influence is a rarity in South East Asia. The Hotel Majestic where I didn’t stay.
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- Saigon’s skyline has changed a lot since my first visit 17 years ago.
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- On the Saigon River, not to be mistaken as the more famous Mekong.
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- Saigon’s skyline has changed a lot since my first visit 17 years ago.
I walked back past my hotel area and continued to Pham Ngu Lao, the backpacker area. I was hoping to have a massage a day during my stay. Many of the massage places here seem to have skimpily dressed female touts.
I chose one that had a promo and a male tout. Since I had sore legs from gym and yoga, I went for the foot massage (which comes with leg and a little back/shoulders). This normally doesn’t do much for me but for a change, I felt like I needed it.
The masseur did a good enough job but when I was paying, he handed me two vouchers. I had the choice of tipping him USD5 for a good job or USD6 for an excellent job. With the massage discounted to USD3, I didn’t quibble. I had planned on a USD5 massage and a USD3 tip, it wasn’t any different. But I didn’t like the way they operate. Googling it later, this seems quite normal in Saigon where as in Hanoi, things practices are less deceitful.
I had a good pho for lunch, after not having it for breakfast. I returned to my room for a rest and fell asleep. Highly unusual for me.
Out later in the afternoon, I chatted to a South African school teacher. He wasn’t teaching in an international school but in a local school in a rural spot just outside the city. His daily commute on motorcycle taxis, for a start, was interesting.
We chatted lots and when I mentioned that I wanted to try the Vietnamese Broken Rice, he seconded that. Coincidentally the place I wanted to try was also his recommendation.