After looking around Da Lat Jojo asked if I wanted to go see Ho Chi Minh. First a little explanation and an apology to poor Jojo. When I decided to visit Vietnam I did it with no planning and I didn't know what to expect. Poor Jojo asked me what I wanted to see and I always looked at her with big eyes and a blank expression. I had no idea what I wanted to see and do so poor Jojo had to figure out how to entertain this crazy foreigner who came to visit her.
She decided going to the city would be fun for both of us. Plus there is a lot more to see and do there. Her brother is going to college in Ho Chi Minh and is living in their families apartment there. So we had a place to stay and Jojo has her scooter there as well so we had a way to get around.
We got on a bus early in the morning and it took about 6 hours to get there. The bus was pretty nice. It is made for shorter people so I had a hard time with my long legs but it wasn't too bad.
When we got to Ho Chi Minh it was lunch time. Jojo wanted to take me to her favorite chicken place close to her families apartment. She hoped I would like it because she thinks it is pretty good. Here are some pictures of the place, can you guess where we went?
We went to KFC! Yummy for sure!
After we ate Jojo and I took a bus to get to the downtown area. I think Jojo worried about having me on the back of her scooter, and she had every right to be because I am twice her size. So I think the bus was a safe choice.
It was interesting to see how their stores look. It looks like they are in a garage and they just close the garage door at night.
This is by Saigon Square. Crossing the street to get to this and then crossing it to get to the market can only be described by thinking of the game Frogger. They don't stop and let the pedestrians cross. You have to slowly walk through the millions of scooters driving past you. If I would have been alone I am 100% sure I would have died. Lucky for me Jojo lead me across the street and I lived.
I was so fascinated by the European influence in all the buildings. I took so many pictures of buildings and Jojo probably thought I was crazy.
Finally we made it to the market!
After going around the market (silly me didn't think to take any pictures on the inside, sorry!) I was so tired from all the walking and looking at things, and frankly I was going through a little culture shock. I studied Korea a lot before going there so I didn't really have any culture shock there, and I was only in Taiwan for a weekend and it was for a wedding so I didn't have any there, but being in Vietnam was really different for me. Things where so overwhelming I at times needed a break from it all. Lucky for me we found one of my favorite Korean bakeries there. I was already missing Korea, crazy I know. So we got some bread and my favorite aloe drink and just sat and talked. It was very nice to relax.
We had a few more places Jojo wanted to go to before meeting up with her brother, cousin and brother-in-law for dinner. Here is a building I loved, why? I don't know, but I loved it.
More French influence.
This is the Saigon Opera House.
Another way to get around town if you don't have a scooter.
This is the Notre Dame Cathedral.
The Saigon Central Post office. The inside was so beautiful.
Jojo smiling for me in the post office.
After touring around we went to Pizza Hut and had dinner. Jojo's cousin, brother, his friend and brother-in-law where all so nice. I did ruin the fun though because they had to order one pizza without shrimp for me, so they didn't get as much as they wanted.
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