La Dolce Vita in HCMC

Today, Ken and I opted for hedonism and spent the day lounging by the pool.  Other than the odd dip to cool off and flip to ensure an even tan, it was a very lazy day.  We started the day with what has become our usual breakfast of croissants.  Originally, we had thought we would take in another museum today but the siren call of the loungers got the best of us.  We had sandwiches by the pool for lunch.  Ken opted for a Croque Monsieur (aka ham and cheese) and fries while I stuck with more local fare; a Banh Tit Mi (a crunchy baguette stuffed with pate, fried egg, pork, chicken and vegetables) served with fresh-made crisps.  Both sandwiches were very filling and enjoyed by their respective recipients.  

Ken was reading so I chatted up some of the folks around the pool and caught up on my numerous Scrabble games. At 3:00 there was a bit of excitement with a fire drill that we had forgotten.  No alarms on the pool deck but a crew dragged out the fire hoses for a test drive and streamed water over the side of the rooftop terrace onto the street 21 stories below and the building across the way.  I guess any innocent bystanders would have assumed it was raining. Lol, all the sun worshipers were snapping pics but it was hard to capture the spectacle.  

Tonight we are headed to the Opera House for the AO Show featuring 22 Vietnamese performers and musicians with a diversity of talents and backgrounds.  Lang Toi (my village in Vietnamese) is intended to be a depiction of village life in Northern Vietnam.  The lifestyle of the Northern villagers is recreated using bamboo props, baskets and featured breath-taking acrobatics, rhythmic dance, juggling and folk music.  The one-hour spectacle was a bit hit or miss but very entertaining.  The Saigon Opera House itself is magnificent.  It was built at the turn of the 20th century by the French and has been through hard times but is a beautiful counterpoint to the modern steel and glass buildings that surround it.  

After the show we headed to the rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel (the purported HQ for the CIA during the Vietnam War) for a glass of wine and spring rolls.  The spring roll presentation was fantastic and they tasted as good as they looked; no small feat.  The rooftop bar was a lovely spot to see the lights of the city.  

We are planning a full day tomorrow so we headed home for a glass of wine in the room and caught up with what family and friends were up to on Facebook.