Another lazy morning lounging by the pool after a breakfast of chocolate croissants and yoghurt courtesy of Ken who was up and at 'em before I stirred. Lol, all the walking and "fresh" air is great for catching up on my zzzzs. The pool area is lovely but loungers are in great demand so early mornings are a must if you want to snag one before the onslaught of sunworshipers.
Today we were heading to the Vietnam History Museum to see what that was all about and planned to grab a bowl of pho on the way. Pho is a noodle soup in a fragrant broth synonymous with Vietnam and we have yet to try it. The guide book recommended a few places two of which were close to our hotel. The first one we tried had been replaced by a store selling silks. The second, Pho 24, is one fa chain of restaurants and was jammed with locals at lunchtime. We spied a Vietnamese lady head through the back door so we followed her thinking that there might be an outside courtyard. That wasn't the case but in the alley there were a number of little restaurants so we decided to try one. Quan an AN was a quaint eatery serving traditional fare.
We ordered the spring rolls to start. A generous serving of perfectly crispy spring rolls was served with buttery boston lettuce and fragrant fresh herbs with bowls of the requisite fish sauce for dipping.
The rolls were very tasty so I threw caution to the wind and wrapped mine in the lettuce and herbs as the cool crunch of the veggies is a nice counterpoint to the crispy rolls. Ken, being more sensible than me, opted to eat the rolls au natural. So far no ill effects. Lol, I'm hoping my drugs are providing the necessary protection! I guess time will tell if my bravado was foolishness. I opted for a vermicelli bowl with pork and veggies as my main. It was good but not the best I've had. Ken tried steak and fries and was happy enough with his choice but again no rave review.
Sated, we headed to the Museum of History. This time the map was pretty clear so we had no trouble finding it which is good for keeping the peace. Lots of fun things on the way including a bride and groom getting their wedding photos done and a bubble car. Maybe the bubble is to protect the Audi from mopeds.
The Museum is housed in a rambling new concrete pagoda-like structure and tells the story of the history of Vietnam with a focus on the South. The Museum features art and artifacts from all over Asia but the weirdest thing (and the highlight for Ken) was the mummified remains of Xom Cai, a 69 year old woman unearthed when building a housing project which dates back to 1869. No pics but very strange indeed.
We decided to give the nearby zoo a pass and headed to a temple instead. The inside of the Den Tho Vua Hung temple was resplendent with ornate carvings and three "altars". The gentleman "guarding" the temple was happy for us to take photos whic are shared below. On this occasion, we had the temple to ourselves. Perhaps because it is a fairly new building, it doesn't attract as many supplicants.
As we were walking down Le Duan Street, we spied a collection of war detritus (tanks, planes, guns and even a bulldozer used to build roads during the campaign) so we decided to check that out as well. The Ho Chi Minh City War Campaign Museum was closed for repairs so we had a look at the collection outside and started back to the hotel.
Much of the day-to-day life in Vietnam happens on the street. Ken says he's in need of a haircut so we will need to find him a street barber in Hoi An.
En route we saw a couple of policeman interviewing some locals and one non-resident. It looked like there had been some type of accident with their moped. Luckily, no one appeared hurt. I can't imagine getting on a motorbike in HCMC let alone driving one.
Walking along the river back to the hotel was dusty business so we needed a beer. A quickstop. At the tour desk to check on our tickets for the dinner cruise we had booked last night and found out it was oversold so we were sadly out of luck. We headed to the rooftop bar for a dip and a beer or two to drown our sorrows. All good we had originally planned to try an Irish pub with entertainment tonight so that's back on.
You are likely thinking what the hell are they doing going to an Irish pub in HCMC! Just a quick trip back to our NS roots and youth spent singing in pubs (especially me as I'm sure Ken doesn't give a rat's ass about Irish music). Also, a chance for Ken to get some regular food. We'd spied the pub on one of our walks and they had live entertainment Thursday through Saturday so why not?
We it was interesting. We were drinking Dutch beer in and Irish pub (no Guiness on tap), eating Australian beef and listening to a Filipino band singing John Denver's "Country Roads". An international smorgasbord. Lol, we had a table across from the band (for the singalong) so it was very loud. The musicians were quite good but we left after the first set to get our beauty sleep, lol.
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