My last day in Asia was marked by a relaxing saunter around Saigon. In a lot of ways, Saigon reminds me of Bombay. First, like Bombay, no one in the country - at least the southern part - calls it by it's new name, Ho Chi Minh City (Mumbai for Bombay). Second, the city is relatively new in terms of history - both have only been cities since the European imperialists came knocking. Finally, both seem to lack a major Asian cultural aspect and are reminiscent of major metropolises in the U.S. and Europe.
With Woodson gone and all the sights already covered, I spent the day walking around Chinatown and revisiting the main market in Saigon. Neither were overly interesting. I even had time to get a haircut today - it was kind of awkward when the barber wanted to jam a pair of scissors up my nose to give me the full treatment, but there was no way I was having it. I closed my day with a visit to one of Saigon's countless pho shops - one that Bill Clinton dined at during one of his last official state visits in 2000.
With Woodson gone and all the sights already covered, I spent the day walking around Chinatown and revisiting the main market in Saigon. Neither were overly interesting. I even had time to get a haircut today - it was kind of awkward when the barber wanted to jam a pair of scissors up my nose to give me the full treatment, but there was no way I was having it. I closed my day with a visit to one of Saigon's countless pho shops - one that Bill Clinton dined at during one of his last official state visits in 2000.
Pho
Pho is probably the national dish of Vietnam. The Vietnamese eat it like it's going out of style. It is more or less a noodle soup, with thin, long rice noodles, meat and scallions, in either chicken or beef stock. Sometimes they like to put funkier stuff in it - such as pig's blood - but I made sure that wasn't the case. The pho at this place was the best I've had in Vietnam. One thing (although there are many) that seems odd in both Vietnam and Thailand - the temperature is extremely hot, yet people eat very spicy and very hot (temperature-wise) food.
At present, I am en route to Cairo from Saigon via Bangkok. While Vietnam was interesting, it was definitely not as exciting as the other countries in Asia I visited. Part of that is likely due to basing ourselves out of Saigon. Had we gone to Hanoi and tackled the northern part of the country, I think there would have been more history, culture and scenery to experience. A lot more Charlie, Chuck, Chip and Chazz too. Anyway, I'm looking forward to Egypt and I enjoyed Vietnam, but I'm pretty sure that I will not miss Saigon. Pun intended.
At present, I am en route to Cairo from Saigon via Bangkok. While Vietnam was interesting, it was definitely not as exciting as the other countries in Asia I visited. Part of that is likely due to basing ourselves out of Saigon. Had we gone to Hanoi and tackled the northern part of the country, I think there would have been more history, culture and scenery to experience. A lot more Charlie, Chuck, Chip and Chazz too. Anyway, I'm looking forward to Egypt and I enjoyed Vietnam, but I'm pretty sure that I will not miss Saigon. Pun intended.
With the temperature so hot I would think you would want to enjoy a cool treat like an Eskimo Pie.
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