Today we did the tourist thing in Saigon. Tried to see as many of the sites as possible and did quite a bit. We went through the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum, which were designed by the Vietnamese. We also visited some of the beautiful buildings designed by the French including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Caravelle Hotel, the Opera House, and City Hall. And we hit a number of markets. While sitting in a park we met two university students who practiced their English with us in exchange for a lesson in Vietnamese.
We had a great lunch at a little place near our hotel, a tofu dish and a squid dish. Everything was beautifully seasoned, a lot of cilantro.
The heat and humidity are intense but we fought through it. At the end of the day we went to the rooftop swimming pool at our hotel and sat around the pool, watching the sun set and the lights of the city come on and had a few beers. It was delightful.
The next day I gave up running around in favor of visiting a Vietnamese spa for an aromatherapy massage. Warm oil flavored with what I think was a combination of menthol, ginger and vanilla was massaged into me by a young Vietnamese woman who was a great masseuse. She kneaded very part of my admittedly aching body and did everything including kneeling on my back to make me feel totally relaxed and ready to go again. The massage room was done in soft shades of grey with candles and some kind of flute-y Asian sounding music. Afterward they serve chamomile tea. It was a wonderful experience and I’m glad I took the time to do it.
Our last night in Saigon we had dinner with our friends Corrine and Ted and their two adorable children aged two and four. They’re friends from Washington but posted to Saigon now. They took us to a fabulous restaurant that we would never have found on our own. It was in an open air pavilion on the Saigon River up away from the heart of the city in a residential area. The night was balmy and breezes from the river were gentle. The pavilion had a tiled floor and wooden posts and roof in a classic French colonial design. Elegant long tables, white tablecloths and white china made for an elegant setting. The food was exquisite. Ted and Corrine ordered for the table. We had a fabulous catfish dish in a caramelized sauce, deep fried squid, yummy spring rolls, garlic rice and several other dishes each in a light but very flavorful sauce. Lots of beer for the grownups and fruity colorful drinks for the kids. It was great. Afterward we walked back to their beautiful apartment. Great conversation about life, careers, food, children! A wonderful evening.
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