I had to make a brief visa run trip abroad before the end of the year, and my wife and I elected to pay a visit to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly, and perhaps best known as Saigon).
We had spent about a month in HCMC back in 2018 at the end of our 3-month backpacking adventure in Vietnam, but by the time we arrived we had gotten sick, were running out of money, and it was the monsoon season. We didn't have the best time and wanted to give the city a second chance.
We touched down bright and early after a quick flight from Bangkok, and had a delicious Vietnamese iced coffee at the airport before heading into town.
It was too early to check in at the hotel, so we dropped our bags and went on a walk through the neighborhood. First we visited the Ho Chi Minh City Museum. The museum holds an eclectic mix of artifacts from the war era, and the historic old building is a popular place for couple to take their wedding photos.
We walked on towards Notre Dame, the grand Roman Catholic Cathedral famed for the statue of Mary which is said to have performed a miracle.
Read more on my other blog, Stained Glass Travel: Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (stainedglasstravel.com)
The cathedral was undergoing refurbishment, so unfortunately, we couldn't go inside to look around.
Nearby was the old Central Post Office, and next to that was Book Street.
You can find books in Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese, and more!
There was an interesting old building near the park, and we went to take a look. It turns out that it was a water puppet theater! Deciding to be spontaneous, we bought two tickets for the next show that was just about to start.
After the show, we went out for banh mi at one of the most famous local shops. I've had a lot of banh mi in Vietnam, but this may have been the best I've ever had!
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