Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    After steering our ship up a river for hours this morning, we were finally allowed off after lunch.  The city provides a free shuttle right into the heart of downtown, in order to prevent traffic from backing up the port.  Traffic here is horrible.  It wasn't supposed to be too bad because of Tet, their Vietnamese new year, but it is.  There are people on little scooters EVERYWHERE.  You seriously just walk across the street at a consistent pace, and people drive around you.  There were many more people out at night, so it was even worse.  There were so many times I was afraid my feet would get run over.  It was scary. 

          Our first goal was to find a post office so that Jessica could get passport photos for Cambodia.  We find one, and I also found out that I couldn’t get money out until the next day, because it was just after Midnight in America.  The three of us, plus Mike, our gay friend, found a small little café where we got drinks.  I had Passion Fruit Juice.  It was so hot outside, at least 90 degrees!  I was wearing a long black shirt and t-shirt, in order to keep most of my skin protected from mosquitos. 

          After that, we tried to find a tailor to get our dresses/suit made.  We went to one that was highly recommended, only to find out the tailors had caught onto us tourists, and had raised their prices.  We no longer can get two dresses and all of the fabric for 50 dollars.  It was going to be 65 just for one dress, or 195 for Heather.  We were pretty upset about this, but we had to make do.  We were also on the lookout for lightweight shirts and pants, so that we could wear them, instead of the same thing every day.  We did find some, and got a deal for them at another tailor.  This tailor also said they could make Heather’s dress for 95 dollars.  The plan for tomorrow involves us going back there getting the stuff for even cheaper than that.

          For dinner, we went to Pho 24, and it was amazing.  I had chicken fillet Pho and spring rolls.  This was so much better than American food.  I don’t know if it would replace the classic cheeseburger though.  Near Pho 24 was the reunification Palace.  I don’t know the story of it, but I should find out tomorrow at the War Museum.  The whole Palace was surrounded by a high fenced wall.  Inside that wall, they had a couple army tanks and a fighter jet.  I hope to learn more about it.

          The group then returned to the center of town, right by the Rex Hotel.  For Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, there are lights and music playing everywhere.  The streets were the busiest I had ever seen the whole day.  People were selling lights, cotton candy, and ice cream.  They were walking through the huge flower gardens that they put up just for the holiday.  One woman said the flowers were prettier last year.  The people were of all ages.  We went into the hotel and up to the fifth floor.  There was a lookout, and you could see the whole place from up above.  What a sight; it really showed how many people were down there.  Everything was happening in the streets, even while traffic was moving.  How crazy!

          We went back to a café to get some desert, and then caught the Shuttle back home.  At the hotel for the shuttle, they had a fish tank with large goldfish with big heads.  They were adorable!!!  I got up close to the tank, and the actually came up to me.  I had all of the fish right by my face.  They were all sucking like they were trying to eat me.  I would love to have one at home.