Hồ Chí Minh City

Around Town in Hồ Chí Minh City

We stayed in the Backpacker District of Hồ Chí Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. The city has a lot of traffic, but the flow seemed to be more organized than in Hà Nội. At least drivers follow the direction of one-way streets and sometimes there are traffic police on hand to help pedestrians cross the road. Like Hà Nội, there is a visible French-colonial influence in the architecture. The art culture seems to be thriving. Lots of shops were selling stylized movie posters, paintings, and custom-designed souvenirs with quality better than those we saw elsewhere. It was difficult to choose restaurants with just so many good options available. One favorite restaurant we discovered was Monsoon Bar & Grill, which serves Burmese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Cambodian dishes in a fine-dining atmosphere — all for only about $5 per entree.

2013-11-04 11.38.30
Linley Backpacking in the Backpacker District
2013-11-04 12.58.42
Sozo Cafe, a Charitable Business and Favorite Spot in the Backpacker District
2013-11-05 11.06.21
Coffee and Snacks from Sozo
2013-11-05 11.06.36
James Drinking Coffee at Sozo
2013-11-04 13.14.35
Vegetable Fried Noodles
2013-11-04 13.14.22
Beef Fried Noodles
2013-11-04 12.59.00
J+L in Saigon
2013-11-05 12.28.30
City Hall
2013-11-04 16.24.01-2
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
2013-11-04 16.28.28
Inside the Cathedral
2013-11-04 15.08.16
Opera House
2013-11-04 15.08.29
Hotel Near the Opera House
2013-11-04 15.27.58
Fancy Coffee Shop
2013-11-04 15.31.43
Inside the Fancy Coffee Shop
2013-11-04 15.37.46
Now This Is a Vietnamese Coffee
2013-11-04 16.34.26
City Park
2013-11-04 16.45.37
Parents Waiting to Pick Up Their Kids from School, All on Motorbikes
2013-11-04 17.33.55-2
Streets of HCMC with the Bitexco Financial Tower Visible in the Background
2013-11-04 17.35.28
Lots of Traffic in HCMC
2013-11-04 19.37.25
Towers of Rice from Monsoon Bar & Restaurant
2013-11-04 19.37.51
Slow Cooked Beef with Caramel Marinated Eggs
2013-11-05 10.49.26
Lin in the Backpacker District
2013-11-06 19.29.39
Beef Wraps
Reunification Palace

The Reunification Palace was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the war. On April 30, 1975, as Saigon fell, North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the front gate of the palace. The building now serves as a museum and continues to host official government functions.

2013-11-05 14.07.20
Exterior of the Reunification Palace
2013-11-05 14.08.27
We Were Hoping Barack Obama Would Step Out When This USA Limo-Car Stopped Outside the Palace, Sadly No
2013-11-05 14.21.07
Radio Equipment in the Reunification Palace
2013-11-05 14.24.06
Battle Map Preserved in the Reunification Palace
2013-11-05 14.41.25
Courtyard of the Reunification Palace, Tanks Drove Through This Gate in the Fall of Saigon
2013-11-05 14.48.23
The Tank That Drove Though the Gate
2013-11-05 14.40.33
Markers on the Roof Where Bombs Fell During the Fall of Saigon
War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum showcases a variety of captured or abandoned American military hardware in the front courtyard. Inside are heartbreaking exhibits of the effects of Agent Orange and the carnage of the Vietnam War.

2013-11-04 16.48.59
Bell UH-1 "Huey" Helicopter at the War Remnants Museum
2013-11-04 16.53.55
They're Serious About Not Climbing on Stuff
2013-11-04 16.48.46-1
One of Several American Planes Parked Outside the Museum
Street Beer

On the streets of the Backpacker District, several establishments are set up selling beer to customers right on the sidewalk. They bring out more plastic chairs as more customers arrive, slowly spilling out into the street. Inevitably, the police drive by and force everyone to get up and cram back onto the sidewalk. Street vendors constantly pass by selling snacks, pirated DVDs, and cigarettes. There were also street performers. We saw one kid blowing fireballs, and another put a snake up his nose and out his mouth.

2013-11-04 20.55.06
Beer on the Sidewalk
2013-11-04 20.59.57
Move the Chairs, Here Come the Cops!
2013-11-06 20.57.01
Bia Saigon, Good Deal for 50 Cents
2013-11-06 21.10.19
Crowded Sidewalks


Kid Breathes Fire in Front of the Street Beer Crowd


Another Kid Puts a Snake Up His Nose (and Out His Mouth)

4 thoughts on “Hồ Chí Minh City

  1. Anne Watt Massey

    Hi Linley and James! Wish I could meet you at Sozo for coffee and snacks…lucks yummy. It seems like you have found some really cool coffee houses throughout your trip.

    On another note…as I was reading and scrolling along, I found myself feeling very thankful that there was not a picture of the kid running the snake up his nose and out of his mouth, but I should have known you would have that on video. Ugh! I couldn’t watch it…I am deathly afraid of snakes. Mick and Levi would love it though…don’t think I’ll tell them about it. 😉

    Love,
    Aunt Anne