Day 17 – Monday Dec 23, 2013 – Ho Chi Minh City

We were picked up uncle Dee’s niece and driven to Cố Đô Huế for dinner. This local place was a gem! It was “tapa” style so we got to sample a lot. Everything was flavorful and memorable. One of my favourite meals in Ho Chi Minh City!

Day 18 – Tuesday Dec 24, 2013 – Ho Chi Minh City

It was Christmas Eve but business was usual. I went over to my uncle hair salon and got my hair permanently straightened and cut.

My aunt was sweet as she went to the market in the morning to pick up all the Vietnamese treats I wanted to sample. There were so good.

The straightening perm took half the day! Finally, when I was done, we walked around Chợ Lớn, the chinatown of Ho Chi Minh City and visit the Thiên Hậu temple. This 19th century temple had some impressive artwork on the roofs.

My uncle then took us to a nearby newly constructed temple that worships Gwan Yu. The artwork and style of this temple was completely different but just as impressive.

Dinner time was approaching and we headed towards Saigon (where all the action will be at night). We ate at Quan An Ngon. This place had a lot of Vietnamese dishes to choose from. It was good and touristy but not as impressive as last night’s dinner.

Fully satiated, we started roaming the busy streets. The Vietnamese don’t celebrate Christmas like North Americans because most of their population is Buddhist. However, on Christmas Eve people love to just come out and chill with friends and family. I asked my uncle… Where are these people going? What do they do? He replied, they just walk around people watching. Haha, I see. And there  are SO many people to watch. I was scared I’d be pickpocketed with my DSLR but luckily nothing happened. I had my family bodyguard me anytime I took it out for pics.

The streets were filled with pedestrians and motorbikes. I felt bad for this car that literally was stuck in the crowds and literally moving 1cm every 5 mins. Younger generations were all dressed up and hanging out with their friends. Some people were playing with “snow” in a spray can. There were lots of lights and festive decorations to see and take photos with. Very beautiful and puts Canada to shame. Apparently, the lights stay up until Tet (Lunar New Year). Apparently things go wild when midnight hits but we were back at our hotel before that happened.

Day 19 – Wednesday Dec 25, 2013 – Ho Chi Minh City

It’s Christmas! But everything is usual in Vietnam. We had a nice breakfast at our hotel and then went around the city centre to sightsee the most popular spots in Ho Chi Minh City. We went to the riverside to look at some dinner cruise options for the evening but decide not to go on one since it was pricy.

We stopped at Trung Nguyen, a well-known cafe and coffee brand. They are the Starbucks of Vietnam. Lots of caffeine options with North American pricing. I had a blended caramel coffee and sampled my mom’s traditional Vietnamese coffee. Mine was great but wow! The traditional coffee was bold yet creamy. It was the best coffee of my trip.

After our rest, we walked to Vincom Centre, a very North American style mall. Nothing to buy except a sweet potato pastry and glutinous donut from Paris Baguette (a Korean bakery I liked). Tasty but not as good as the Mochi stick from Korea. I washed it down with a $2 ChaTime roasted milk tea.

We walked around the city centre more and then went to Bến Thành Market to do some shopping. The market was brighter and spacious that I imagined. We even had more bánh canh at a food stall. Their durian fruit shake was amazing here!

For dinner, we invited my dad’s god-daughter to eat Pho. Apparently, this shop, Phở Phiêu Ký has been here since my dad was young and my grandma would take him on day she didn’t want to cook. I’ve heard reviews from my friends that the Pho in Vietnam sucks because the cattle isn’t as good as in North America. So I went with low expectations. The verdict… Not bad… It wasn’t the best ever but it wasn’t terrible. It was more fatty than in Canada. The soup tasted good but the beef slices weren’t as chewy as Canadian Beef.

To end the night, we went for ice cream at BUD’S Ice Cream of San Francisco . I was hoping for something more local but it was a nice tasty experience regardless.

Day 20 – Thursday Dec 26, 2013 – Ho Chi Minh City

After our complimentary breakfast, we took a taxi to Damsen Amusement Park to walk around and  spend time with my mom’s side of the family. The park was spacious with kiddie rides but not too much to see.

It was so hot! I think I suffered from heat exhaustion because I was under the sun all day. It was about 30-35 C. Ironically, my aunt said today is like the coolest day of the year here. I was in shock… WHAT?! I cannot imagine how it is in the summer. My cousin seem to know what’s good to eat so for lunch we had duck curry noodles. It was tasty but I was only in the mood to sleep!

After lunch, we went back to our hotel and rested. I passed out for a good hour or so. My cousin, Rays had offered to take me out at night for some food. As a foodie, I couldn’t refuse the offer. She picked me up on her motorbike and we drove all around town eating at her favourite places. Our first stop was ice cream! Nothing like ice cream to start our meal. This Vietnamese style ice cream is served in a fresh coconut and had roasted peanuts and a sweet sauce. The coconut skin and roasted peanuts were perfect toppings.

She was a foodie and an avid traveller like me. We shared our stories and experiences. It was also great to hear her perspective on life in Vietnam. Oh, and I can’t get enough of riding Motorbikes.Our second stop was in as small little alley. They serve shellfish here. It was delicious! We had fresh scallops, oysters and shellfish that I have no idea what it’s called in English. The scallops were my favourite. The green onion and peanuts were very different from how I usually eat scallops.

I got to meet Rays’ friend and we went to end the night with fruit shakes, Sinh To on the side of a Main Street. I finally got to get a jackfruit shake —other shops weren’t offering it. It was good but could have been stronger. Apparently, Rays said they used to be stronger but started to cut back.

She drove me back to the hotel and we said our good byes. It was the perfect night to end my vietnam trip with. Vietnam was very different than what I imagined from my parents’ stories and photos. It’s a very beautiful place with lots to see and do. It’s unlike any other place I’ve visited before and sometimes it feels like I’ve travelled back in time. It really taught me to appreciate life in Canada and how lucky I am.