Breakfast at the hotel in Hoi An. Collected by Tonkin driver at 8:45, to Da Nang airport. Call to board was roughly on time, but then we sat on the Tarmac for an extra 30 minutes while they dealt with some problem! Vietnam Airlines!!
Guide collected us in HCMC around 1:30 - we hadn't had any lunch, and he said it was too early to check into the hotel, so we started our tour of the city.
First stop was in the Chinese district, and, of course, we had to see a temple! But this one, the Temple of Heavenly Lady, was a bit different from any others we have seen, anywhere. Then we walked around the Chinatown markets. Boy, do they sell some strange looking foods there!
Back into the car, and off to see if the Reunification Palace was open. Apparently an army general had died, and his body/coffin had been lying in the palace, so it had been closed. But the funeral had been in the morning, so the palace was open again.
The Palace was originally built in the time of French domination, but was bombed in an attempt to kill the prime minister, so had to be rebuilt. It is a fairly modern looking building for a palace. Inside are rooms for meetings with foreign and local dignitaries, quarters for the prime minister and his family, various different meeting rooms and dining rooms. Also in the basement, which is bombproof, there are rooms from where the prime minister ran operations during the Vietnam war. An interesting place to visit.
By this time, we had accepted that we weren't going to get lunch! Boy, would we be hungry by tea time!
Next stop was the War Remnants Museum. Hai didn't come in with us here. The museum was full of information about the Vietnam war. There is no doubt that there were some atrocities during the time, and the Americans were responsible for many. But, everything you see here has that bias to it, you don't see anything from the other side. Personally, I just hate wars, we didn't stay long.
A few blocks further along, there is a scaled down version of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and across the road from that, the old Post Office building which is still used today. both are beautiful buildings.
Last stop for the day was the Ben Thanh Markets. Hai showed us through, then left us to our own devices for 3/4 hour. We picked up a few polos for Matt. Errol is becoming the super negotiator, with a great sense of humour built in!
Checked in at the hotel. Hai recommended a restaurant a couple of blocks away, then left us. The room is less than half the size of the last one, but comfortable enough. Looked at Errol's list of restaurants in the area, then went for a walk to find dinner. Just happens that number one on his list, Nha Hang Ngon, is the same one as Hai recommended. Lovely dinner, then home for shower and relax.
Temple of Heavenly Lady
Chinese food market
Reunification Palace
Old Post Office
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