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lsandersonYesterday we went to the Central Market and we bought some mangosteens and rosey custard apples. Mangosteens are early and expensive, but dirt cheap compared to Mpls, and far, far better. We went and wandered around in the presidential palace until it closed for midday, and then wandered over to the opposing side's war museum. It was more colorful than a concentration camp, but some of the feeling was the same. They had all of the classic pictures, burning buddists, burning nekkid girl, older brother covering the younger brother who was just shot. Saw some tiger cages. Still shocked and sad that we've done the same damned thing only thirty years later.
During the midday break, before the war museum, we went to a pho restaurant, and ordered various small meals. Thong ate pho. It was a mild December day here in Sai Gon yesterday, and it felt like it wasn't much warmer than 90 degrees fondly fahrenheit and the humidity wasn't much over 110%. It was pleasant to sit in the shade, eat, and drink beer.
After the war museum, we taxied to a pagoda and wandered around taking pictures of statues, carvings, walls, turtles, and fish. It's strange to see tropical fish in the fish ponds with the goldfish serving primarily as feeder fish. Big tropical fish. They were working on the fish fishpond (vs the turtle turtlepond) and all of the fish were attempting to swim around in a couple of inches of water. Several of the bigger fish were steeply inclined.
After the pagoda, we went back to the hotel to cool down. We left around five-thirty for a restaurant that Bruce wanted to eat at, The Mandarine. It would prove more complicated because of communication. They pushed a fixed-price menu with prices far higher than we've been used to in Sai Gon. We're talking 80-$200 and they were not absolutely clear on whether that was per person or per menu. When it turned out to be per person, we just ordered off the ala cart menu. The total bill for four with one beer and one class of bubbly, was ~140.00. We had a similar meal at the Lemon Grass for 40 a couple of nights earlier. As a perspective, the average bowl of pho goes for ~1.20 around here. The meal was good and great fun, in the kind of there's three of them for each one of us at the table. It was pretty much only populated by foreigners. A Korean family came in while we were there, as did another white couple. The white couple ordered what someone calls River Lobsters, or king prawns. We'd had a platter at the Thursday seafood feast at CasaDinh.
We took a taxi back to the hotel, and then another taxi back to CasaDinh, where we packed my bag, and uploaded pictures.
I showered and drank a Vietnamese coffe, and it was off to the airport. At least there's plug-ins and free wireless.
No airport departure fee.
During the midday break, before the war museum, we went to a pho restaurant, and ordered various small meals. Thong ate pho. It was a mild December day here in Sai Gon yesterday, and it felt like it wasn't much warmer than 90 degrees fondly fahrenheit and the humidity wasn't much over 110%. It was pleasant to sit in the shade, eat, and drink beer.
After the war museum, we taxied to a pagoda and wandered around taking pictures of statues, carvings, walls, turtles, and fish. It's strange to see tropical fish in the fish ponds with the goldfish serving primarily as feeder fish. Big tropical fish. They were working on the fish fishpond (vs the turtle turtlepond) and all of the fish were attempting to swim around in a couple of inches of water. Several of the bigger fish were steeply inclined.
After the pagoda, we went back to the hotel to cool down. We left around five-thirty for a restaurant that Bruce wanted to eat at, The Mandarine. It would prove more complicated because of communication. They pushed a fixed-price menu with prices far higher than we've been used to in Sai Gon. We're talking 80-$200 and they were not absolutely clear on whether that was per person or per menu. When it turned out to be per person, we just ordered off the ala cart menu. The total bill for four with one beer and one class of bubbly, was ~140.00. We had a similar meal at the Lemon Grass for 40 a couple of nights earlier. As a perspective, the average bowl of pho goes for ~1.20 around here. The meal was good and great fun, in the kind of there's three of them for each one of us at the table. It was pretty much only populated by foreigners. A Korean family came in while we were there, as did another white couple. The white couple ordered what someone calls River Lobsters, or king prawns. We'd had a platter at the Thursday seafood feast at CasaDinh.
We took a taxi back to the hotel, and then another taxi back to CasaDinh, where we packed my bag, and uploaded pictures.
I showered and drank a Vietnamese coffe, and it was off to the airport. At least there's plug-ins and free wireless.
No airport departure fee.
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Date: 2008-12-13 03:46 pm (UTC)Fruit is usually better where it's grown, especially at the local markets. I can't eat canned pineapple because I remember the great flavor of fresh sweet warm pineapple from the fields.
Joyce