Normandy Adventures: Ho Chi Minh City

Mandy:

The first stop of the day was the War Remnant Museum. Like all the war museums in Vietnam, this one also only showed the Vietnamese perspective. We realized that the museums in Vietnam do not teach you the history of the wars but only to show the impact of the wars to the Vietnamese people. Not to say that the wars were not terrible to Vietnam, but we had to keep in mind that the information was slightly biased. Nonetheless, the museum was very interesting. I have to admit that I am ignorant about the Vietnam war so I will definitely do some more research after our visit. The section that had the most impact on me was the affect of the Agent Orange chemical. Pictures of the deformed babies were overwhelming.

War Remnant Museum

War Planes

After a heavy start to the morning we decided to walk around the city. We stopped by the Reunification Palace but weren't allowed to go in until a later time, a cathedral, some shopping malls, and an open market place. Along the way a local was being "friendly" and helped us with directions but we got conned in buying two coconuts lol.

Heavier than it looks

Double fisting

Reunification Palace (We weren't allowed inside)

We also stopped by a Vietnamese coffee shop chain called Trung Nguyen Coffee for a weasel coffee for Norm and an iced cocoa for me. Vietnam is known for the weasel coffee which has a strong coffee taste.

Noodles for lunch at a food court mall

Most expensive coffee

Making an iced coffee

Hot cocoa

There's actually not too much to do in HCMC. We finished (slowly) walking the city and passed the time by getting a foot massage and a foot scrapping. Norms feet really needed some love. The poor lady kept scrapping and scrapping his feet for much longer than they did on mine =P

Ben Thanh Market

For dinner we went to a local spot close to our hotel for seafood. Norm and I agree that it was one of the best meals we have had during our entire SE Asia trip! Yummy!!