Ho Chi Minh City - at last!

These were the lei and passion fruits that one of the participants of last year's program brought to me in Hawaii, so goodbye to all that; passion fruit is really my new passion now.

We flew ALL day and all night, arriving in Ho Chi Minh City last night, Vietnam time of 10:30 P.M., and the plane had been FULL of screaming babies.  Can you imagine how welcome the sight of our bedroom at the Continental Hotel was?  Check it out!

 When we woke up this morning, we found this lovely little garden outside our door, and we have a little balcony that overlooks the opera house.  Could we BE any more centrally situation?  This is a far cry from my first stint here a few years ago when I stayed in the backpacker area, but I must say that while I was there, I drank good coffee and ate sticky rice triangles wrapped in banana leaves for breakfast; this morning's breakfast included papaya and glorious fresh fruits, but the coffee was FLAVORED, something like hazelnut.  Ghastly, but one drank it right up when it is included!  We are right on Dong Khoi Street, "the city's main commercial drag," according to my roommate and friend's tour book.

 I didn't run but did go out walking after our flavored coffee escape this morning, and I offer evidence of the pulse of the city - graffiti is always for me an indication that a city has a soul.

And the pulse doesn't stop there; the motorcycles vroomed their way through the streets, just as I remembered, and the women do still wear those beige colored gloves that go all the way up their arms.  They wouldn't want to get too much sun.

This is Division One of the Communist Party, and while I took the photo, I was waved away.  I assume it is illegal to photograph these headquarters, but I knew that it was probably a good photo to have included here.

Now, THIS is my Vietnam.  These are the people who interest me and who live and breath inside the city.  We are staying in the big tourist section of the city where stores like Versace and Ferragamo reign.  I wish I'd been able to find some stick rice, but seeing this man quietly drinking his coffee and watching over things gave me confidence that I would find more soul inside the city.

This is Notre Dame, built from bricks shipped from France, a very silly idea in this climate which is heaven for me but not for bricks.  This is the oldest church in Vietnam

Not sure if this sign indicates a book store, but the spirit is right.

We walked through Reunification Park, past the Palace, referred to as Independence Palace, a symbol, again, according to Peggy's book, of Saigon regime's decadence.This is all I have for now, but remember, we have been here only since late last night; we will all meet to walk around at 10:30, but by then I will already have done another walking tour and probably be ready for the lunch!  Stay tuned.