Getting in the Groove

So it's been two nights in Saigon so far. Dmitriy and I spent the morning planning the next part of the trip, which has us covered up until Thursday of next week. Phew! While planning with someone can be hard because of compromises (although with one person, not too hard), it's really nice to divide up work and decisions. For example, right now I am writing in my blog and Dmitriy is figuring out how to call Vietnam on skype :) Anyway, planning becomes easier after the first few times and you become more chilled out :) Which, by the way, I am definitely feeling.

Saigon has been cool. Mario, Krista, Berman and I went to the War Remnants Museum yesterday (shows the brutalities of the war...for a short period when it opened it was called The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government of South Vietman).







We also walked around and tried to go to the China market but realized later we were in the wrong place. Oops, no wonder we weren't that impressed...but it was still cool. We sat and had beers and vietnamese coffee...which is - relatively strong coffee brewed directly into your cup, with condensed milk added. Really sweet but delicious. The iced version tastes to me like Kalhua and milk sans alcohol.

From Vietnam

Today was the planning session and then Berman and I got pho bo (beef rice noodle soup, my third bowl in 2 days) at a local place and then had beers with Mario and Krista before they left.

From Vietnam

After that, Berman and I walked to see the sunset over the sai gon river...or so we thought until we realized the sun set on the other side of the city and you needed to be at a rooftop bar to see it. But anyway we enjoyed our drinks and they went to the roof but it was too hazy to see anything. However...a great view of the crazy style of crossing the street sans crosswalks that you must learn to get by....see pics:

From Vietnam

From Vietnam

Tomorrow we leave for Vinh Long, one of the towns south of Saigon, in the Mekong Delta. Just a few hours bus away. We are staying in a really cool (hopefully!) homestay, which isn't what it may sound like (not like staying in someone's house) but more like a B&B, where the people also live at the place, but its not a house. I think we each have a private bungalow and its on an island. How romantic! haha :) By the way, my hotel here is so nice (Madame Cuc 64). They helped us plan the whole thing. They serve breakfast and dinner and coffee anytime, included in the room, very family-style and friendly place.

Then on Sunday we will come back to Saigon for the night and celebrate my birthday! and Monday leave by bus for Mui Ne, a beach, as we start up the trek up the coast.

Not much more to say, but all is good and I hope our well-laid plans turn out well!