Views

Umm, so I don't have a picture of the Bitexco Financial Tower because I don't have a camera that big and fancy, but I do have pictures of parts of it and looking out from the Skydeck. The building only opened last year and is a loose, modern representation of a closed lotus blossom. At 68 floors, it's one of the only skyscrapers in the city, so it's no Sears Tower, but I got a better perspective of central Saigon than my hotel map was giving me.

Helipad, for no particular reason. It shoots out lasers at night.

Sweet neon floor accents. Muffled bass thump from the lounge on the next floor.

Chợ Bến Thành. This is the big central market to which all the tourists are directed. There's supposed to be an interesting switch between the day and night setups. During the day at least, it's terrible and amusing and I'm not going back there except for lunch, a tailor, or as a meeting place. There's gonna be a separate post about this madhouse. I do my shopping at the Co-opMart (PJ&B, there's a Coop here too!) and a similar, less spastic market in another district.

Next to Bến Thành is 23 September Park who's significance escapes me. I went there during my first outing as Unabashed Tourist Who Annoyingly Photographs Everything Like It's My Firstborn. I gave directions to a Chinese girl like I knew what I was talking about (I actually did :p) and then several young men practiced their english on me.

"If you sit down by yourself in the open area near the Ben Thanh market a number of young university age locals will come and ask to practise english with you, this is a great way to spend an evening and the best way to meet intelligent interesting youth, they will question you either individually or in groups and share with you a lot about their country."

Read that on a guide webpage and took it as a single person's experience, not at all indicative of reality, but lo. Initially I was approached by one guy, certain that he was going to offer to show me around for a fee, but we only chatted for about 15 minutes before three more guys came over and asked to talk with me. They stood in a semi-circle around the bench where I was sitting and grilled me question after question, how I liked the city, what I was doing here, how much did I overpay for bananas. It sounded like a language textbook; moderate phrasing skills, inquiries about american weather. One guy asked if it made me uncomfortable to be approached like this and I agreed that it was somewhat aggressive. He said many people will find touristy-looking folks to practice with. Then a 40-something guy came over with a five y/o to listen to the english lesson. It was weirrrrrdd, but not unpleasant.

Look at that awesome traffic. I crossed that intersection twice.

Unexpected onion dome

Saigon River

These are shipping yards, but further south there are a ton of docked restaurant boats that light up at night. One is shaped and lit like a fish and it is the one for me. I've only seen them by motorbike so I need to make more friends and have dinner there.

When you search Saigon on Google Maps, this area across the river looks like an unmarked wasteland, which turns out to be true! Usually I creep at my own house or where my friends live on satellite view, so it was fun to see the real place this time after stalking.

For some reason there was a timeline numerating historic political events, but I guess nobody asked me to decorate. This was the first reference I saw to the American War. Heh, I really have to post about the War Remnants Museum.

An ode to colonialism next door

cool root system, palm tree

A typical sidewalk. That gaping opening with a garage door is a restaurant or cafe. Sorry for the crappy angle.

One of the more elaborate juice stands

This is advertised as a bakery, but around the corner, the perimeter of the building is a market of sorts; counters along the sidewalk selling bánh mì, bread, sweets, prepared and barbequed meats, dried goods, beans and grains. The counters frame the open restaurant benches within, which they also supply, and where I had dinner.

barbeque station

bánh mì and general deli counter

This counter made fresh spring rolls

Bún thịt heo quay, which I think is literally "bun (type of noodles) pork meat style." I also had a coconut, apple, grape smoothie; rad, and you should totally try it.

Somebody was paying tribute to Jem with 80s neon when they designed this building. I heart this muchly.

Saigon Opera House at night