Vietnam: HCMC

We got in early and were let off the ship quickly. The parent trip was in Vietnam, so many of my friends parents arrived a day early and boarded the ship when we arrived. It was neat to watch us pull into port (even though it was at 5 am) because we came up a large river and it was easy to see little huts and homes lining the water. It was also really neat to meet my friends’ families. :)
        I got off the ship with Tam, Corey, Ross, Eric and Kelly. The 6 of us started to head towards the market, we were told to keep our eyes out for “Pho” (pronounced Fuh) which is delicious rice noodles in beef broth. We planned on a spa and shopping day. On our way, we were stopped by a lady promoting a spa. My friends decided the prices were cheap, so we went in. They were right; I paid $30 for a 75 minute hot stone massage (wow!). Kelly and I were in the same room giggling as little Vietnamese women walked across our backs. It was a fun, girly moment. I got my hair trimmed for $5 and met back up with Tam, Kelly and the guys who were all getting pedicures. I guess they figured they’d pamper themselves while it was cheap, but it was still goofy to see them lined up in salon chairs.
        After the spa, we were hungry so we went on a mission to find Pho. There was a restaurant near the market in a hotel, so we went up to that and sat down. The pho wasn’t great… but the friend spring rolls blew me out of the water. I tried a pepper that I thought would be crunchy and mostly water. WRONG. It was the hottest thing I’ve ever tasted. I sat at the table bright red with tears falling from my eyes while my friends sat there laughing at me and Ross, who’d made the same mistake. I grabbed for Kelly’s green tea ice cream even though I’m lactose intolerant and it soothed for only a second at a time.. but anything was better than the pain I was going through. Man I’ll never forget that pepper slice.
        As we left I looked around and realized every other table in the restaurant had people seated at it. I also noticed that every person seated had a comic book in their hands; they were all reading animé at lunch. Not one or two people.. EVERY single person in the restaurant. It was so strange.
        We shopped around the market; I spent about 2 million dong, which is Vietnamese currency and led to a lot of silly jokes among us foreigners. (20,000 VND is $1) It was fun to haggle with the women there.. everything was SO inexpensive. I’ll never forget all the ladies yelling “tee-shirr, two dolla!” After a couple hours, I left with my friend Sam who I’d run into and we went back to grab the shuttle to the ship. I realized this would be my only opportunity to see a water puppet show, so I left her at the shuttle and hopped on a motorbike with a man who offered to take me there for $1. He gave me a helmet and I was on my way. IT WAS SO FUN! The wind was rushing past my face, and I looked around me to see neon lights popping up and women in their typical Vietnamese hats walking down the streets. It was one of those life moments where you realize you’re in a great place and can’t imagine being anywhere else in the world. I realized on the bike that it probably wasn’t the smartest choice I’d ever made.. but what was done was done, and I was on my way. Everyone in Vietnam rides bicycles or more commonly, motorbikes. Cars maybe take up 10% of the roads, if that.
        I got to the show and ran into some SASers. It cost 75 cents for entry (15,000 VND). There was a pool in the center of the stage and 3 people with microphones and instruments on either side. They narrated the stories that flashed through the water pool in Vietnamese, which included crazy instruments I’d never seen and frequent girlish laughter. They often talked over each other – it was so funny to watch. I had NO idea what was going on.
        I headed back to the Rex Hotel to meet my friends for dinner. I ran to the ship, changed and showered to be back in time for dinner. I had some Tiger Beer, which is Singapore beer but is served all over Vietnam, and some rice which is Vietnam's main export. Rachel and tall Ross' parents were there, and it was so great to meet them. Their accents were great because they’re from Boston, and it was so nice to have parents around for the first time in so long!
        After dinner we went out to Apocalypse Now which was a busy club. We were there for several hours. I met some people from Australia, some from Austria, and some SAS students. I was there with all my friends and loving life. We left around 3 am and headed back to the ship. I rode a motorbike again, though my friends came with me this time. It overall was a great night.. I loved spending the day in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon, it was renamed like 20 years ago).