Rainy Day in Saigon

Notre Dame Basilica (at 5:25AM)

We woke early this morning…like 4AM.  After trying to get back to sleep, we decided to just get up and go to church.  The Notre Dame basilica has Mass at 5:30 AM and PM.  You read that right!  Mass at 5:30am!  It was quiet and dark, with a few sprinkles as we set out.  But, we saw people ready for the bustle.  A few guys sitting next to their scooters, a few women preparing food for street vending, and the like were out and about.  In the basilica, we found a fan and sat right next to it. Surpisingly, there was a full choir and organ for the 5:30am Mass.  Unsurprisingly, it was in Vietnamese, so we tried the Google Translate feature for the homily, but it didn’t seem to do a great job.  Back in the room, we did our morning prayers and cleaned up a bit before heading to breakfast.

Huh??

Fresh out of church...at 6:30AM!

A great time to eat breakfast instead of being outside!

Over breakfast, we enjoyed delicious food while watching the rain wash the city, and deeply enjoyed the fact that we had no place we needed to be, and the rain didn’t hamper us.  We did finally get out to do some walking and sight-seeing (after the rain).

Theresa with her "coconut coffee".

Bill's very full cup of standard coffee.

Ho Chi Minh says Hi!! 
(Why are communist leaders' statues usually "gold"?)

We headed to the “People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City” (city hall?), and checked out the environs.  We continued on to Nguyen Hue street, a touristy street with shops and such…and we found a little lunch spot!!  We continued passed by the Saigon Opera house (nothing on this week) on to a shopping spot Ben Thanh, a bazaar crowded with pushy vendors hawking dubious products (designer purses, etc), food (nuts, beans, fruits), and clothing, shoes, and the like.  Glad we went.  Couldn’t get out of there fast enough!

Those two buidlings could hardly be more dissimilar!

When I want fried chicken and spaghetti...there's only
ONE place I go...McDonald's!!!

Shopping for those who like chaos!

Now, I ask you...Peppermint Tea...or Beer??

We headed back to the room for a shower and watched half of a movie, before heading to the lounge “tea”.  Tea is one of those things Theresa likes and Bill doesn’t get.  It’s a drink, not an event.  But we had some of the food offerings, including scones—which Theresa finds amazing (it’s a dry hunk of bread…I don’t get it), peppermint tea (for Theresa) and Bill found a beverage worthy of an afternoon event…a local beer!!

Mi Quang

Being clean and dry, we opted to just enjoy our room (and a nap) until our last dinner here, and then a little TV to wrap up the night.  With a nightcap from the lounge!