Sunday, March 18, 2018, Saigon (Ho Chi Min City), Vietnam (2 OF 2)

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This post will complete our second day's shore excursion in Saigon; we will depart Vietnam at 10 PM.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was built with materials imported from France. 


Hotel Continental Saigon, constructed in 1880, the oldest hotel in Saigon.

Saigon City Hall.

Statue of Ho Chi Minh.
Rex Hotel, where GIs came for short in-country R&R.

Guns along the Saigon River.
Our lunch stop; really great local food again.  Sharon and Gong from Singapore; they flew to Miami to go on this world tour.  We will be in their home town in a few days.

OK, you Wednesday morning quilters, let your mouths water over this:  White fish covered with green rice, fried - phenomenal!
Pork and chicken spring rolls; wrapped in rice paper.
Delicious fried rice wrapped and steamed in banana leaves.

Pork cooked with marinate.
Steamed bok choi.
Chicken and vegetables baked in clay pots.
Dessert of pineapple, water melon, and an unknown Vietnamese fruit with taste similar to papaya but with a large seed in middle.
Tallest (office) building in Saigon; note helipad way high (below).

We stopped at the Binh Tay Market, the colorful clothing marketplace with a large variety of other items.
Baskin-Robins Ice Cream shop.

Very interesting bundle of TV, telephone, Internet, etc cables.  Good thing it does not freeze here!
Catholic church.  Just under 50% of Vietnamese are Buddhist and over 10% are Catholic, a carryover from French influence.

Note the way above ground electrical transformer.


In Chinatown, we stopped at the richly ornamented Thien Hau Pagoda, the most important temple in the city, to honor Buddha and a Chinese sea goddess, Thien Hau Thanh Mau.  





Overhead coils of incense shaped in cones; burn for days.




On our way back to cruise ship; another family of four on their wheels.
More water buffalo.


Viking brought onto our stage local entertainer who displayed historical musical instruments and songs.  Really unique and interesting.  Got video!


Next stop:  Cambodia, after a sea day to get there.



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