DD

Speaking of nice strong coffee, this is the place that one should NOT
get a cup of Dunkin coffee. I took this picture back in March in KL's
budget terminal. We were waiting for our Penang flight. I was so
excited when I saw the Dunkin sign. Figured I could have a good cup
of old fashion North American coffee. Nope sir. Coffee tasted
terrible. Brown liquid with burn smell. And it was brew fresh from
the packet. Yikes!

Twice b'fasts

We decided not having b'fast at the hotel even though one was free;
but would have to pay for the 2nd one at USD25.00. Ridiculous for bad
food. So we ventured out, across the street for an omlette, toasts
and vietnamese coffee for a total of 60,000 per person. For the two
of us, 132,000.00. That was about USD 9.00; not bad for better food
and got to sit outside. This is the photo from our vantage point this
morning.

The street corner is where Sheraton is located.

Internet Sharing

Thank goodness of Internet Sharing capability; otherwise, I would have
gone insane! We always travel with a wireless router so that at
hotels, we could just plug it in and each of us will have Internet
access free from wire. This hotel is one of the fews that I have had
trouble with the wireless router.

I plug the ethernet cord to my computer, setup Internet Sharing using
my Wireless card, and whamp iron-wife's computer is alive. It's
connected to the Internet.

Couldn't bear the thought that we have to share computer use for 5
days. Haha...

Saigon day 1 pictures

Day 1 photo gallery: http://web.me.com/damiaolo/Saigon2009

I find it that I am taking less and less pictures. After you see
something, things all look the same to me from country to country.

223,000 for dinner

Yes, it was cheap and had a view, kinda. The place is called
Lemongrass recommended in the NYTimes 36-hours in Saigon article. You
can skip the restaurant. It's catered to foreign tourists. I am
heading to a Pho 24 shop.

Anyway, we had four plates of food; Vietnamese spring rolls, tofu,
fried rice and veggie; and a pot of Lotus tea. The total cost came to
VND 223,000. It's about USD 12.80. That's including VAT and service
charges.

One the way to the restaurant, we saw lots of wedding banquets being
prepared. On the way back after the dinner, the wedding banquets were
in full swing. All the newly wed couple pictures were hung outside
the restaurant doors so that guests knew who they were, I guess.
Interesting phenominum to see.

1 million gone!

Vietnamese Dong that is. USD 1 = VND 17,500 or so. I was an instant
millionaires. And then I spent my million.

We bought some paper art work and it was 670,000.00. Then two cups of
Vietnamese coffee at the Rex Hotel where the US officers gathered
during the Vietnam War, 135,000.00. That was a highway robbery for
only two cups of coffee with VAT and service charges. 47,000.00 for
two paper hand-rolled cards. Then the best value afternoon tea at the
Foreign Supermarket just a block from Sheraton. The nicest Vietnamese
drip coffee I have had so far, carrot cake and a scone for a grand
total of 85,000.00. So there you go, a million gone.

We walked all day. That's the best to take in a new city. People
just want you to give them businesses. Mostly taxi, and rides. They
tried soliciting but not pushy at all. No big deal; but after China
and India, I just didn't like being approached. You stop, you just
get "harassed" in my own version anyway.

People are friendly. But be careful not walking along the river with
your bag or camera. Snatchers on motorbikes.

We had a fresh coconut in a local fruit shop. Staff couldn't speak
English but fingers and smile did the communicating. We had one for
10,000. Less than one dollar US.

Along the roadside, there was always a small little 'coffee shop'.
One small table, couple stools and couple bottles of soft drink.
Coffee a plenty. Then walk some more and then sidewalk pedicure. A
basin, a pedicure tool and a towel. That was it.

So, that....

Fine Art Museum

Day 1 of our visit in Saigon. We were walking around in District 1.
Despite the city looks big and large, easily walkable. We walked all
day. Soaking in the Vietnamese atmosphere. One of the places we
visited was the Fine Art Museum. It used to be a private home of a
wealthy merchant. Of course, a Chinese. This place was just
ridiculous big! 3 stories in height and 1/4 city block! It also has
an elevator! The first picture is from within the courtyard. No
camera was allowed in but good thing with my handy Nokia 5610 camera
phone. I snapped two pictures.