Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

I admit, I was very nervous about HCMC. I read about taxis that would kidnap your things and unfriendly people.

Yet less than two hours after I arrived, I was grinning like an idiot walking around. My heart felt joyful and at home. Love cannot be explained, and I have fallen hard for the city formally known as Saigon. Unlike quaint Luang Prabang, which was a lovely place to visit, Ho Chi Minh City's vibrant and frenetic pace nurture a new desire to LIVE there. Should my life go off the expected track, look for me in Saigon slurping some soup.

And oh, the food was incredible. I already uploaded some pictures. Let me describe:

First, I stopped at a random food stall by the large traffic circle because (rule of thumb #1) I saw many Vietnamese people eating there. With a few points, smiles, and demonstrations of money, I received my com, or cooked rice. On top was a crispy pork (BBQ, I suspect) with a honey flavor and somewhat chewy texture topped with chopped green onions. It was served with a not-too-spicy clear broth with red chilies + green beans and the usual tomato/cucumber/ slices. A clear broth soup with a potato relative and green onions & parsley accompanied the meal.

The next picture was breakfast. I ordered exactly what the neighboring table's folks were eating (to their great merriment). What I received astonished me. A dark, spicy savory soup featured carrots and tender oxtail. With the soup came a small side dish of lime and salt/pepper that I poked at blankly. One of the neighboring men laughed at me and showed me how to squeeze the line juice into the salt/pepper and mix into a dipping sauce. Yesss this was so good. Even better, I was next given a soft baguette to dip into the soup. The men across from me watched my every move with great amusement, and eventually I cajoled them over to explain what I was eating. "Bo Kho," one wrote in careful block letters. Then he drew an adorable picture of a cow with horns. I added the tail and gestured to his approving laughter.

Breakfast of course comes with coffee, and mine was served strong with sweetened condensed milk at the bottom, Vietnamese style. The resulting drink is very rich, even thick.

These descriptions are getting killer long. No wonder I put off writing this post!

Next picture was lunch, an enjoyable rice dish with many types of meats and some veggies dumped on top. Nothing remarkable.

Then before dinner we caught a Vietnamese woman ordering this dish off a mobile cart in front of our hotel. We cornered them instantly and soon a new friend and I had some sort of papaya salad with sweetened beef jerky, peanuts, basil, chili sauce and a 'crispy thing' on top.

Next picture (next blog post) is breakfast the following day. I wandered around a market until a woman hustled me into her food stall and sold me an omelette looking dish with shrimp and bean sprouts. I sat down gamely as she brought over a plate of lettuce and basil, showing me quickly how to create the wrap that I then dipped in soy sauce. So tasty.

While I ate, another woman came over and offered to sell me a drink. It's milk sweetened with coconut and many types of beans & tapioca. I enjoyed it very much but I couldn't finish eating all the beans.

Lastly, this creation was sticky rice on a banana leaf, topped with all sorts of condiments that I couldn't identify, but I guess: pork sausage, ham, a tiny egg, fried chicken, chili, soy sauce, pulled pork, etc.

Obviously my favorite time was mealtime. I actually neglected the tourist hotspots in favor of roaming the city for an entire day, eating and drinking and walking. I tried to track down Anthony Bourdain's 'Lunch Lady' but ended up eating with three kind & chatty old Vietnamese men. Forget anyone that says these people aren't friendly! I had a really good time listening to stories about their lives. They even bought me a beer :)

After I bid adieu my feet hit the pavement again. I soaked up the busy sidewalks, the trees jutting out of concrete and the upscale boutiques. I watched unbelievably crazy motorbike drivers jostle around bicycles, cars, and each other. You know what, I realize why I like Saigon so much: it feels like Los Angeles. :)

Katie

PS more on HCMC next: a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels and War Remnants museum with new friends.

Apologies on being way behind on posts... I spent the last two days on motorbike!