Saigon Diary

This trip was the longest that I’ve been out from the country. I was supposed to leave on the day Haiyan would hit the Philippines, but since the weather was predicted by our national weather bureau, we had the chance to rebook my trip, which then became two days earlier than originally scheduled. It was a financial risk, but I wouldn’t be able to make it to Vietnam if we hadn’t done the necessary changes in my flight. Thanks to ‘my addiction’ for making it happen. Being such a big fan of Miss Lea Salonga, the lead actor of the very famous musical Miss Saigon, I didn’t allow anything to stop me from visiting Saigon, now named Ho Chi Minh. This was also the first time I flew Philippine Airlines. I always took Cebu Pacific given it’s a budget airline, but my PAL experience was my best airline experience so far. The crew welcomed each passenger with a warm smile and all of them were all well-groomed. The scarves that women wore made their uniform classy while the men’s suit surely made them worth the fancy of every woman and some men! :-D The interior was so clean and cozy, blankets and pillows were provided, and everyone had a meal.

It rained when I arrived and I became an instant millionaire after I changed some Philippine peso to Vietnam Dong. I wasn’t that nervous anymore too when I faced immigration officers as this was my third trip abroad. No questions were asked. I just handed my passport, looked at the officer in the eye, smiled, and I got through. When the cab was heading towards the hotel I stayed at, I couldn’t help but notice some French-inspired architecture and then I realized Vietnam was once colonized by France before. Since my travel buddy was still working two days more from the time I arrived, I strolled around the city central on my own. If I were to choose, I would’ve stayed at the hotel and just rested after the typhoon threat that could have hindered my trip from happening stressed me out. But I was encouraged by someone to discover the place aside from the fact that I needed to go out to get some lunch and dinner for myself. My first meal then was a traditional one, Pho! Some people thought I was a local so they talked to me in Vietnamese. Others probably realized I was a tourist because they talked to me in English, offered a tour, a ride, and a massage! But I said no to everything. I continued the adventure using my feet and used buildings as my landmarks so I would know my way back the hotel. Let me take you to the spots I’ve been to in Saigon. (November 2013)

Notre Dame Cathedral.

The city hall at daytime.

The city hall at night time.

War remnants at the War Museum.

Helicopter used during the Vietnam War displayed outside the war museum.

One of the dining halls at the Reunification Palace.

One of the living rooms inside the Reunification Palace.

View of the fountain and the gate from the balcony of the palace. 

One of the many offices inside the Reunification Palace.

The healthiest lunch I ever had. It was a vegetable overload. Our lunch before flying to Haiphong. 

Traditional Vietnamese noodles. Burp!

For those who have been following me, you know my love affair with architecture so one of the places we visited was the Bitexco Financial Tower. I was not able to get a nice photo of the building so I asked Google images to help me. We had our last dinner in Saigon inside the building.

After my stay in Saigon and probably singing songs from the musical Miss Saigon while walking on the streets of the city, my travel buddy and I flew to Haiphong to meet some friends and leave for Cat Ba from there. I'd like to credit my buddy for our Vietnam photos. You can check photos from his travels all over the globe on Instagram @AlexanderTravels. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram @RedEye0920 :-)