Work and Travel part two – touristy spot in Ho Chi Minh City.
Despite the hectic responsibilities and arrangements I had to go through during my work and paid travel – there is perk side of it. Ye la kan.. hari tu cerita yang tak best je… now, yang turn best pula. Every bad news, comes the good news. Every sadness, comes with happiness later on. Black and white, hot and cold. It’s ying and yang of life. I got to meet new people and make new friends along and Facebook friends them. I think, 70% of my Facebook friends, are those I truly met them outside and another 30% is my FARMVILLE2 friends. So, it is not bad at all. Internet hasn’t ruined me yet.
I’ve been to Ho Chi Minh Vietnam long time before with my ex boyfriend. We even went to Dalat by 7 hours bus ride to find potted plants instead of real botanical flower garden.
I learn about Ben Tanh Market during my work trip!!!! and Cu Chi Tunnel, and My Tho Delta (Delta Mekong)!
This is what’s Ben Tanh Market. I refused to put the textile shops picture on here or else I will make you guys buy the plane ticket to Ho Chi Minh tomorrow. Prior to this, I never heard about Ben Tanh Market. Until I talked to Malaysian’s traveler. Or maybe tourists. “Ohhh Dekat Ben Tanh kain murahh.. jubah cantik.. kain telekung cantikkkk”. They always asked me to find them hotels nearby this Ben Tanh Market so that they can shop 24 hours. I was like… wtf? Is that possible?
Then I came to learn that, IT IS POSSIBLE TO SHOP 24 HOURS IN HO CHI MINH! Once The Ben Tanh Market closed at 6pm, there will be a night market around Ben Tanh Building open every night until wee hours. And I don’t know why Malaysian need to shop from morning until night. I don’t know what are they buying until they dedicated themselves to these markets when they came to Ho Chi Minh. Macam.. kalah jin dekat Genting Highland ka tahu hantu dekat area Ben Tanh Market ni.
But I do notice that, Vietnam has the best coffee so far. Especially coffee with milk. You will hooked up like how Ben Tanh Market did to them. The coffee called G7. Everyone who came to Vietnam, MUST drink this coffee. Be it black or with milk. I got a box of 3 in 1 G7 from my fellow travel agent in Ho Chi Minh as a gift. It turns out that I keep on asking friends who do the tour leading to Ho Chi Minh to buy me 2 boxes G7 for me so that I won’t be out of it!
Vietnam coffee beans are among the best in the world. Stand side by side with coffee beans grown in Bolivia, Columbia, Haiti and Cuba to name a few, Vietnamese coffee is listed in Todd Carmichael the Coffee Crusader’s choice for his coffee company – La Colombe Torrefaction.
Halal Food is not a problem in Ho Chi Minh City. There are plenty Halal Restaurant nearby Ben Tanh Market area and some are really try very hard to please Malaysian customers by having Malaysian Flag on its wall and they play Malay songs on the radio. Some of the cook are from Malaysia but most of them are Malay Champa.
You should weigh your weight before and after your visit to Ho Chi Minh City. I can guarantee you will gain few kgs. Be it local food or Malaysian style – the taste is the best. The taste better than Thai food and it will make make you forget Malaysian food. That’s how I describe foods here. My favorite restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City is Serai Restaurant and Banana Leaf. If you go to Ho Chi Minh city, try their Sup sayur Asam (Vegetable Sour Soup). OMG, I want it now!
At Remnant War Museum. Here you can learn about the Vietnam War and “Agent Orange” (which, I know Malaysian don’t bother to learn or to know the great war in the world’s history since they only focusing on Israeli – Palestinian in their entire life)
At Cu Chi Tunnel. Here you will learn how desperate Vietnamese during those days but they never gave up although they had to life like ants – live underground and fight for their life using trash and metal scraps. They even risk their life by dismantle the unexploded bomb and mortar dropped on them and turned it into smaller basic weapons.
During the walk around here, I overheard an old western guy sighed saying – “look at what we have done to them..”
At Cu Chi Tunnel site, you will get to experience eating what the local people eat during the war – a tasteless tapioca with crushed nuts.
At Mekong River Cruise.
I also had a chance to see the life on the other side of the city. People in Vietnam still struggle with education so not all of the locals sitting in the office working with computers. Half of the population still unable to understand other language except their own other tongue. So they produce the local product, purely hand made and selling it to tourists like, me.
Terfikir jugak kenapa di Malaysia tak bawa tourists melawat ke kilang pembuatan Budu, Cencalok dan Ikan Masin? It can help to promote local product to the world you know? Busuk lettew…
This is coconut candy with nuts. The taste is out of this world although the look might tells otherwise. I still have few packets at home. I keep it for Mike together with Vietnam world’s best coffee (and a small cup with strainer on top of it! – super old school to drink coffee! Vietnamese style!)
Kannn… ada rupa pompuan kerja kilang di Vietnam kan?
But, if you looking at the video, how they process those candies, I think I’m not qualified. I may have the look. But I don’t have the move. Look at them. They move like a NINJA!
This is the end product. Nicely packed with hands flavor. And sell it to the tourist like, me.
You also get to taste the seasonal fruits. And listen to the folks song..
And took a sampan ride.
It is nice when the river is not busy. Or else, you might get those filthy water splashed onto your face 🙁 . I got it on my 2nd time ride. And it wasn’t nice experience at all.
And then we visited to the next island where, people here breed bees for a living.
And I got to sit down and drink honey tea with a bee.
They let you try some honey with tea, Bee pollen and all kind of stuff made out from bees. And then it’s up to yo to buy it or not. Unlike in China, THEY FORCED YOU TO BUY IT.
Well, Ho Chi Minh can be very scorching hot and busy. Traffic in Vietnam is chaotic but well planned. A well planned chaotic traffic jam. But it was all okay once you start your day in Ho Chi Minh with their best coffee.
Among of all, the thing you will notice the most in Ho Chi Minh / Vietnam is their girls. It is hardly to come across a fat girl in Ho Chi Minh City. Be it young or old, they only have one size and one size only – petite. It’s the way they prepare the food. Their local food hardly use oil and their food mainly steamed or boiled.
For my blog readers that has been to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, you will experience a deja-vu when you look at this building in Ho Chi Minh District 1.
This is Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. I think I fell in love with it. And I wish I can live here and experience its local experience someday.
The End.
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