January 24th - It's a Small World

Today we get a lie in as we have opted out of the tour of the Viet Cong tunnels at Cu Chi, an hour's coach ride out of the city. The weather looks a bit iffy with fairly low cloud, and the forecast is the pits with the BBC promising 30°C and thunderstorms for most of the day. We breakfast at leisure and then walk a rather sweaty mile to the Botanic Gardens. The two wheelers are a total curse. Not only do they jump the lights and ignore marked pedestrian crossings but they ride on the pavements as well.

The Botanic Gardens not only exhibit plants but they contain a zoo and a fairly minor amusement park. Lots of preparatory activity for the forthcoming Lunar New Year is happening with metal frames strung with fairy lights everywhere. There is a nice display of orchids just inside the entrance and few parakeets in the trees. R is in her element even if she has forgotten her binoculars today. There are various plants that we recognise as houseplants at home that are growing vigorously in outdoor beds here.

The zoo section is a bit depressing, with small, closely barred cages and bare enclosures for some of the larger beasts. There is an aviary full of miserable looking lesser adjutant storks that seems to be just cruel. On a brighter note there is a small lake containing an island that is home to painted storks, ibis, pond herons and purple swamp hens, R's all time favourite. We walk around for a couple of hours until the lure of refreshments wins and we set off back towards the city centre.

We take a different route back along a broad boulevard that is reminiscent of the city's French heritage, as is the occasional pungent whiff of drains. We pause at a cafe opposite the former British Embassy that now houses the British Council. On the next block is the site of the former US Embassy, now demolished, which was the site of the dramatic rooftop rescues at the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Our perambulations take us past the cathedral and Post Office again before our curiosity takes us into an enormous shopping centre owned by the previously mentioned richest man in Vietnam. For a Communist State naked capitalism seems to be more than tolerated. God knows how many floors this place has but it has three full basement floors full of smart shops and Marks & Spencers. We have a quick look round but there is nothing very remarkable to see. One of main shopping streets is being dug up so a metro line can be built.

We have a light lunch in the street food market we found last night and then retreat to the a/c luxury of the hotel where R gets a foot massage. It is time to start planning for tomorrow onwards. We break the back of the packing and D ventures out for mixers and wine in case we go thirsty sailing up the Mekong. An anonymous comment contributor to this blog has urged us to sample the high life on the roof of the Caravelle Hotel, notorious from the 1960s as the home of the international press corps and their Five O'clock Follies.

We take a spin round the market en route and get stuck in to some bargaining. The shopping list is fulfilled and we step out for the Caravelle. The Saigon Saigon bar on the roof of the older part of the building is very smart and is in the middle of Happy Hour which knocks 50% of all drinks except Champagne. R settles for G&T while D has a Larue beer. We settle in with the complimentary peanuts to watch the sun go down. A bit of a damp squib really as the cloud has moved in but we do get a good view of the city as the lights go on. We return home via the laundry who have done the usual neat job. Back at the hotel we take our third showers of the day before the day's main event. We are meeting R's cousin David and his Malaysian wife, Angela who are on a short holiday in Saigon. R has not seen David since they watched 'A Hard Day's Night' together 54 years ago. 

After meeting in the lobby we cross the street to the East West brewpub, a vast upstairs hall. It's a bit noisy so after one beer we decide to move on. David has the app for Grab, the local version of Uber. The first car doesn't arrive and has to be cancelled but the second one gets to us quite quickly and delivers us promptly to the Heart of Darkness where we can hear ourselves think. This place does a very passable British style IPA and we have some food to share while we chat the evening away. The weather has cooled down a lot and some of the humidity has dissipated. Because of the one way system it makes sense for us to walk home. We take our leave of David and Angela who have a further block to walk and turn in.