Pasalubong is one of the words that makes me happy, especially when I am not on the receiving end of the statement (and its permutations), “dalhan mo ako ng pasalubong”; however, it is very ingrained in Filipino culture to bring pasalubong or souvenirs when we go out of town and share them with our family and friends. Pasalubong can take many forms—food, the walang-kamatayang keychains and ref magnets, and accessories.
Here are some of the things I bought in Ho Chi Minh:
Each pair of ref magnet costs VND20, 000 at Benh Thanh market. They are colorful but fragile.
The small frame of lacquerware costs $12 each. They are sold at Phuongnam Lacquerware along Nguyen Trai Street. I had a hard time looking for frames that are made of the same material that complement one another. I ended up buying two made of lacquer and one made of ground eggshells (rightmost).
A box of Vietnamese coffee with 20 sachets costs VND 45,000 (Benh Thanh Market); flat banana wafer (3 packs), VND 160,000 (near the coconut candy factory); box of MacChocolate with 10 sachets costs VND 31,000; Thuan Giang Shrimp Chips, VND 25,500, Mit Say freeze dried fruits (100g), VND 19,000; Trai Cay Say freeze dried fruits (200g), VND31,000 (all from Thanh Toan grocery). I like the freeze dried fruits, especially the jackfruit and bananas, and the shrimp chips once they are fried perfectly.
The compact mirror costs VND 50,000 (Benh Thanh Market). I know I could have bought it at a lower price, but it was the first item I bought and my haggling skills were nonexistent at that time. Do not forget to take it out of its packaging to check for cracks and other imperfections.
Virg and I were lusting over the non las so we snapped them up once we found a pair that fit our heads, and for $1 each, they are a wonderful way to protect one’s self from UV rays while riding a boat. We bought six bags for VND250,000 (store adjacent to the bee farm), and they are sturdy enough to hold 500-mL of water, a DSLR-camera, three lacquerware frames and other breakables.
I bought the three ladies for VND180,000 (Benh Thanh Market).
They are heavy, and not as refined as I would like them to be.
Tailor-made ao dai made by Phuong Giang for $75.
Ready-to-wear ao dai for VND 180,000 (store near the bee farm).
Virg and I stroll around the city before we drop by Saigon Square to look for specific objects. We go from one stall to the next but do not buy any because the feminine clothes with intricate design are more expensive than the ones in Manila.
The streets of Vietnam teem with motorbikes and bikers of all types. A lot of them are women in heels and form-fitting skirt, and I salute them for looking very beautiful while astride the bike.
On our way to Saigon Square
Lunch
We walk for a couple of blocks and decide to eat at the nearest place available. We choose one that has overflowing local patrons, a modest place along Huynh Street. We just point at the food that looked appealing to us. After choosing the food, I leave the restaurant and go to the next stall that sells custard for VND 7,000 each. On my way back to the restaurant, I come across this woman who sells sugarcane juice. It is very aromatic so I decide to buy two for VND 7,000.
Sugarcane juice perfect for the sweltering heat
Lunch for two composed of Vietnamese complete meal, custards and sugarcane juice costs VND 43,000!!! The meal is decent and the serving of ground meat with quail egg and sauce tastes good. The custard is a bit bland, but I like extremely sweet food so maybe I am bias. The sugarcane juice is something I can drink thrice a day.
Go, grow and glow in one plate
Fine Arts Museum
After lunch, with renewed energy, we proceed to Pho DucChinh where the Fine Arts Museum is located. We pay the admission fee of VND 10,000 and in exchange for this minimal amount, we are able to explore two buildings filled with lacquerware paintings, sculptures, chinaware and propaganda materials, among other things.
HCMC Fine Arts Museum building
Aside from (what I think are) art students, the museum has a handful of visitors who are free to roam around the rooms in the three floors of the first building. There is a wing designated for lacquerware paintings, several rooms for contemporary art, and one room for busts and paintings of artists made by their colleagues. This is one of my favorite rooms because the artworks show humor without sacrificing beauty.
View of the courtyard from the third floor
One of the lacquer painting in the first building
Beautiful painting of a beautiful woman
One of the works in the contemporary art room shows the twins Thang Long and Hano
Some of the pieces found in HCMC Fine Arts Museum
After almost two hours of going up and down the stairs of the first building, we transfer to the next building. Only the ground floor is open to the public, and we are fortunate enough to look at the art exhibit of Oba Shuji. The lacquer paintings are famous sceneries in Japan and in Vietnam.
Light fixture in the second building
Lacquer painting of the Ha Long Bay by Oba Shuji
Lacquer painting of Mount Fuji by Oba Shuji
With our artistic curiosity satisfied, we go back to the hotel to rest for an hour.
Water Puppet Show
At 430pm, we leave the room, walk a block of Huyen Tran Cong Chua and arrive at Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. That block of Huyen Tran Cong Chua has one of the gates of Independence Palace on one side while the other side has several stalls that sell football and basketball jerseys. As tempted as I am to buy a jersey of Manchester United or Spain, I successfully stop myself from doing it.
When we arrive at the theater, we are not seated immediately because ticketholders from group tours are given priority. The tickets cost $8.00 each, and they sell like hotcakes so one has to buy them at least a day before if one wants to sit in front. We buy ours through the hotel receptionist (it was a last minute decision), and we are lucky to get seats F8 and F9.
The King Puppet and I
The program includes a music prelude and the water puppet show itself. The main part is divided into 17 segments that are continuous. Some of the segment titles are Dragon Dance, Catching Frogs and Dance of Four Holy Animals. The fifty-minute show is enjoyable. Although I do not understand what the voice-over talent is saying, I laugh. Based on the reaction of the people around me, we have the same sentiments. Throughout the time I am watching it, I marvel at the ingenuity of water puppet show. I can barely see the sticks that hold the puppets above water, even though the puppets keep on doing backflips and complicated dance routines.
View of the stage from F9
At the end of the show, the puppeteers emerge from the back and wave at the crowd. The crowd shows its appreciation by clapping enthusiastically.
Golden Dragon Water Puppet - Video Clip-1
Golden Dragon Water Puppet - Video Clip-2
Dinner
Virg and I opt to eat at a small eatery in the corner of Nguyen Du and Thu Khoa. The owner’s version of Vietnamese complete meal and a serving of fish cost VND 23,000! I like the fried spring rolls because they are fried and her fish is tasty.
Green on green. The plate complements its contents.
After dinner, we buy more pasalubong. On our way back to the hotel, we stop to buy food from a vendor. In the middle of cooking the quail egg, she hears the sound of a police car and wants to up and leave. It is a good thing that the police car drives away without stopping. She calms down and continues to cook this tasty treat.
It does not look good on this photo, but it tastes good. ^__^
We want to spend our last night in Ho Chi Minh City eating chocolates and chocolate-filled wafers that we bought after dinner, but it is just unfortunate that we have to pack our things for tomorrow’s trip to Siem Reap.
After a filling breakfast, Mr. Q picks Virg and I up at 830am. The almost two-hour drive to My Tho boat station seems like a breeze because I sleep through part of it.We board a motorized boat that can accommodate 30 people, with as many life jackets for those who fear for their safety.
Virg and I ready for our new adventure
Our private boat for the day
The Mekong River, part of the formidable Mekong Delta or Nine Dragon, is wide and bustling with activity, and looking at colorful boats with the verdant islands and the Rach Mieu bridge as backdrop is very soothing.
One of the boats traversing Mekong River
Basket boat bobbing along the river
RachMieubridge provides the perfect background for a relaxing trip
After 15 minutes, we reach the first island where the honeybee farm is located. We are allowed to hold the screen replete with bees.
Bees a-buzzing
A few steps from the bee cage is a pretty girl waiting for us to take our seats, drink honey tea, and taste the peanut brittle, candied ginger and bananas, among other things. The tea and peanut brittle are good while the candied ginger is an acquired taste.
Snacks at the bee farm: honey tea, candied bananas, peanuts and ginger
After buying some products, we walk along a dirt road flanked by merchants offering colorful non la and ao dai, bags made of different materials and trinkets (most of which are cheaper than the ones found in Bien Thanh market) until we arrive at another designated area.We listen to traditional music and a rather unenthusiastic rendition of “If You are Happy and you Know it, Clap your Hands” while eating some of the sweetest fruits the island can offer. The musicians use instruments made of coconuts.
Pineapple, jackfruit, mangoes, papaya and dragon fruit with a glass of hot tea. The fruits taste better when eaten with salt and chili.
After the refreshing snacks (second in a span of 30 minutes), we walk for five minutes then take a small boat through a narrow canal.
Palm leaves of the trees that dot the river
Despite the non-stop movement of the small boats, it is a serene experience to look at the palms and marvel at the expert maneuvers of the boatmen/women. At the end of the ride, the big motorboat that took us to the island, is waiting for us and takes us to our next stop—the coconut candy factory.
A few minutes after we exit the canal, on our way to the bigger boat
A worker explains to us the process of making the coconut-based candies while we walk from the vat of coconut milk to the long table where other workers wrap the candies with rice paper (edible!).
Coconut candy makers nonchalantly doing their job
Aside from candies, ornaments and decors made of coconuts are also sold in the area.
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil—the three monkeys coconut edition
After a short horse-drawn cart ride, we reach the restaurant where a succession of dishes is presented to Virg and I.
Feel like a princess in these horse-drawn rides
A woman adeptly prepares four spring rolls before she disappears, only to return a few minutes later bringing more food. I like the spring roll and the balls of yam.
Our lunch in progress
After a few centimeters of indentation in my stomach, we return to the motorboat.
Waiting for our boat to pick us up.
At around 3pm, we travel back to My Tho port, then we drive back to the city-center amidst heavy rain. We are fortunate enough to have finished the tour before the sky turns grey followed by an intense downpour.
Dinner
At the recommendation of one of the hotel receptionists, we have dinner along Le Thanh Ton. Two orders of fresh spring rolls, a bowl of crab soup, two guyabano shake and custard cost VND 266,000.
Perfect with some chili, a very filling meal
Beautifully-wrapped spring rolls to complement the tasty soup
