I woke the morning of February 1, had breakfast of an omelette, baguette and watermelon, then went out to explore. Bui Thi Xuan, the street my hotel is on, runs right into Tao Dan Cultural Park. The park is a part of a string of sites that extend east for several blocks, ending with the Reunification Palace, the former home of South Vietnam’s presidents Diem, who was assassinated, and Thieu. I paid my 30,000 Vietnam Dong for a ticket and strolled through. The park was full of food vendors and exhibits of flowers and bonsai trees. I have no idea whether this is an all time thing or because it is Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. There were lots of families strolling about taking selfies with their smartphones.
I wandered through the park and on past the grounds of the Reunification Palace. Hung a right a block after Pasteur Street and went by the Norte Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office and City Hall. After that I worked my way over to he Ben Tanh Market, built in 1872 by the French, where I got an excellent Mango Smoothie for $0.87. Such a value!!!
After all that, I was late morning. Returned to he hotel for a nap before heading to the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker area. Dinn that night was Koreans the restaurant next to the hotel ok, but not great.
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