Transformation of Saigon (2)--preliminary

Ho Chi Minh City Airport in the South-East Asia is considered a moderate scale, but it looks pretty new, but with the amount compared to the actual carrier is spacious, must have been recently extended (new navigation and landing of Terminal 2).

Another reason is that all the others, and so are all of the guest departure/arrival hall waiting outside, though hot weather, the crowd didn't blow cool air flow into the lobby, I do not know, is still used in the (at the door did not like China airport that inspection personnel). With brand new facilities compared to the airport service may not have: Customs officers look a fierce Baba, baggage handling is also very low and half days to reach a total of only 10 flights taking off and landing, but also need to replace the boarding gate and to the arrival of flights, such as runway sky spiral.

Airport location at the edge of the County of Ho Chi Minh City comparison, but also as urban areas.

From the airport by car has not wide streets and lanes of the "drill" line, look out after about surrounded by scooter. Spent an hour to get to Pham Ngu Lao hotel, and the official announcement of this journey is half an hour, when statistics probably is the "straight line distance/speed of 60 km/h". Scooter riders are wearing masks to protect against waste gas, and some more is the whole package is only expose the head of the eyes, big Street looking I wonder if there are hundreds of thousands of masked rider oncoming, awe-inspiring.

Viet Nam were generally "male black female white", about men most like not overshadow stopped to work in the Sun (I saw a long lost a few bare-chested man lift heavy scenes together), and the girls prefer to wear long-sleeved shirt and enveloped himself.

Street side many selling snacks, fruits, souvenirs of hawker, soliciting "Mo 's", and in the shade of a large row of scooter as rental booth, street or also to see one or two beggars. About those with fixed pitch has a licence, and the flow of a saw for urban management to be activists scattered.

I went to the port, lucky, hotel rooms have been empty out, although there are isolated check-in time almost half day, reception arrangements I stay still, to a wash of journey.

The hotel itself does not organize tours of the Mission of the service, the Web page on the so-called "tour desk" just put my finger to the nearby they know of a company called "Sinh Café" travel agency. The travel agent look is very large, in addition to Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam Mission District, Cambodia, and long-range mission, and even have their own hotel. Look at their mission, choose one and a half days of ancient Shiba road plus half day city tour, 17 million guilders, not including individual attractions tickets, also be regarded as reasonable. But that's the second day, the first day of the rest of the city just to have on your own.

Holding travel agency to send information back to the hotel, and do your homework before you collect, such as a map out urban several feel worth while to guide mission has no organization and planning of the point a bit line, proceeding from the light.

Because the tour mission will go to unity Palace (Reunification Palace), war crime Museum (War Remnant Museum), Notre-Dame (Notre-Dame) and the Central Post Office (Central Post Office), I chose two tablets spots focus more on the place.

First was Pham Ngu Lao departure from, go to Chen defend Statue Square (Tran Nguyen Han, most are wrong on the map marked "Tran Nguyen Hai").

Chen defend is Viet Nam history of founding emperor toward Lai Lai, one of his great will to follow when the Ming dynasty Army combat for the first time a military pigeon is famous (Khan, it appears that Mr. Zhuge was pretty South did teach them this trick ... ), Was later credit hearers killed by Lee Lai. His statue is the manifestation of his riding hand q pigeon's image, the carvings are fairly good. Chen defend like the following is a small white bust is the South Vietnamese Government killed a woman Buddhist, concrete deeds did not notice it.

This square has a side of the city's oldest and largest market Ben Thanh Market, from France were built in the 19th century, now external saved quite good.

Ben Thanh internal looks like China's markets, mainly sell various handicrafts, Viet Nam, the majority are foreigners stroll, tourists have travelled to do wholesale business. Feel like the weekend market in Bangkok is similar, but better health conditions, but still very close, I only buy a shawl is escaped.

Then walk towards the northeast to the positive, arriving at the Ho Chi Minh City's attractions, one of the People ' s Committee Hall.

This is the place where we Chinese people sure-well understood, the Ho Chi Minh City people's Congress, is the highest authority of the foreigners usually referred to as the City Hall. The building itself is also left to France, after the unification of Viet Nam, changed the flag according to make.

Faces of the City Hall is a centerr that Ho Chi Minh (Ho Chi Minh) statue.

Next to the garden is in the Vietnam war in the famous Rex Hotel, that is the foreign correspondents in the base camp, there are also many dignitaries in the hotel too. Now it remains as a five-star hotel in the business, but online it's price/performance points is not high, universal think it facilities stale. But if you just want to experience the sense of history, $ 200 a night too outrageous prices. Garden of the other side not far away is the Opera House (Opera House), it's still as arts venues in use.

Go all the way down to finish this, and take pictures, shopping, and probably spent nearly two hours, have been confused by the Sun, near the Ben Thanh Market wrap around, find a House called "Pho 2000" restaurant eating

Meal. Viet Nam remark "Pho" is the meaning of rice flour, and Viet Nam's beef rice flour is very famous, of course, all the way to try out authentic. Ho Chi Minh City, the most common is the chain of "Pho 24", Pham Ngu Lao will have a room, but it also has a branch in Singapore, nothing new. I found this inside foreign tourists and local people about half, at least prove that a comparison of authentic taste. Beef soup full of is clear soup into mouth beef scent filled with Singapore's Viet Nam restaurant that are either slimy, either completely insipid by that Member. Drying in the Sun to heat stroke, actually almost take a big bowl beef noodles to eat the skin, it is conceivable that it tastes better. Another point for a glass of iced coffee, Viet Nam is sweet. That a total of 55000 shield, in the popular tourist attractions, considered very fair.

(Picture Edition see http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_540d06ba0100da4l.html)