What a Wednesday!
How have you been from all over the world friends?
As you know, I've been struggling with health and some life issues. Things are just falling apart. I moved back to parents in Southern countryside. But yesterday was my birthday so I snuck to Saigon (2 hours ride from my hometown), just to go play some music and spend some time alone. I felt free again. I feel so motivated and inspired when I'm outside.
This morning waking up feeling like I'm a tourist of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city). How funny that I lived here 7 years before moving to Da Nang. Things changed quickly but the Southern vibe is always in me. It's the feeling of a homeland.
Starting my day with a bΓΊn bΓ² HuαΊΏ (Hue Vietnamese noodles soup with beef - Saigon style). This really made my day! My most favorite noodles soup of all time, and nowhere serves it like the way Saigon does. This was $2 π
I love litte places like this to eat. It's Saigon speciality. It's Saigon style. No matter what your job is, how much money you make, now matter who you are, a senior officer of a fancy office building or a student, you'll love sitting on the sidewalk to eat, to have a coffee and a good chat!
Heading to the Central Post Office - an old symbol of Saigon built in 19th century by French, as well as the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, I felt as excited as I never saw them before!
Funny how this city tour on bicycles just came up recently during the time I was living in Da Nang. I wouldn't say it's a bad idea, but it's gonna be some real struggle to ride in this traffic though! Don't you agree? π
Oh how I miss riding a bicycle in Hoi An already... going through the paddy fields with the wind blowing in my face...
Passing by Ben Thanh Market - Another Saigon symbol - But I promise you I wouldn't dare to walk in there alone again π typical tourist market!
Have you ever imagined a big city like Saigon gonna be only buildings and stuff? Saigon has no beach, no mountains, but the cool streets with big old trees like this are everywhere.
What I love about district 1 and 3 is I can see lots of old vintage architectures on my walk, locating under the shadow of hundreds year old trees. They have been that way the whole time, together, as the witness of history...
Heading to the bookstreet near The Central Post Office and The Notre Dame Carthedral now. Have you heard of this street? It's very short, like 300, 400 meters long or so, no verhicles allows. This is one of the most peaceful place inside the heart of the city.
It has changed! But it's still the way it is too me!
I loved wandering around here looking for a new book, for Christmas cards or decorations, stopping by a book cafe for a drink, and just like that go for a lazy day feeling like life is just enough that way... ππ
Excuse me I got distracted by this bus so let me tell you something about it before we keep going π
It's a new project to take you around the city, the ticket is $7 or so and you'll sit on top of the bus to... travel around town getting stuck in the traffic as well π This must be very fun! I gotta do this next time!
Finishing the bookstreet, I walked back and grabbed a water from Circle K - oh my I can't say how much I love convenience stores in Saigon! Only Saigon has as many convenience store chains, with as good amount of products!
Circle K, Family's mart, B's mart, Mini stop, Vinmart, 7-eleven....
Sometimes you'll see three of them next to one another on the same street! You can grab a simple breakfast in there for $2 in total! You can spend 15,000VND (~ 0.625) for a drink in there and have a seat with AC and wifi to stay over lunch time before getting back to school π Students usually take over these places haha
When people asked me how my today is going, I literally said: I'm hot! π
But no worries, Saigon is still in rainy season. And when it rains, it really rains! π€£
I hope it won't rain tonight though! I want to go play music one more time before going back home to the countryside tomorrow..
π
Goodbye bookstreet, I'll see you next time!
Hope you all doing well there! It's been a year of change, hang in there, beat it up, starting with little simple things first and keep boosting it from there! Cheers and love,
Little Beatle πΆ