The tour of HCMC

Jahn & Dave Anthony are currently visiting HCMC and we have imposed ourselveson them as tour guides.  Hopefully it has all been ok but we have certainly had a great time ourselves.  We got to visit all our favourite places to eat and look at and it's really the 'Best of HCMC' Tour.
We started with the walking tour to the Opera House and Lam Son square and coffee at Givalry which has a view of the square.  If anyone has seen the quiet American, that's probably where he sat for his coffee each day. Got the best seat in the house which is in the window looking at the square.

       I need to get my own photo of the Opera House, this one from the internet, but you get the idea.

We then continued on to look at the Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral where we went to church on Sunday, in English which was good.

Then we went for a traditional Bun Cha lunch consisting of Lettuce and other raw green vegetables, cold vermicelli noodles and a soup that is sweet and spicy and yummy that has meat and some vegetables in it as well.  Cost per person around $1.50.
In the afternoon we went to the tailor to order a couple of dresses for Jahn and then met up with Phil on his way home from work.  We did the sunset drinks from the Saigon Saigon bar on tops of the Caravelle Hotel, a must, once again with views of Lam Son square and the city lights.

                                                    Happy Hour Caravelle Hotel

Dinner had to be at our favourite restaurant in an old French Villa with amazing Vietnamese food.  An excellent welcome to the country, France meets Vietnam.  Nha Hang Ngon...yummy!  We finished off the night with a foot massage.....as you do.

Day 2 was off to the Reunification Palace where North Vietnam stormed the gates with tanks at the end of the war between North and South.  This took us most of the morning to have a good look around.
                                 
                                  One of the tanks to the side of the Reunification Palace.
                                 
                                Dave having a look at one of the planes in the grounds of the palace.

I then dropped the tourists off at the War Remnants Museum to have a look around, quite a disturbing museum but important to look at the results of war and the view from the other side.

Phil met the guys at their hotel, since I was working until 8.30, and proceeded to the Sidewalk bar we often go to.  It's great for food, beer and entertainment with fire eaters, dancers, snake boy performances on the footpath as you eat and watch the world go by.

This photo is at the sidewalk bar, kids go around selling tissues or lollies but this little girl stopped to give Phil a shoulder massage, of course money changed hands...they are very good at their craft!

         One of the dishes we have had there before....food is pretty amazing and crazy cheap prices.
From here we took the tourists to the Chu Bar which has a Philipino band playing.  Always entertaining people watching here as well.  Fun night was had by all!

Jahn & Dave went off on the Chu Chi Tunnels tour the next day which is an excellent tour and a must while visiting.  We met them that night to take them to the Temple Club, pic below.  This is like a 1920's looking Chinese restaurant with excellent service and lovely food once again. Need to get some better photos of this restaurant soon.

                                
                             Jahn & Dave went off for massages and we headed on home.

Sunday morning was church and then we met up to have breakfast at Au Parc, a popular French style restaurant overlooking the Park, surprise, surprise by the name :) Wasn't over excited after all of the build up, it was our first time there, I have other places I think I prefer for breakfast. After breakfast we went for a walk around the city and had coffee at Trung Nguyen, they have the best coffee in HCMC.

We headed over to our apartment for the guys to have a look where we live and squeezed in a manicure and pedicure for Jahn and I while the boys sat at the sidewalk coffee shop and watched the world go by.

Dinner at Cuc Gach which we have all decided has the best food in HCMC.  Apparently Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie went there when they visited Vietnam, gather that's a pretty good endorsement?  The food was spectacular.  The decor is pretty amazing as well.  Below is the table we sat at last time we went there.  It's actually a table built into a 4 poster bed.  We ate in the attic but there are loads of nice places around the Vietnamese house it's set in.

So that is where we're up to.  Jahn and Dave have just been spending time in the Mekong Delta doing an overnight visit and come back tonight.  They are going to do the XO Foodie tour which is fantastic on Wednesday night, I know they'll enjoy that...looking around the city on the back of a motorbike and visiting 4 great restaurants.
SOOOO these are just some of the fun things YOU could do if you visit us in Vietnam.  Hopefully see you soon!