We made it to Saigon!

Beyond Hoi An, Taurin and I hadn’t planned our trip further down south. I’m quickly learning that last minute holidays are a breeze if you keep a flexible schedule. After a few more days in Danang and Hue, we flew down to Ho Chi Minh City, still widely called by its old name, Saigon.

I first came to Saigon alone a couple summers ago, when I was 19 years old. I had two months to travel, and I wanted to do it alone. I made it to Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. At the time, Saigon seemed like a frenetic urban maze, with motorbikes whizzing past looming skyscrapers and packed noodle shops. I always carried a small notebook,  folded paper maps, and a point-and-shoot camera. That’s probably how this blog got started.

Saigon is just as exciting as ever. If anything’s changed, I think I’ve become a more relaxed wanderer. Taurin and I have been taking our time, following narrow alleyways leading to public parks, colorful homes, and hidden restaurants. We’re walking everywhere, especially to compensate for our eating habits. And the food here is arguably the best in Vietnam. Saigon definitely feels like a place I could call home.

As promised, a photo of me wearing my custom-made dress from Hoi An!

Retro carpeting at the Reunification Palace.

Taurin standing in the 1960s communication room.

Cuc Gach Quan is a quiet restaurant housed in a colonial villa on the outskirts of the city center. It feels more like an old house than a popular restaurant, cluttered with refurbished wooden furniture and vintage dishware.

Our meal: zucchini flower sautéed with garlic, homemade tofu with lemongrass and chili, pork stewed in clay pot, squid in tangy tamarind sauce, and steamed rice.

“It is strange how we hold on to the pieces of the past while we wait for our futures.” ― A quote from Matched by Ally Condie