HCM Day 1

This is our last transition before heading home.  Another early start, pack our case and get an early breakfast.  The hotel buffet was in a venue across the road - the gorgeously restored French era  'Cafe de la  Poste'.   Unfortunately, neither the buffet nor their service was a match for the surrounds.  A bit soul-less, it must be said.

We saw an Aussie cycling tour group loading up on breakfast - and thought of Meg's trip last year.  Great stuff!  It's only the third group we've seen in a month of traveling.

Then our transfer bus arrived to go to the airport.  It's quite some drive - a good 45 minutes or so.  Firstly on a very narrow, steep and windy downhill, then a freeway like run along a wide flat valley to a very modern, airy airport.  Felt a bit like the new Canberra airport!  And after 25 minutes in the air, we landed in Ho Chi Minh City - home to 7.8 million residents.  Appalled to see the disregard by some Vietnamese to wearing seat belts, including a mum with a babe in arms!

We had mixed feelings about coming to HCM City.  Not really looking forward to all the traffic madness and heat, but ready for a bit more western comfort and cosmopolitan feel. As the trip from the airport unfolded, we got more excited as we went and started to feel very positive about the next few days.

Checked into the Renaissance Riverside - you guessed it, by the Saigon River - a new and stylish hotel in the shadow of Tran Hung Dao, the Vietnamese general who beat back the Mongol invader Kublai Khan in the 13th century.  We had got to know of Trung's exploits at the Vietnamese Museum of History in Hanoi.

For the rest of the day we were intent on freshening up after 3 days of travel and just getting our bearings.     So, after a bit of a rest, we sought out the roof-top pool.  Although the sun was really hot, it was great to relax in...Harper's swimming has improved out of a sight after three week's solid practice.

For lunch, we found a place called Zan Z Bar for some pâté with red currant jam, gherkin and quail egg, wanton noodles, cassoulet and Cote du Rhone red wine. Sensational start!

By now we needed to do some serious walking which took us up the hip Dong Khoi strip past some really interesting shops to the stunning architecture round the famous Continental Hotel, former Hotel de Ville and old Opera House (the South turned this into the National Assembly in the 50s and 60s - bad move).

For dinner we found a Middle East influenced restaurant (Skewers) after a bit of a scary experience trying to navigate the streets in the evening traffic.  It goes up another gear into a frenzy of wall to wall motorbikes, taxis and big vehicles.  This was a bit too much for Harper, so we gave up and jumped in a taxi even though we were only going a few streets away.  Anyway, it all ended up okay.  One bonus - we found a bottle of Margaret River Wise Cab Sav 2007 on the menu which seemed just perfect for the occasion and went well with the saganaki.  'Cheers and big ears', as Harper would say!