Free day...

This was our last day in Ho Chi Minh City, so Molly took us sightseeing to a couple places and then we hit the Ben Thanh Market.

Our first stop was the Central Post Office. The building was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina. It was designed and constructed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel from 1886 to 1891. It is still an active post office, but also has some shops inside.

We sent the kids a postcard from there. It took a week and a half to get to our house from the day we mailed it.

Our next stop was right across the street at the Notre-Dame Basilica Cathedral, It was constructed by French colonists from 1863-1880. We didn't go inside, but it is beautiful.

The last tourist spot was the Reunification Palace formerly known as Independence Palace. It was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It was the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, when a North Vietnamese
Army tank crashed through its gates.  The day we visited was actually a holiday called Reunification Day. Lots of celebrating downtown.

I had to include this picture of our team member Jonathan. On our way out a Vietnamese couple came up and handed Jonathan their baby and proceeded to take a picture. It was so funny! Grant was telling us that they probably did it to bring the baby luck. A little random for us.

Shopping... We each had a few people to find gifts for, so our team split up and hit the Ben Thanh Market. Molly came with Jason, Dennis and myself and was a huge help in bartering the cost of things. Lots of fun.

After shopping we were famished. Grant and Molly took us to a Vietnamese restaurant that was amazing. It is tucked back in a little alley way that I don't know how you would ever find, but I am so glad they knew about it. The food was delicious. Fried spring rolls, fresh spring rolls, little appetizers with shrimp (below) that I have no idea what they were called and Bún thịt nướng (had to look that up on the internet). Plus the most amazing lemon drink I have ever had. A Vietnamese meal to remember.

Jason trying to eat with the chopsticks. We all did pretty good with them.

We were all exhausted by the end of the day. Molly took us to a spa to get some pampering: $10 for an hour full body massage, $7.00 for a pedicure and $5.00 for a manicure. Those are prices you can't beat! We had fun.

Still more to come...I will share some this and that pictures next post and then Hong Kong.