Turtle Lake in HCMC

Banh Mi!

HCMC’s famous post office

Bun Thit Nuong in Ben Thanh Market

The quaint small town feel of Kontum vanished as we taxied into the bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City late in the evening.  Meandering down alleys only two shoulder widths wide, we found our hostel in the tourist-central District 1 area.  The following morning we toured the area on foot, including the packed Ben Thanh market.  Inside the food court area, we discovered some excellent Bun Cha Gio and Bun Thit Nuong (vermicelli bowl with egg rolls and grilled pork) after being bombarded with plastic menus as we perused each stall.  By the end of our first day we’d mastered the art of crossing the unending flow of motorbikes on the main thoroughfares throughout the city center.
In a park outside the historic central Post Office building, we happened upon a lady preparing Banh Trang Nuong, aka Vietnamese “pizza” out of a small basket.  The pizza consisted of grilled sheets of rice paper filled with baby shrimp, a variety of vegetables and spicy sauce.  To escape the unrelenting heat, we stopped in for several iced coffees (even found a Dunkin Donuts), and discovered a cupcake shop.  Not to miss out on any must-try foods, we sampled Banh Mi from one of the most recommended stalls in District 1.  To break up our city experience, we planned a two day excursion south into the Mekong Delta before returning to the city.