HCMCity Sat 24th March

Having looked at the available recommended tours we noted that most of them were motorbike tours around the city due to their ability to cope with the traffic congestion.. Having looked at the number of motorbikes and the traffic we decided to walk. We spent the morning following  the walking tour mapped out in the Lonely Planet which took in most of the significant places and streets in the central city area.
First stop was the main market which was handy because I needed a hat having decided that it was easier to buy than pack. I found a very attractive, wide brimmed locally made woven bamboo one and negotiated a price while Bob was looking at shoes. Unfortunately I had neglected to extract some Vietnamese Dong from him so when he returned we had a fierce discussion when he decided that I had paid too much. He did part with the necessary money at my insistance. He was very lucky later that I said nothing when he decided that the sneakers he had bought were copies and showing signs of wear after our mornings perambulations.
From there we walked to a street which was almost entirely shops of antiques. It was magically almost completely free of traffic, The houses were older style and well maintained so there is obviously money in antiques. It was a lovely refuge from the nearby frantic traffic and we sauntered along looking at the displays even though the items were of no relevance to us.
The following set of directions brought us closer to the river and gave us views of some of the business district. We stopped for a while by the Saigon River  to  watch the river traffic and a very smart newish ferry. Around the next corner was Dong  Khoi street which was known as Rue Catinat in the French era and is the class street of the city. It contains all of the top hotels; The Magestic, the Caravelle and the Continental . Along with these are restaurants such as Maxims and the expensive boutiques.  It was a beautiful street made attractive because it wasn't particularly wide and was tree lined as well as having well cared for buildings.
Thereafter came the Opera House, the People's Committee Building (massive old rajhe) , the Notre Dame Cathedral( under renovation), the Central Post Office, the Concert Hall and the Reunification Palace. Apart from the Post Office we admired from the outside. Hoever we then came upon the Diamond Department Store and just had to have a look at where the rich people shop. It had the usual items expected in a department store but also had a food hall and a small supermarket. I did price my favourite cosmetics but decided that the price saving didn't warrent carrying them for the rest of the trip. This brought us to the far end of the street with our hotel and we ambled home to airconditioning and a rest.
In the evening we followed directions to a street food van not far from our hotel which is recommended by all the travel guides. A family team make pork bah minh which is a crisp roll stuffed with minced pork patties BBQ'ed over charcoal, and local herbs and cucumber. Normally I wouldn't risk a street van but this was so well written up and no one had reported after affects so we joined the queue. It was delicious and we only needed a very small meal later.
Early to bed for a good nights sleep.