#laagnitantong

I started my day early with updating my facebook status. The "universal" facebook is inaccessible in public wifi zone in Saigon. In my hostel, I can only access it from the free internet at the ground floor using the hostel's desktop computers. I intended to overtake other guests in the queue so I went down early and thought of taking the breakfast after that. Indeed, no long queue for internet accessing in the morning. I stayed in the hotel until 10am in time for me to check out. I have one last visit to pay, that is in the War Remnants Musuem. I so wondered how attractive and interesting their musuem exhibits; it captured me and have me glued at reading almost all english translations. Everything exhibited inside and outside the musuem affected me deeply. It even altered a bit of my perception and impression of US of America in terms of political and social manueverings. I even related the war crimes in Vietnam with those in Afghanistan and Iraq spearheaded by USA. ...

I wished I could start the day early, but exhaustion caught up on me. And then the day continued to annoy me many times in so many ways. I am sorry but it felt like my day was half successful. I am supposed to pay my third day in the hostel through credit card because I ran out of vietnamese dongs I exchanged in the airport upon my arrival. But the lady receptionist (the owner as they said) declared that their card swiper is not functioning. I paid cash instead with what was left in my wallet. With that, I have to find a nearest money changer to compensate the lost VND374,000. I initially thought that money changers are crowding around Ben Thanh Market, a proclaimed touristy shopping center. However, there were none around (I did the circling of the market just to look for a money changer) so I went back to Pham Ngu Lao Street where my hostel was and I found one named "money exchange". I guess this is one reason why people I happened to ask...

I arrived in Saigon 30 minutes past midnight (1:30am in the Philippines) and found my targeted guesthouses to be fullybooked. Luckily someone took the liberty of finding me a room for a 4USD tip. I ended up at the rooftop room of Nga Hoang Hotel in Pham Ngu Lao St., District 1. It cost me 10USD for each night of stay. Despite the lack of sleep, I rose from bed early to see Saigon in broad daylight. I started with the native pho as my breakfast and started walking around noontime. The humidity in Vietnam is manageable. Huge crowd riding a motorbike is everywhere. It's crazy but it's cute. I followed the map I researched and my journey started at Ben Thanh Market, then Vincom Plaza, Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace, Xa Loi Temple, City Culture Park and forgotten to drop by the War Remnants Museum. Walking is so fun, notwithstanding sweats, because you have the chance to observe the culture, the activities of the day, the unpublished attractions. I happened to not...