[RD] Backpacking Việt Nam (2019)

[FriendlyFire]

I bought a Durian one time, just to try it. It had a mild odor that make me understand why people talk about it smelling like sick, but it was not off putting for me. I remember I quite liked the taste, though I cannot remember what the taste was.

It has sweet melon, pear and apple taste.
For some people it smells like something rotten, It might be a defense mechanism, along with its thick spiky skin to protect its fruit. But to me it smell like a sweet fragrant melon

 

[tjs282]

For some people it smells like something rotten, It might be a defense mechanism, along with its thick spiky skin to protect its fruit. But to me it smell like a sweet fragrant melon

Maybe the durian-response is similar to the coriander-response, in that there is a specific gene which affects whether a person finds the odor repulsive or not, depending on which allele they have?

 

[Birdjaguar]

Maybe the durian-response is similar to the coriander-response, in that there is a specific gene which affects whether a person finds the odor repulsive or not, depending on which allele they have?

Coriander or cilantro?

 

[warpus]

Apparently what is referred to as cilantro are actually the leaves of the coriander plant. Cilantro is also the Spanish word for coriander. I knew there was some sort of a relation but couldn't remember what it was and had to google it

 

[Birdjaguar]

Apparently what is referred to as cilantro are actually the leaves of the coriander plant. Cilantro is also the Spanish word for coriander. I knew there was some sort of a relation but couldn't remember what it was and had to google it

Thanks; fresh cilantro tastes like kerosene and I avoid it. I do like coriander seed though.

 

[warpus]

Mekong Delta Coconut Candy Factory

One of the last stops on the tour of the delta was a visit to a local coconut candy factory.

While the word "factory" might conjure up a different sort of imagery than what you are seeing, a lot of the work is done by hand.

These coconut candies were really good! We got free samples and I ended up buying a couple packages to bring back home as a result. There were multiple flavours including chocolate and all the ingredients were natural and locally sourced.

 

[warpus]

Last full day in Vietnam comes to a close

After returning to Hồ Chí Minh City I went on a bit of a walk around the city in an attempt to take in a bit more of it, in anticipation of my flight home the next day. One of my first stops was a phở restaurant recommended to me by a friend who lives in Taiwan and has visited Vietnam a number of times in the past.

The next thing of note I ran into was a gentleman sleeping on his motorcycle. I was impressed enough to snap a quick photo.

The night ended with a visit to a fusion style restaurant that took influences from local cuisine and attempted to elevate them.

 

[warpus]

Hồ Chí Minh Post Office
Monday, March 25, 2019

My flight back home was not until later in the evening, so I was able go on one last stroll through the city. One of my first stops ended up being the post office, built by the French in the late 1880s. This worked out in part because I had a stack of postcards ready to be mailed to friends in North America, and I did want to see the post office

 

[Narz]

You have any durian there?

If so how much does it cost?

 

[warpus]

@Narz Check this post and the conversation it spurred about Durian. The short answer is "maybe"

From what I can gather you can get it in Vietnam for about $1 USD for 2kg. That's about 4.5 pounds, but I'm not sure how many durian that works out to exactly

 

[Narz]

Oh nice, here in the States durian is like $7 a pound. I wanted to buy one today at a Vietnamese market in my city and it would've cost $50.

It's by far the best tasting fruit ever, tastes like custard, like unnaturally good.

If I'm ever in Vietnam or Thailand I'll probably eat them everyday.

 

[H4run]

@Narz Check this post and the conversation it spurred about Durian. The short answer is "maybe"

From what I can gather you can get it in Vietnam for about $1 USD for 2kg. That's about 4.5 pounds, but I'm not sure how many durian that works out to exactly

Durian for that price is insanely cheap. Here Durian is expensive. I think @aelf love Durian also. And the photo that you put is not Durian, it looks more like Nangka. Nangka is a nice tropical fruit, it taste sweet and delicious when you put in on a fridge it add an amazing element of fresh, but Durian is more the one that Narz submitted, while yours it seems to me mistakenly think Nangka as Durian. Durian is really, like really has a torny skin, and it taste super delicious, and the price is heck expensive.

 

[Narz]

That fruit I posted does look slightly more yellow than the durian I'm used to.

 

[warpus]

This conversation reminds me of a German backpacker I met in Cambodia on my 2013 trip to Southeast Asia. We were crossing the Thai-Cambodian border together along with 2 Singaporean & Japanese exchange students.. and all I remember about him is that he continually talked about fruit. He would tell us how good the fruit in Southeast Asia was, he was naming all the fruit he ate on his trip, and he would ask us questions about which fruit we've eaten, was giving us fruit tips, etc. None of us seemed to really care that much about fruit really, we were more fascinated with the border crossing and the chaos around us. . It wasn't really that annoying really, but it was almost over the top enough for it to seem like something out of a sitcom and not real life.

As soon as we crossed the border the German bought a basket of fruit and shared some of the spoils with us. He was very passionate about fruit and I guess what he enjoyed the most was being able to buy fresh fruit for so cheap. I bet most of this type of tropical fruit would have been a lot more expensive in Germany and not nearly as fresh.. and some of it probably not even available. So I can definitely understand somebody being so excited about the easy availability of cheap & fresh exotic fruit. I was myself blown away at how amazing the avocados tasted in Peru. The ones we get in Canada are basically inedible in comparison and cost an insane amount more..

The thing is that I am not really big on sweet things overall, and most fruit tends to be sweet and sticky. It's a lot easier for me to get excited about something like a bowl of pho or noodles. But yeah, if you are into fruit, you would probably love backpacking through any one of the southeast Asian countries

 

[H4run]

This conversation reminds me of a German backpacker I met in Cambodia on my 2013 trip to Southeast Asia. We were crossing the Thai-Cambodian border together and all I remember about him is that he continually talked about fruit. He was saying how good the fruit in Southeast Asia was, he was naming all the fruit he ate on his trip, and he would ask us questions about which fruit we've eaten, was giving us fruit tips, etc. The other people in the small group crossing the border were a Singaporean and Japanese exchange students. None of us seemed to really care that much about fruit really, we were more fascinated with the border crossing and the chaos around us. . It wasn't really that annoying really, but it was almost over the top enough for it to seem like something out of a sitcom and not real life.

As soon as we crossed the border the German bought a basket of fruit and shared some of the spoils with us. He was very passionate about fruit and I guess what he enjoyed the most was being able to buy fresh fruit for so cheap. I bet most of this type of tropical fruit would have been a lot more expensive in Germany and not nearly as fresh.. and some of it probably not even available. So I can definitely understand somebody being so excited about the easy availability of cheap & fresh exotic fruit. I was myself blown away at how amazing the avocados tasted in Peru. The ones we get in Canada are basically inedible in comparison and cost an insane amount more..

The thing is that I am not really big on sweet things overall, and most fruit tends to be sweet and sticky. It's a lot easier for me to get excited about something like a bowl of pho or noodles. But yeah, if you are into fruit, you would probably love backpacking through any one of the southeast Asian countries

I also not a fruit eater (it's more bad than good actually), except for a very few of them, Durian and avocados are among those few, they are just too good, and the texture is more like a meat than that of fruit, this is the reason why fruit like Durian or Nangka also cook along with main-dishes in many regions.

But in general, most Asian really like talking about food, I don't know if European are as enthusiast with food as us, but I found Turkish peoples are not really like that. My wife always found my enthusiasm on eating as weird, while for me, this is a few thing in life that's pleasing.

 

[FriendlyFire]

the German bought a basket of fruit and shared some of the spoils with us. He was very passionate about fruit

Thats normal for German.
But these days tropical fruits can be purchased at the local markets. But there are still many that arent exported and can only be eaten in Asia.

I found a specialized seller in Australia that was selling rare tropical fruit trees, which we brought and have to grow for ourselves as the fruits aren't commercially grown. Its cost like $80 dollars aud but since its the only seller in the whole of Australia.

 

[warpus]

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon

Constructed between 1863 and 1880 by the French, this is a city landmark that refers to HCMC by its pre-revolutionary name. A statue of the virgin Mary stands in front. The inside of the cathedral is definitely worth a visit, but it was unfortunately closed to visitors at this time due to renovations.

This cathedral is one of the more recognizable landmarks of Hồ Chí Minh City. It stands right beside the post office, which made it easy for me to walk by and photograph.

 

[warpus]

Shri Restaurant & Lounge

I was able to locate the city's highest open-air restaurant not very far away from the post office and cathedral. This was to be my last lunch in the country, so I wanted to go somewhere memorable. This place got great reviews so I made my way over to the skyscraper it was in and went up to the 23rd floor, arriving in time for lunch with some time to spare.

The dishes on offer here are described as a fusion between Mediterranean and Vietnamese cuisine, with a focus on seafood and tapas. I ordered a mushroom soup and I believe that is a grilled black angus tenderloin.

I can't stop raving about the quality of the food in Vietnam; it was incredible whether I walked into a fine dining establishment or a cheap local joint where you were forced to sit on a tiny plastic chair. It was also easy to convince myself to squeeze a couple fine dining experiences into the mix, since these restaurants were relatively cheap by Canadian standards. If you consider that the coffee is excellent almost anywhere you go in the country.. and keep in mind the booming craft beer scene.. not to mention the French cuisine influenced pastries.. and that a lot of the ingredients used are local and fresh.. Vietnam could very well be the best place on the planet for a foodie.

 

[warpus]

War Remnants Museum

This museum contains exhibits from what in the west are known as the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War. In Vietnam these conflicts are known as the Anti-French Resistance War and the American War. These two wars essentially occurred back to back and are viewed in Vietnam as a long struggle for the country's independence from western colonization, occupation, and influence, culminating in reunification.

This museum used to be known as the Exhibition House for Crimes of War and Aggression. Since then relations with the west have somewhat normalized and so the name of the museum has changed.. Nevertheless, a theme of the brutal nature of war and war crimes permeate the indoor exhibits, highlighting French and South Vietnamese torture and execution methods, American use of chemical agents, and the impacts on the local population.

I did not take many photographs of the indoor exhibits, as I found myself quite affected by some of the pictures and descriptions out on display.. The emotions of the moment told me that it was more important to experience this impactful and depressing experience without any distractions.

I did however get a couple pictures of some of the military hardware out on display in the courtyard and a couple select photos from some of the indoor exhibits.

 

[warpus]

M. 48 AR TANK

Main battle tank.

- Weight: 47.2 tons
- Maximum speed: 48 km/h

Armament:

- 90 mm gun with coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun.
- Cupola - mounted 50-cal. machine gun.
- Infrared fire - control equipment and xenon searchlight.

U.S. Army had some 370 M48 tanks in Vietnam by July 1969