The following day, I brought the sister around to see the things she wanted to see. Everyone back home was more concerned for her, as I am the independent traveller and they think I might abandon her, LOL. So I had to take her everywhere I went and of course make sure she saw what she wanted to in Ho Chi Minh. It was also the first time we travelled together and fortunately there wasn't much friction, though at times she would show an attitude and refused to eat at meal times. Then I would make her order food else she would go hungry at night and everyone else will blame me after!
Friday was easy. We went to Notre Dame, my favourite Post Office where I mailed a postcard to myself, and the infamous City Hall for photos. We did a little shopping in one of the malls, not that we had any choices being in the area surrounded with them, and got some stuff from a Korean brand we never saw in Singapore. After that, we met TT for lunch and he took us to one of his regular lunch places. It was a little stall by the street, where they would set up the table and stools. Cold white noodles, two plates of leaves, glasses of iced tea and bowls of (grilled) BBQ pork in green papaya soup. They looked simple and so often the simplest things are the best! It's my sister's favourite meal in Saigon. Well for me, I love everything from the Vietnamese BBQ, this to the food we had later on. All the authentic local food I adore :)
After the meal, TT walked us to this new Saigon Square for some shopping, I had been to the old one during the last trip. They sell trendier clothes than Ben Thanh, often at a price you would not have to bargain too much, fake branded goods and souvenirs. Shopping in Vietnam isn't fantastic really, not a good place for it! We went to another big mall TT wanted to show us and argggggggghhh I found Singaporean brands in there, it was like just being in Singapore. My sandals fell apart but I didn't want to buy a Singaporean brand shoes in Vietnam, so we decided to sit down at an ice cream cafe before heading back to the hotel.
I left the sister in the hotel enjoying cable TV while TT took me on a ride in search of the kite I wanted to buy. He told me there would be people flying in an open space and stalls would be selling the kites. But I had no fate with it, no one was flying and selling on that fateful day!! The last time I was on his bike was 3 years ago, and it was barely 3 minutes ride to get back to my hotel. We were riding for an hour or so and I think my bum was getting numb :( But I witnessed a beautiful sunset, and the flooded roads of southern Vietnam and the horror of being on a motorbike in Vietnam. I don't think any foreigner will be able to ride it the way the locals do, they rode so close to each other and cutting each other's lane very often, but yet still so safely and would slow down for pesdestrians. It is just insane.
I felt very bad for a fruitless kite trip and making TT used up all his fuel despite him assuring me it was a fun ride. He then headed off to meet his friend while I took the sister to see the Ben Thanh night market where we shopped and had so-so dinner. There wasn't much to buy, and so we headed back and found a gem on the way back. A local bookstore! Sister got a French book and I found some fanciful stationery :) It started to rain and our plan to visit the rooftop bar at Majestic was cancelled. So it was just cable TV, and a nice warm bath for me :)
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