Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City [5 days]

As foreshadowed in the last post going from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City is not your usual commute connection as it takes 22 hours roughly. We spent the whole night and almost the whole day on the bus and arrived in Saigon at 3.30PM.

Upon arrival we called for a cab to get to our place where we would spent the night. When we got our things sorted we left for the city and that was when we realized how big Sai Gon was. It is the biggest city in Viet Nam and home to 6.5 million Saigoners. Sai Gon is the name given to the city previous to 1975 which is the year in which the communists occupied the city and officially ended the American war on vietnamese soil.

In remembrance to Uncle Ho who has died even before he could see the end of the war the city was renamed after him, hence the name Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). A lot of history regarding the reunification of Viet Nam can therefore be found in HCMC especially in the Independence Palace and the War museum.

First things to do in HCMC is obviously eating Banh Xeo which is a traditional dish from South Viet Nam. They are a savory pancake filled with shrimps, mung beans and other optional ingredients and a must eat in HCMC.

Obviously, with a city as big as HCMC nightlife was also buzzing and we visited lots of rooftop bars and walked along the infamous Bui Vien walking street. Duc and Linh from Germany also joined us for a night to dance on the spinning platform with the DJ.

Also thanks to Anh Duy who welcomed us in HCMC and showed us around and introduced us to his friends.

Besides having fun and all Kim and the team of SoNaWi organized a tour to a manufacturer in HCMC producing mounting systems for solar panels where they engaged in discussions for potential cooperations. Additionally, with the help of Chi Hien we also joined a charity campaign raising money for a local orphanage.

For the end of the trip we reunited with Kim's mom and her husband and prepared for our 4 day trip to Cambodia.

Summarizing we experienced a lively city with welcoming Saigoners. Due to its economical importance HCMC has become one of the most important hubs in SEA which is exhibited by the international lifestyle and the higher diversity of people that you meet around the city. The locals describe the city that never sleeps and the weather as an one season summer throughout the whole year which nails it.

One thing that I (Kim) take with me is that I wouldn't want to live in HCMC because it is just too big, too crowded and busy. The same thing applies to Hanoi. It somehow upsets me that there is barely space for pedestrians, that it is quite dirty and smoggy and that there are only few green parks. Now, I really appreciate the parks and many lakes around Berlin even more.

With that said and with the love for our home in Berlin including the love for our friends and family, we end this post
Sending warm and lovely greetings from Cambodia,
Minh and Kim 💕Read more