Saigon and Mekong Delta

Our afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City was a real whirl wind. After we arrived at the airport, we went directly to the Notre Dame Cathedral. Across the street from the Cathedral was the Central Post Office and the first McDonalds we saw in Vietnam. The post office was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the Eiffel tower in Paris. From the Post Office we were off to lunch at the Tam Tam Restaurant with a French Vietnamese influence and 8 courses. After lunch we went to the Thien Hau temple known as the Temple of the Heavenly Lady. After the temple, our next stop was in China Town at the Binh Tay market.

Our final full day in Vietnam was spent exploring the Mekong River Delta. We took a riverboat cruise across the river to Thoi Son Island. Here we explored the island stopping to see processing of coconuts, then riding on a small horse drawn wagon through the rural streets on the island. We ended our time on the island with our final pre-arranged 6 course lunch featuring deep fried Elephant Ear Fish. The fish was served whole standing up. The waitress pulled meat off the fish, dipping it in a sauce first, then placed in on a piece of lettuce, and finally wrapping it in a piece of rice paper. It may have looked peculiar sitting there staring at you, but it was very tasty.