Another weekend outing

April 21-22nd.
Frank has been nursing a bad cold/flu and so a friend of mine convinced me to go out Friday night.  The bookstore was closed so we then had our dinner in a small alley sitting on small metal stools surrounded by all the locals enjoying their food.  We shared a large paper thin crepe filled with egg, pork,shrimp greens and bean sprouts.  On the side was a platter of large lettuce leaves.  You put a helping of the mix on the leaf and roll it up and dip in the sauce.  Quite tasty.  After sitting in a park for a bit with an ice cream we headed to a bar that was featuring a Vietnamese teacher that we work with who is also in a band.

The warm up band  - Punk Rock Vietnamese style.

It was a small venue and smoking is allowed.  The table next to us had a regular sized bottle of Scotch as their beverage for the evening.  The music was incredible loud - actually ear splitting.  I cannot believe that this is actually fun.  My companion for the evening is of my generation and so I guess it cannot be my age that resulted in my  not really enjoying this.

Anyway it was a good night anyway.

Next morning we Scootered to district 2 - Frank feeling better - to view a charity bazaar.  It was in a very wealthy compound by the river.  The Crafts were high quality and the scenery very nice.

I went to the hospital Friday afternoon to have my Achilles tendon examined.  It has been swollen and at times painful.  The doctor recommended an MRI.  I began to tell him that I would be leaving in 5 weeks and so I may have to have it done when I return.  He looked blankly at me as if my story was of little concern and asked if I was available later that afternoon for the MRI.  OK, I guess they do things quickly here. 

  

Sunday & Silk

It is really getting hotter - average day is now around 34C.  Sunday we went for lunch at L'Usines and then picked up my silk night gowns that I had made for me.  I gave them my old one that I really like and had them duplicate the pattern.

This is the colourful one.  I also had a black one done which is like the original.  They are as light as air and are very comfortable.
We then went to the botanical garden and zoo. It was so hot outside that I was completely drenched after few hours walking.  We took a scooter to a little bar and had a margarita.  I licked the salt and tried not to down the beverage too quickly.

Oh yes - and a side of onion rings. People watched for a while before heading home.

Gates of District 2

Thursday was Hung King's Day, a national holiday.  Ancient history records show that a Chinese ruler gave Vietnam many of its customs that have shaped the culture of Vietnam.  It is a relatively quiet day without all the fanfare that accompanies other holidays.  We have never been to District 2 and so we each got a GRAB scooter and after a 30 minute ride we arrived.  There were many large international schools and what looked like a more established expat community of exclusive houses.  We started our visit at a riverside pub and enjoyed a drink while the rain passed.   It was very quiet and did not feel like we were in Ho Chi Minh anymore.  As we walked we passed many homes with massive and elaborate gates.

Among these villas there is still the cracked sidewalks and garbage that is common in most of the city.  This area is known for its French and Italian residents.  We found a main street that had some excellent bakeries and little shops.  After buying some bread and a few other items we decided on an Italian restaurant that ranked high on the Trip Advisor list - La Bettola.  I had a fantastic (I have to stop using that word) ravioli smothered in sage infused clarified butter and Frank had a tomatoe based pasta.  Dessert - of course - chocolate mousse for me  and a common Italian dessert of homemade vanilla ice cream with espresso over top for Frank.  Some beer and wine and it all came to about $60CAN.  This district did not really excite me and since it is a bit of a trek to get there, I will probably not go often.