Rust & Ruins

My photographer boyfriend shooting me in our Townhouse deluxe suite (toilet)

I love that place. 

Marbled nails at S$8

My love looking really happy at one of the most delicious food places ever, Mitau

Accompanying the Cuchi tunnels tour, the bus stops at this handicap handicraft factory. The workers don't look really happy, but they make amazing crafts, dealing with tiny egg shells and smelly lacquer. 

Shot a gun @ 10 bullets for 300,000 VND (S$18)
I was supposed to place my face against the gun but the impact was so scary I chickened away a little when i made the shot.

My badass boyfriend shooting

The damage from the gun impact.

Inside the tiny Cuchi Tunnels (Great exercise for the quads)

Nat Geo shot

Some Vietnamese patterns

Handsome boy

Here's the land slightly out of the busy city, kampong and serene

You definitely have to see the scenery from Chill Skybar. Highlight of my trip.

Amazing Strawberry guava sorbet at S$6

We were being gross and doing this when a white guy on the table next to us asked if we'd like our picture taken. He took my Nikon and before I could say anything, he told me he knows how to operate it, and that he's a Nikon user. He then started shooting very professionally; and then his friend told us that he is a professional photographer. What a blessing to bump into a professional photographer at such a beautiful place!

I am so happy to be in your arms.

We found this beautiful garden cafe near Taka Plaza to kill some time and it was beauuuutiful. Tried their pudding brownie cake which was pretty decent but I'd have Pho over this any day.

80,000 VND crop top (S$4.70??)

He waited ages for this coffee to drip

Master of crafts. His calligraphy is amazing, this street engraver.

I bought him that shirt from Bangkok. He loves it and says it's his favourite shirt.

I love how traveling surprises you with lovely people from everywhere. This vietnamese girl was adopted by a French family ( I love the irony considering the French colonised the Viets) Her name is Tami and she does not speak English but she loved my nails and gave me a few bisous (kisses) I really liked her so I gave her a penguin keychain. Her sister saw that she had something and wanted something too. So I dug my purse for a jade rabbit necklace and gave it to her.

This art manicure shop where we got conned.
They say a massage is 110K VND but when we were done, the masseuses sat us down and made us do a survey and indicate how much we were going to tip them. They kept begging us for a big tip because they survived purely on tips with no fixed pay. (So they say)
I maxed out on shopping so I looked at Clems. He decided that we will set enough aside for the cab ride back to the airport.

Tonal painting

Ho Chi Minh City isn't exactly the most glamorous place and I do not wish to glamourise it and omit the rust and ruins. But that wasn't the objective for us to begin with. We didn't go expecting to be treated like royalty, nor were we looking for a romantic honeymoon. I wanted to experience the culture and observe the way they live. Yet, you will be surprised to find romance planted here and there, places "touched" by the French.

I expected to find monks everywhere, people doing yoga and eating really clean etc. Not exact to my vision but I did see a monk on a motorbike. Yes, it is a motorbike city, the road is hogged up by so many motorbikes and their motorists well covered: poncho, mask, helmet; but not very well protected. They live life dangerously (family of 4 seated on a bike, 2 children sleeping) There is no concept of pedestrian crossings/zebra crossings as they will never give way to you unless you begin the badass walk into the messy traffic.

The locals there all think we were koreans on first look (they love koreans) and it is really funny how they dig my look but cannot appreciate Clem's. He's never been so beaten up in life before. HAHA
They would compliment me in my face, turn and look at Clem and not say anything. *Victorious laughter since he gets all the compliments here*

From what I could see, it is a very confused city, oscillating between progress and culture. You find Pho and all the asian Vietnamese spices and meat, then amidst it all we have baguettes. Banh Mi is baguette with vietnamese filling. On one street you find people peeing at trees, then a 30 mins walk down freaking Times Square appears, where you have Chanel, LV appearing from nowhere. You realise you went from ghost town to Manhattan within minutes. You can clearly see the disparity in the photos. The huge difference between a boutique cafe and the normal food stalls.

The Vietnamese are really good at their crafts; be it cooking, embroidery, nail art etc, they are generally very meticulous. I will not forget how delicious that street pizza-pancake that cost only 15,000 VND (90 c) tasted.

As for my boyfriend and myself, this is our first time traveling overseas together. (not counting the day trip to JB) We planned this trip together and worked out our differences, worked out the mini squabbles and had our HTHT (heart - to - heart - talks). We woke up to each other everyday, in generous hugs and kisses. We walked for hours and hours, hand in hand, conquering the city with love, our tired feet and cramped butts sore at the end of the day. We caught the sunset from way up high, where we towered over the city with lovely cocktail and amazing truffle fries. We got so happy with cheap 333 beer or Saigon beer at the end of the day, snuggling under cold, white sheets and watching TV or MTV (karaokeing among just the two of us) Bruno sang us a song and I contributed to his discovery of the actual singer of "Skinny love". We were away from everything, no wifi, no work, no worries, just being beautiful and free.

I am so glad I got to have this getaway with my dearest before flying off to the states for half a year. We could have been anywhere else and it would have been just as amazing because the best place to be is together.

I will be posting up a travel guide in HCMC soon. Hope you liked this really long visual diary. Follow me on @minpops on instagram for more instant updates!

Bisous.