The layover- Ho chi Minh City- 3/9/12 - 3/12/12

Day 1- 48 hours

Day 2 - 28 hours

The final hours

Day 2 - 7:00AM Breakfast at the Sheraton - Time remaining: 28 hours

Hoa usually stayed at Riverside hotel but since it was not available he choose to stay at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers.  The Sheraton is centrally located within the very heart of the city and is surrounded by a myriad of restaurants and luxurious shopping stores, which it is also very convenient to travel within the city and are within walking distance of some of Vietnam's most unique cultural experiences, such as the beautiful Opera House, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral...

Complimentary breakfast from Sheraton

Interesting that they have Kim Chi and Tofu for Breakfast!

Fruit buffet included ,Jack fruit, pineapple, and guava.

 

Close look at the jack fruit.

This is called water apple - Qua roi.

They are tangy, very juicy, and has a very foamy and soft texture!

Longan, banana - in the back melon, and dragon fruit.

 

Bagels hanging on a metal display, assorted pastries, etc...

This is the Pho station.

Hoa can not resist so he had to order a bowl of Pho to start the day.

Additional garnishes for Pho: Lime, Hoisin sauce, Sriracha, fresh thai chilies, Bean sprout, basil, mint, and green onion.

Assorted fruit plate for Hoa.

Not to forget a nice ice coffee with condense milk to start the day.

 

8:00AM -View of the city inside Hoa's room at the Sheraton - Time remaining:28 hours

After Breakfast Hoa had to work for a few hours before joining Thuan for lunch.  So before sitting down and working on the computer, Hoa took a few panoramic pictures of Saigon from his window.

View the city from Hoa's window.

On the left is the Sunwah Center, a high-rise building with 21 floors.  The building opened in 1995 and was the tallest building in Vietnam with 92 meters until it was surpassed the next year (1996) by Saigon Centre with 106 meters.

Roof top view ..

 

 

12:00PM - lunch time! Time remaining: 24 hours

After putting more than a few hours of work it is time to take a break!  After all it is already Noon time and Hoa had to get out of the hotel and meet up Thuan for Lunch. 

As you are walking out of the lobby of the Sheraton, there is a walk way leading to the front of the Gucci store.

 

Gucci store is located outside on the main street next to the Sheraton hotel.

This store was owned by Hoa's college class mate but we don't know if she is still the owner.  The store is huge and occupied like a whole block.

Vincom center is a high end shopping center with mainly luxurious and expense shops that don't carry any kind of "Vietnamese" souvenirs. It's air conditioned, so it is a good place to "window" shop and get a break from the heat and humidity.

Inside Vincom center...They have a great food court with lots of choices for eastern and western cuisine.

 

Pastry shop inside Vincom center.

Ice cream with exotic fruits.

Luxurious shops inside Vincom Center.

These 2 pictures were taken with Hoa's cell so the quality is not that great!
 

The continental hotel was built in 1880 by the French and named after the Hôtel Continental in Paris which was intended to be the most luxurious hotel in Paris at the time.

The Continental has been featured in the  movie The Quiet American with Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser, and the second movie it was featured in was  Indochine starring Catherine Deneuve

 

Vincom building in the back (tall blue building), the continental hotel (with orange roof) and the Opera house on the right.

 

Louis Vuitton Store!

 

More luxurious stores such as Emporia Armani

Next.. Coffee/tea break

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