Ho Chi Minh City: Days 1 to 5

Chris and I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday night. We are staying in separate hostels this time, but still in walking distance from each other. The first night, we went to dinner at a nearby vegetarian restaurant with a girl named Louise from Chris’s hostel. The next morning, Chris and I went to a cafe that’s really quiet on the second floor, perfect for Chris to work. Chris would go there almost every workday morning to start his work since he works remotely as a game developer. We also got our haircuts on the second day. I usually cut my hair every two months.

I was on Couchsurfing.com a few days ago. It’s a website where locals can host travelers. I’ve used it a long time ago when I traveled. I thought I should use it again to meet people. And indeed, I met one girl named Hannah. We hung out for a night. The highlight was an acoustic bar that we went to. It was great watching people sing and perform. Some songs were also in English. I met Hannah again two nights later at a park, but I didn’t sense we have the same vibe as before.

On Friday, Chris and I met Chris’s friend, Bib, for lunch in District 1, the district where our hostels are located. Bib is from India and works as an English teacher. After lunch, Chris and I checked out the post office that’s built in a French style. We also happened to walk into a street that sells only books. That night, I went on a date with a girl from Bumble named Thu and met her at her workplace, a cafe. We saw some performance and played a little bit of bingo. Then we walked around the block chatting since it was quieter. After her work ended, her sister and brother-in-law took me to their apartment and we talked a bit before I came back home. I’m attracted to Thu, but I don’t know how things will go.

Saturday morning, I had yet another date with a woman named Tam. We met at Maison Marou, a cafe that specializes in chocolate. The drink and the dessert were so good that it’s comparable to the French cuisines. The date went well, but we decided to be friends since I’m traveling. In the afternoon, Chris and I went to the War Remnants Museum. Its main theme is the Vietnam War. I learned more about the war, but I didn’t like the exhibit about agent orange. It was too gruesome for me. At night, Chris and I went to Sukiya for dinner and a cafe in Little Tokyo. It turns out to be the red light district. The girls were very attractive, but I’m not into that type of activity.

Yesterday, Chris and I went on a day tour of the Mekong Delta. I was tired in the morning and the day was hot and humid. I thought the tour was just ok, and I thought the Halong Bay tour was better.

From the past few days of dating I felt that I get along with all my dates. Most of them want to go on a second date. However, I wish I could stay in Vietnam longer. I’ll be going to Cebu in the Philippines in a few days with Chris, then Taiwan again. Maybe I should come back to Vietnam since I haven’t see the rural parts of Vietnam that’s supposedly very beautiful.

Ho Chi Minh City Hall at night