February 21, 2015
After landing last night, our taxi maneuvered its way through streets packed with people, scooters, and cars – all out to enjoy Tet. While it took four times as long as usual to get to our hotel, it was fun seeing all the lights and decorations. Everyone was having a great time. As usual, scooters carried whole families out to enjoy the celebration.
The Italian dinner with friends, last night, was delightful. It was the first meal in three weeks that wasn’t Vietnamese or French.
This morning we took our last outing. We visited Chua Ngoc Hoeng, the Pagoda of the Jade Emperor, built in 1909. The pagoda has many rooms and chambers, dedicated to warriors, generals, or divinities. The main sanctuary houses a tribute to the Taoist Jade Emperor Ngoc Hoeng. The density of smoke from the burning incense sticks made it difficult to get a clear view. It was hard on our lungs. While most of the shops in town were shut down for the holiday, it seems that everyone converged on this Pagoda. We had a grand strategy, recommended by our guidebook, on how to go through the various rooms and chambers. Scratch that plan. It was wall-to-wall people, many carrying smoking incense sticks to pay homage to their ancestors. I kept dodging short people carrying burning bouquets of incense. Was I going to go up in flames? We didn’t stay long, but it was absolutely worth seeing.
Jade Emperor Ngoc Hoeng
The emperor’s warriors
One of the emperor’s generals
Can we get more people in here?
Enough! We’re outta here!
After getting back to our hotel, and a last glass of wine with Barbara and Mel, we said our good byes. We returned to the Italian restaurant for dinner that evening to celebrate our last night in Saigon. The evening had a surreal aura – probably appropriate since we’re beginning the process of re-entry into our lives at home. It felt like we were trapped somewhere in the transport channel from this world to the next.
The British restaurant owner welcomed us – speaking like a Brit
Looking out the window, which is partial blocked by a huge bundle of electrical wires, revealed a Japanese restaurant. Kimono dressed women are serving dinner in a tatami room on the second floor
Next door to the Japanese restaurant is a Starbucks – they’re everywhere
We struggle to order off the Italian menu – Spagehetti alla Puttanesca – because the Vietnamese waiter can’t pronounce or understand the selections. We discover that he’s never tasted it.
There is a large Indian family at another table trying to find out if any of the dishes include curry or if they could add some spices foreign to Italian kitchens.
The atmosphere is very nice. All the walls have large black and white portraits of 1960’s Hollywood stars -. Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda, Ingrid Bergman, Ava Gardner, Gene Tierney, Ginger Rogers. Our Vietnamese waitress was enamored with the stars and had seen many of their movies. But she had not seen any with Ginger Rogers [but then, who has?]. She asked us to suggest a couple of movies. Now, that was a challenge. We didn’t do very well, other than suggest she look up Fred Astaire. So where are the portraits of the other Hollywood stars? Capucine, Leslie Caron, Ann Bancroft, and of course, Anouk Aimee [A Man and a Woman]?
So, where are we, again? Beam me down Scottie!
Tomorrow we embark on our final legs of our trip home, via Seoul, South Korea. It’s going to be a rough 40-hour marathon. Experience, priceless! Recovery time, VERY pricey!
This concludes my blog entries for this adventure…EXCEPT…after a couple of days to give me time to reflect and look at the whole, I’ll post my learnings, my ahas, and any insights. Cheers!
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