Ho Chi Minh City ii

Cà phê sữa nóng. Vietnamese coffee. Strong black filtered coffee with the glorious elixir that is also referred to as condensed milk.

This was one of the top food items that we wanted to try in Vietnam. Enter Ca Phe Ba Lu (193 Phung Hung, District 5) located in Cholon. Cholon is the largest Chinatown in Vietnam, dating back to 1788.

But first, we had to get there.

Walking is my preferred mode of transportation as ~~I am a cheapskate at heart~~ I am able to explore more of the city and peek into the everyday lives of locals. We decided to walk 4 km in 35 degree heat from our hotel and we discovered a few things along the way:

People utilise the green spaces in the city more than any other city that I have been to
People also utilise the exercise equipment at parks
Cheap street food stalls are abundant outside schools and hospitals
Footpaths will have low metal fences to prevent the motorbikes / scooters from riding on the footpath. It occasionally deters riders.
Shopping centres do not necessarily have air con (we tried to take a short a/c break but sadly, there was no a/c).

It was a little difficult to locate the shop; there was a wet market on the street and a lot of staring from the locals. After doubling back for the second time, another stall owner kindly pointed out the shop.

A lovely coffee (15 000₫ / AUD $0.90) break after a lot of walking. The coffee wasn't overly sweet which was nice.

The Arc de Triomphe is nothing compared to this! We managed to cross it twice and came out unscathed.

Roundabout located behind all the scooters

Another pork chop

In the evening, we headed out for more food at Turtle Lake. Turtle Lake, a large roundabout with a pond in the centre, is known as a teenage hangout. Where there are people, there will be street food!