We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (still referred to as Saigon in the city) exhausted and tired but resisted the urge to sleep too long. Just a quick nap to refresh ourselves before heading out into the city. I learned years ago to try and get into a sleep pattern consistent with the country I’m visiting. Otherwise, you have trouble overcoming jet lag and will possibly be wide awake and unable to fall asleep when night comes.

Our hotel was conveniently located near the famous Ben Thanh Market, a popular shopping area with locals and tourists alike. Over 10,000 people visited the market every day, although in this era of the coronavirus the numbers have declined dramatically. On the afternoon we went, that wasn’t the case however. It was crowded with people.

There were lots of t-shirts for sale in the market. One of the more popular ones was a red t-shirt with a white image of the Vietnamese national hero, Ho Chi Minh. I mentioned I was thinking of buying one, but it might not be wise to wear the shirt in the USA. My companions, Mercy and Huy looked at each other and then at me and started laughing as they explained that they both thought it was Colonel Sanders and that Kentucky Fried Chicken must be extremely popular in Vietnam.

I bought our first souvenir in Vietnam at the market, a fan waving Happy Buddha. As in many countries, bargaining is a given. There were two competing vendors fighting for the sale. I didn’t have to bargain at all as they did it for me. What started out at $10 went down to $8 and I finally purchased it for $5. I probably overpaid for it anyway, but I always figure they need the sale and money and it’s not a lot of money for me. He now sits on our home altar waving his fan when the sun shines (his fan is solar powered!).

We spent a quiet evening at the hotel and got some much needed rest. Our journey into this beautiful country had just begun.,