DAY 64- DAY FIFTY SIX ON THE CRYSTAL SERENITY

NOTE: We are unable to post photos over the next few days because of a slow internet connection as a result of where the ship is located right now.  We will post lots of photos in a few days from our time in Ho Chi Minh City.

Before dinner last evening we sat at the Crystal Cove with good friends John and Linda.  We saw some people leaving the ship for evening tours and also for some overlands.  At the same time some quests were returning to the ship from overlands and also from day tours or even visits on their own to Ho Chi Minh City.  Many were quite hot as the temperature was at around 95 degrees outside, plus it was quite humid.


Last evening, we dined at the Crystal Dining Room and had a wonderful time.  This segment of the World Cruise the dining room has been nice and quiet and that was also the case last night with some guests having dinner on their own in Ho Chi Minh City and/or staying overnight at a downtown Hotel and some guests on a Crystal Excursion which included a show and dinner downtown and some guests on overnight land programs to places such as Angkor Wat.

We began our meal with salads.  Anne Marie had a Spinach Salad and Keith had his Standing Order Salad.

We happened to see Head Waiter Augusto earlier in the day and he thought we might want to order a seafood that was not on the menu.  We asked about the Swordfish but after checking with the chef he came back and recommended we go with a nice Sea Bass.  That was perfectly fine with us and we really appreciate Augusto arranging this for us.

For Dessert, Keith had mixed berries and Anne Marie had the sugar free Rhubarb Mascarpone Cream.


After dinner, we ventured down to the pier where the locals had set up a few stores selling a range of items and there was also an outdoor restaurant.  The restaurant drew a lot of members of the crew later in the evening.


We ended up buying a few items for gifts.  There were some of those copy items such as the copy Rolex Watches.  Keith asked if they were the genuine copy watches or if they were the copy of the copy watches.  Many years ago they would have said these are the real thing but this time around the man selling them just laughed with Keith.

We slept well last evening even without the gentle rocking of the ship. 

Keith was up first and worked out on the Elliptical Machine and then stopped by the Lido Café for coffee and to bring some back to the room for Anne Marie.


We then walked for a little while outside.  It seemed to be in the 80's.

We had breakfast 90 minutes earlier than we usually do since we had a tour today.

We met dear friends Bob and Glo a few minutes before we were to meet our tour guide Tri Dung Nguyen who goes by the name Zoom.  A fellow cruiser recommended him and Keith has been corresponding with him for almost nine months now when he set up not only today’s tour but also the tour we did with a colleague of his on the Junk Boat in Halong Bay.

We had a full day tour, which included:

Chinatown for Heavenly Lady Temple and Chinatown Market

Visit to Independence Palace and the Post Office.

Stops at Opera House, Le Loi Avenue, Khali Silk, Former Residence of Westmoreland, Coffee at the Rooftop Bar at Rex Hotel and Lunch at a restaurant that President Clinton visited in November of 2000.  

The tour was all that we expected and more.  We have seen some of these sites on our prior visits but it is always good to return to sites because each time you see them you not only learn something new but you get additional perspectives. 

Zoom and his driver met us at the Pier at 8:00 AM.  We were driven in a Mercedes Executive Van which could have sat another four people beyond us with two per row although you could have fit even more than that.  We first drove to Chinatown which represents several districts and is quite large.  The drive took around 45 minutes and we walked around the Heavenly Lady Temple and then we walked the Chinatown Market.

From there we visited the Post Office which is open seven days a week and is quite busy even on a Sunday.  We walked to a few other areas and took a coffee break at the Rooftop Bar at the Rex Hotel.  The Hotel is beautiful and the views from atop the Hotel were amazing.  Bob had ice coffee and Glo, Anne Marie and Keith had hot coffee that was served in individual pots.  The coffee was truly the best coffee we have ever had.  

After the coffee, we went to some nearby areas including visiting some churches.  We learned that about 33 percent of the population in Ho Chi Minh City are Catholics.  We saw some women in Wedding Gowns.  We walked to a few other areas before we had lunch.

We dined at a restaurant that is frequented by locals which is always nice and was also made famous because of President Bill Clinton having lunch there.  We each had a nice size bowl of soup which included delicious noodles as we as beef.  We also each had a Shrimp Spring Roll and the Women had Soda and the Men had Tiger Beer.  The meal hit the spot.

After lunch we went to the Ben Thanh Market which is quite large and carries a wide range of items. We all purchased some items.

We then went to the Independence Palace.  We first were driven around by someone at the Palace to view the property and we had not realized how large the property is.  We then went inside and Zoom took us on each of the floors and walked us around to each room providing a lot of good information.  

We then drove back to the ship.

Zoom was a gracious tour guide.  He provided a great balance of information and was very flexible with us. If we wanted to change things up we could and he was very responsive to all of our questions.  He told it as it is.

We remember from 2012 that there were issues with the economy in Vietnam some of which was similar to the USA back in 2008 and some other countries around the world.  Unlike most countries Vietnam has not yet hit bottom.

Overall unemployment is around 35 to 40 percent and the average annual income is around $2,000 for all of Vietnam and around $6,000.00 for those in Ho Chi Minh City.

Unlike our tour guide from 2012 whose family was relocated to Ho Chi Minh City from the Northern area of Vietnam, Zoom was born in what was South Vietnam and his two older brothers served in what was the South Vietnamese Military.

We learned a great deal from our tour, enjoyed a lot of good laugh with Zoom and our dear Friends Bob and Glo and it was a great day.

This evening we will be dining with Bob and Glo at Tastes and we will post more about that tomorrow.

Again, in a few days we will post photos.

TODAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY…..

"We are so very fortunate to be able to visit so many interesting places around the world on the Crystal Serenity."  - Keith & Anne Marie

Keith & Anne Marie