The streets of HCM were deserted when we arrived at 4am. It looked a very miserable and depressing place at that time of day. We found a taxi and I went to Phuoc's and Tuan Anh's apartment which is on the 16th floor. We were only interested in going to bed as the men had to get up to go to work. I was embarrassed when they said I could have the big bed and they'd sleep on the floor. I argued but lost. Asians really don't mind being on the floor; sometimes they do it because the room is warm but the floor is cool.
They live in an apartment complex that has a 24/7 shop, restaurant and other amenities. We went downstairs and had breakfast and then they gave me the keys and left for work. Phuoc works for a legal firm and Tuan Anh is a Human Resources manager with an e-company.
The building is on a quiet street which overlooks a small river and on the other side of the river is the city zoo. I stood on the balcony for a while looking down on the giraffes and elephants; during the day the elephants would trumpet and somewhere there was a cat of some sort because I could hear the growling. I dislike this kind of zoo intensely but it was still fascinating to look down on it. There was a prom along the river and I walked up and down a few times. The workers were busy watering the grass and trees and large puddles formed on the path. One young man got down on his haunches and washed his hands in a puddle; we both had a laugh about it. Some men were sitting with their cockerels - each in its own small cage. I suppose at some point there'd be cock fighting going on; it's very popular here in Vietnam.
Because I was on my own I was able to catch up on emails, read the book I had downloaded from the library in Alberta, do the laundry and tidy up a bit. Phuoc came home and he took me out for lunch; we had Pho which is just about the most common soup type meal in the country. Phuoc ordered a second bowl of soup which he said was meat bone. I could see slices of something, which I thought was the bone. It looked quite hefty so I asked if he just sucked out the centre. He looked at me in a strange way and then he repeated it was meat bone. It took me a while to realise he was saying meat ball, which is finely minced meat formed into balls. Back at the apartment a bowl of milk fruit appeared. I don't know where Phuoc is getting them from but I have at least four a day. He scoops out the centre and adds a bit of condensed milk and some ice and it's a lovely dessert.
When the two men came home in the evening we decided to go into District No. 1 to visit the tallest building in Vietnam which has 82 storeys. It's finished on the outside but the inside is still being worked on. There was a large restaurant area so we wandered around looking for a place to eat. I'm one of those who couldn't care less where we go or what we eat, as long as it's edible. Finally, I saw a place called "Hue" which is Phuoc's home town. We ordered a meal and he joked with the waiter who couldn't understand a word Phuoc said when he ordered in the Hue dialect. I ordered a soup with crab balls in it but I honestly couldn't detect a crab flavour. We left the restaurant and then wandered off to a supermarket where Phuoc bought more food - this time it was balls of various meats and fish cooked and put on skewers. We sat and ate those and then he wandered off and came back with coconuts plus sticky rice cakes. He laughed when I said I hoped that was the end of the eating.
There are lots of open spaces in HCM City so we walked around the riverside, climbing a tower from which we could see more of the city. I had to have my photo taken with the city lights as a backdrop. Suddenly, a whistle sounded and people started moving a bit faster - the lights would be turned off at 9.30pm. The tall building is also lit up but its lights go off at 10pm. The area would be quite dark without those lights.
In the morning we are having toast so we had to find bread; it's not easy at 10pm but after stopping at countless places we did manage to find a loaf. At one of them, Phuoc came out with something else to eat. I love being on the back of a motorbike, relaxing while he wove his way in and out of the traffic. Tuan Anh went back on a hired motorbike which he can call from an app on his phone - everything is so high tech now.
Back at the apartment, Phuoc reminded me that the code for unlocking the door was "Noel", i.e. 2512. I thought it was funny that a non-believer, in a Communist country, would choose Christmas Day as the code for his door. It turned out to be his birthday.
