Arrival in Saigon

khl;

I know that many of my family members are very nervous about me being here. Please do not worry at all - it's safe, and I'm completely fine. I promise.

Anywhere in the world that tourists want to go, there is infrastructure to help tourists spend their money in a fun way.  Like New York or DC, there are entire parts of the city that primarily cater to tourists, with tours in multiple languages. There are hotels set up for tourists with staff members who speak the guests' languages. Restaurants have menus that use multiple languages AND pictures of the dishes. Vietnam is no exception. If you can get around New York, you can get around Saigon, I promise.

It's not the easiest city to navigate, but I have good guidebooks and my cell phone equipped with a data plan so I can access Google Maps at any time. And if I get confused, as I did earlier this evening, I can jump into one of the clean state-regulated metered cabs that are all over the place and get a ride to my destination. Tonight's 10-minute journey cost me $1.50.

I'm staying at the lovely Luan Vu hotel, and it has everything I could ask for: air conditioning, outlets that don't require me to use a converter for my American items, a central location, and an incredibly friendly staff that is always asking how they can help me enjoy my trip.

The room wasn't ready when I arrived, so I was forced to kill time getting an amazing pedicure with a foot massage for $5 total across the street. You can imagine how very upset I was.

The hotel is in a quiet alley off of Bui Vien Street - the backpacker center. By day, it's a busy street with many narrow shops of all sizes and specialties, with 99% of them catering to tourists. Souvenir shops, clothing stores, bars, nail salons, cafes, and travel agencies. There is so much to look at, and it's a bit overwhelming.

By night, it's louder and more crowded with a lot more drinking. Please note the drink prices that are posted - $1 = 20,000d 

What am I doing on this lovely Saigon evening? I'm headed to the lovely and quiet solitude of my hotel room. Early tomorrow, I'm taking a full-day tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels and the city's historic sites, and I need my beauty sleep.