Wednesday, May 1, 2013


Visit to the War Remnants Musuem.

The War Remnants Museum is a war museum at 28 Vo Van Tan, in District 3, HCMC (Saigon). It primarily contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War.

The museum comprises a series of themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment placed within a walled yard.  There is one building that reproduces the "tiger cages" in which the South Vietnamese government allegedly kept political prisoners. Other exhibits include graphic photography, accompanied by a short text in English, Vietnamese and Japanese, covering the effects of  Agent Orange and other chemical defoliant sprays, the use of napalm and phosphorus bombs, and "American war atrocities". 





I felt the the exhibits had a strong anti-American propaganda in them and should be taken with a pinch of salt. The photographs shown depicted the Americans are cruel and ruthless people who enjoyed the cruelty of the Vietnam war.


my cute boy.


we then visited the post office :)





cute little figurines taken at the post office

Taking pictures outside the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica ^.^




I was actually rather petrified of being lifted about 50cm above the ground :/


sigh of relief. haha.





And here's a HUGE THANK YOU to our wonderful host, Uncle Lawrence! He was such a good host, offering us a cosy room and a wonderful chauffeur, bringing us around to absorb the sights and sounds of HCMC and splurging on our (very delicious) meals every night!
Truly, our trip would not have been such an enjoyable one without his hospitality :)








we loved, LOVED this quaint little restaurant called Cuc Gach Quan . Located in a colonial villa tucked into a quiet residential street, Cuc Gach Quan is modeled after the living and dining rooms of a typical house. The restaurant is cluttered with vintage items that are recycled. The two-story house is filled with old wooden furniture, and even the outdoor tables are refurbished instead of new. The earthenware serving bowls look worn with use and are slightly chipped, while utensils are placed in a metallic bucket. It felt really homely and nostalgic, like having a meal in a 80's colonial home. 

Apart from the cosy feel of the restaurant, what i loved about the restaurant was the little surprises that could be found in their food! They used pandan looking like leaves as bottle caps and the stem from the water morning glory as straws for their fruit juices ^.^






Soft fluffy squares of bean curd encased by a thin, crunchy batter and copious amounts of deep-fried minced lemongrass emanating a delicate fragrance.

*YUMS*


grassjelly...yar, we were surprised too, it looks wayyy different from the ones you find in Singapore.





While in Vietnam, we had to do the Mekong Delta Tour too. 

As the bus journey to Mekong river took such an incredibly long time, we started cam-whoring. Actually, i wouldn't call it cam-whoring since we only took like...3 pics? :P



i complained that his eyes were too small (almost like mine, hurhur) in this pic when in fact his eyes are huge (and i am not even exaggerating).


there you go :) big eyes now!


on the river boat cruising along the Mekong river :)


it was such a hot day, we were literally melting under the scorching sun.


guess what is this? coconut candy!! 

it's really tasty when eaten hot and soft. i don't really fancy it when it cools and solidifies though.





elephant ear fish.




two lovely dogs (mummy and child)

Dinner at this French-Vietnamese fushion restaurant. The food was absolutely delectable to say the least. Enticed every single tastebud of mine.

I can't remember the name of the restaurant off-hand but i will try googling to see if i can find the name.

Meanwhile, below are some photos of the food to feast your eyes with.