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Look at the mass of spaghetti wires overhead as my cyclo turns the corner. . .
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The Post Office, built by Eiffel (yes, the Eiffel of the tower fame)
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Lunch included a show with lovely Vietnamese music
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After lunch, it’s off to the market. Lots of locals here, including a mother with a child in front of her on her scooter. We saw lots of families on scooters, from families with babies to families of four.
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One of the kitchen stalls inside the market. You could find just about anything you could imagine at this market, which was a wholesale market which sold only in large lots. Clothing, bicycle helmets, spices, luggage, toys – you name it, they had it.
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Another small shop along the way.
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Just as it was getting dark, we stopped at the Rex Hotel for a drink. Some of you may remember the Rex – it was CIA headquarters during the war (the Caravalle, behind to the right, was where most of the journalists stayed) and the Rex was one of the places helicopters evacuated from the roof when the Americans left Saigon.
18-APR-2008
Friday, April 18
Today we visit the Mekong Delta, about 2 hours out of HCMC. On the way, we pass a market (with a scooter taking a shortcut to avoid traffic!)
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Once there, we board a small boat for a river cruise.
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The boats are brightly colored.
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Our boat person is a lady!
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These small boats are part of the floating market. People sell from the same boat they live on, usually produce. The flags tell what they have to sell.