A Very Merry Tropical Christmas

Christmas in Vietnam far exceeded our expectations

This was a Christmas of firsts for us: first time away from home, first time away from both our families, and first time we wore shorts and flip flops! On the night of the 23rd we took a flight from Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), arriving very late. We stayed in the first hotel we could find and the morning of the 24th we went to do a little sight-seeing. First we visited the Reunification Palace which is where the president of South Vietnam lived from about 1963 to the end of the war in 1975. We joined a tour and it was interesting to see the rooms and bunker of this modern building. It was also interesting to hear our tour guide talk about the "proud" day in April 1975 when South Vietnam was liberated from the Americans and the Vietnamese hero who bombed the palace a few days beforehand.

The entire district, including our hotel, was decked out for the season

After our visit we got some pho bo, the unofficial national dish of broth, rice noodles, beef, bean sprouts, and local herbs. It was the same shop where Bill Clinton ate and it was actually really good. We also hit the local market to get some fruit for our hotel stay: dragon fruit, passion fruit, rambutans, oranges, and guava. We finished all this around noon and took a taxi to the Sheraton Saigon to check in early and take full advantage of staying in what is considered one of the best hotels in the city. We didn't want to make the mistake we made the last time we stayed in a nice hotel on this trip (in India) --  trying to fit in lots of site-seeing when all we wanted to do was relax.  It was wonderful to have all the comforts and amenities that come with a 5-star hotel. Also, our room was on the 16th floor with a great view of the busy streets and neon signs of Saigon. Alex enjoyed a bubble bath and the pool. In the afternoon we had a great spread in our room of several types of imported cheese, a fresh loaf of bread, crackers, and a bottle of Bordeaux that we bought at a gourmet food shop.  It was awesome to finally have good wine, good cheese, plus we bought Nutella, bran cereal and fresh low-fat milk (something else we haven't seen since the States). We thoroughly enjoyed treating our taste buds to these Western foods, as well as the tropical fruits we bought, starting our Christmas celebration.

Enjoying our gourmet hors d'oeurves in our room

At night we first got a drink at the bar on the 23rd floor of our hotel, the highest bar in the city.  It had a sweeping view of Saigon and we enjoyed cocktails and scotch.  Then we went to a great restaurant for a long, delicious dinner. They had a set menu for Christmas Eve with 6 courses, including a cheese, prosciutto and ciabatta spread to start; then a smoked salmon salad with arugula and goat cheese; strawberry and champagne soup; an entree of turkey with pancetta, cranberry sauce, spinach, and potato au gratin; then a Christmas cake for dessert, and chocolates and lattes to finish. In addition to all this food we got the "free-flowing" wine pairing. We weren't sure if they were serious about the "free-flowing" idea but it was just what it sounds like: as many glasses of each wine as you want before moving onto the next one. So over 3 hours later we were completely stuffed and nicely buzzed.  It was a perfect Christmas Eve in Vietnam.

Saigon, as seen from the hotel's bar

Christmas day we pretty much did nothing but relax in the hotel.  It felt so luxurious to wake up and be able to eat breakfast in our room.  Nothing quite beats cereal with milk and bread with Nutella at this point!  We ventured out to find a place to call home and wish our families an early Merry Christmas.  Alex loved being able to use the hotel's gym, taking advantage of modern equipment and free weights, but otherwise didn't leave the room.  Chris only left at one point, to get pho bo for lunch.  We got to watch some Christmas movies, rest, read, take bubble baths, and many showers.  In the afternoon we again enjoyed our breads, cheeses, fruits, and wine.  At 5:00 we left to attend mass at the Catholic Cathedral nearby.  It was packed with local people and the service was in Vietnamese.  It was an interesting experience, similar in some ways to a service at home but also different in many ways.  Then we went to a bar at the Rex Hotel which used to be the place for war correspondents and military officers to hang out.  After a drink there we went to another nice restaurant for dinner.  The food had much more of a Vietnamese influence and was great.  Between us we had sweet pea ravioli, clams in a coconut sauce, squash risotto, Vietnamese beef stew, and tamarind braised beef.  We left completely stuffed again.

On the 26th we relaxed at the hotel again until we had to check out around 3:00 and head to the Mekong Delta for our last week in Vietnam.  Overall, we had the best celebration we could've imagined.  It felt so special to treat ourselves to such good food and wine.  Staying in such a nice hotel was incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating.  We feel so lucky to be doing this trip together and seeing what we've seen.  We also feel blessed to have such close family and friends in our lives back home (and around the world).  Even though we missed the traditions and celebrations of being there we definitely had you in our thoughts.  We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!