I started my day going down the maze of alleyways near where I’m staying. All the local people have their homes in these narrow alleys. Most have their doors wide open so you see families watching TV and things like that. I found some good food at a vendor in one of these. Lettuce, tomato, pasta, beef, and fried egg.
After walking some more and cycle rickshaw driver started asking me if I wanted me to hire him for a few hours. After a good 10 minutes of negotiations, I decided I would try it. I don’t think it was a good idea since the streets were empty, all the shops were closed, and the cycle was so slow, near walking speed. So there wasn’t much to see and it took so long to get to the destinations. But I did end up visiting the War Remnants Museum, Jade Emperor Pagoda, and Quoc Tu Pagoda.
After I was done, I tried paying but then he said he had no change! All he needed was the equivalent of $1 in change. So I decided to pay in a combination of US Dollars and Vietnamese Dong. Of course he was trying to cheat me and giving me a wrong exchange rate, but I knew exactly how much to give him. I came here prepared, gave him exactly what we agreed (A little over $5) on based on the current exchange rate and then left. I don’t think I’ll try that again. I think I’ll stick to something with a motor or at least something I’m pedaling.
For dinner I had some Pho Bo, or beef noodles. It is supposedly the most common dish here in Vietnam.