Our guest lecturer taught us about Urban Planning and Development within Ho Chi Minh City, which actually proved to be very interesting and educational. After the lecture we took a small break to get coffee or smoothies. Of course I decided on a mango smoothie and it was probably the best one I have ever tasted in my life. Their smoothies don't contain the added sugar that we tend to dump into ours, they are naturally sweetened by the juices of the fruits. After our refreshments, we recollected ourselves in the classroom for our second language class of the week. It turned out to be much less stressful than yesterday's class and I even received a couple of complements on my Vietnamese. It is pretty incredible to see how fast we are moving along with just an hour long class a day. And after the educational hours and a quick lunch, we headed back to the hotel for a quick change in attire.
The ride to Phu My Hung took a good while, but the sites we saw along the way simply blew me away. We went through the tourist area with fancy hotels and dining areas, as well a more poor locations with shacks on the rivers and street food vendors. It was all so much to take in, and I couldn't look away, especially as people recognized us as foreigners and waved profusely at us on the bus. When we finally arrived I didn't realize how quickly my mind would be blown by this corportation.
Phu My Hung is a developing and construction company. They basically plan, build, and manage their incoming investments. It was incredible to see their Master Plan for expanding city centers around Ho Chi Minh City in order to make a more comfortable living area, with culture related education, entertainment, and the ability to build up a business there. By getting a good look at the master plan and having a long Q and A session, it was clear that they had thought every detail through this process. The idea of a very organized society can seem scary, but in a way is amazing when it comes to a comfortable living location for foreigners especially. When we finished up inside the building, they decided to take us on a bus tour around Phu My Hung and show us all their different housing, schools, and retail spaces. After being amazed but the diversity in this city center, we headed back to the hotel to prepare for a night out with our new Vietnamese friends.
Kate arrived at the hotel a little after six with bubble tea for all of us and then some. Since we had such a busy day pass by we decided to relax for an hour before going out for dinner and street food. When we decided to head out, I took a cab to the Pho restaurant where I encountered the greatest pleasure my taste buds have ever experienced. The combination of herbs, rice noodles, and beef was an art form that I can't begin to understand. From there I had the ride of my life to the Notre Dame Cathedral of Vietnam, our street food destination. Sadly, after that deliciously filling meal, I didn't have much of an appetite for the street food, but I tried a bite of a couple things. The people who make these foods must have a talent to fill so little food with so much flavor. From here we decided to take the long scenic route back to our hotel.
We walked along a strip where all the touristy, up scale hotels, including the Rex, were located. Here we turned into children when we saw a glowing things shoot up into the air and return much slower to the ground. As we got closer we discovered toys that lit up and were launched by a rubber-band into the sky. We played with these for a good amount of time before actually deciding to keep moving towards the hotel. Before we got there, we had to take one last detour by the Opera House. The gorgeous, western architecture stood out against its surroundings in the night. It was the perfect way to end our first evening out with our wonderful tour guide.
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