Return to Ho Chi Minh City

This afternoon we drove back to Ho Chi Minh City. Even though it was a long drive, it was such an interesting trip that it didn't seem so long. Ephraim was a great traveler, and we made several stops along the way. We stopped at another rest stop for lunch. Nearly all the businesses are open in the front and many businesses and restaurants have really nothing more than an overhanging roof. Again, the food was wonderful! I could eat Vietnamese all the time! The seafood and the fruit are the best! The pictures of the snakes in the bottles aren't for show. This is snake wine and available at all bars and groceries. When we got back to Ho Chi Minh City, we checked back into The Rex and Thuy took us over to the Tax Market for groceries, diapers, formula, bottles and baby food. By the way, The Rex Hotel has an interesting history.

It was originally a French garage, was enlarged by the Vietnamese, and was used as CIA headquarters from 1962 to 1970. They are doing a massive renovation right now because they hope to be a five-star hotel. The construction didn't bother us, but it was a little disappointing that the pool was closed. It's so hot and muggy here, it would have been nice to take a quick dip in the evenings. We do have a large tub though, so Ephraim has enjoyed "swimming" each night before bed.