Shopping for jeans, bingeing on baguettes in Vietnam

There’s nothing quite like traveling to learn about the cultures of other countries. Tired of the usual vacation spots, my family decided to take a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to see the sights, learn about its culture and history, savor its food and shop.

Vietnam is famous for Miss Saigon (the musical which won for Lea Salonga both the Tony and the Laurence Olivier awards), excellent French cuisine, and lately, as a shopper’s paradise.

You won’t find designer labels here, and the malls are mostly filled with appliances and handicrafts. With the help of a trusty guide book, my mom, my sister and I bravely discovered the glory of Ben Than market place. Think tiangge mixed with poultry, meat, fish and fruits in one big warehouse. The stench was a major turnoff, but after a while you become immune to it. If not, cover your nose and bear it, because the huge bargains are not only a major turn-on, they are positively blinding! Imagine rows and rows of stalls, stacked with a variety of items, including the cheapest ensembles ever. Bargaining here is a must. We found an assortment of tees, accessories, bags and excellent-fitting jeans priced from $10 to $12. Native bags in all designs and shapes average about $7 to $8. Accessories go for under $5.

Of course, my mom went straight to the oriental handicrafts to check out bamboo placemats, ivory chopsticks and porcelain bowls. We bought boxes and boxes of fresh fruits and French baguettes (take note: we brought home 20) which were sold in stands like they were fishballs.

Yes, we did some major shopping in Vietnam, but we took in some culture and history as well. We went on the Tien River scenic boat ride, we visited the Vietnam War Remnants Museum and crawled in the Ben Dinh tunnel.

The restaurants are pretty amazing. Vietnam was once a French colony and there are a number of excellent French restaurants. Think: Le Soufflé.

Although Ho Chi Minh City is a tad bit backwards compared to Manila, the streets are very clean. The Vietnamese are not only a disciplined people, they are also courteous. The crime rate here is one of the lowest in the world. Tourists can walk around the city without worrying about being mugged.

The most popular way to go around the city is by motor scooter. Everyone, and I mean everyone, owns a scooter, which can sometimes be annoying because they’re not pedestrian-friendly. You can actually get caught in the middle of the road while scooters zoom in front and behind you. When this happens, stand very still and enjoy the moment — you’re in Vietnam.