Testimonial from a Malaysia couple: We made ourselves at home

When our friends and relatives knew that we were going to Vietnam after our wedding, they probably imagined it would be some kind of honeymoon in resorts or expensive hotels. In reality during our trip in Ho Chi Minh City, we unconsciously became backpackers and happily moved from one place to another every day to experience different types of lodging. Ms Thu’s guesthouse, the motto of which was “intelligent emotion for life”, made us feel most at home.

There was no receptionist. Her daughter had led us to the house, passed us the keys, told us the room number, reminded us to lock all the doors when we were away, then left us alone and returned to her travel agency which was one road away. She hadn’t even collected any money from us in advance.

We had the impression to be temporarily staying in some relatives’ guestroom.

Of course we would still pay 12USD (RM36) for it. This time, the room was the biggest and the air inside was the freshest among the three we had stayed. And we even had a king-sized bed and a single bed. The only disturbing thing was the dusty fan.

So my hygiene-conscious hubby decided to do the busy ladies a favour by removing the cover, giving it a shower,

and fixing it back when it was dried.

After a short rest, we went to this familiar alley again.

The family who ran our favorite fruit juice stall also owned a noodles stall. Not only they succeeded in attracting local customers,

they also had an inviting way to tell foreigners

what they offered

to our stomachs.

Almost all the seats were occupied. We shared a table with two little Vietnamese boys who were enjoying their dinner with full concentration without any exchange of words.

Our two bowls were soon served

with accompanying herbs, salad, chopped garlic, chili and sauces.

Now it was the big boy’s turn to slurp his rice noodles.

The meal would be incomplete without the drink from “Five Boys Number One”.

The next morning, we woke up at around 6.30am to get ready for another tour.

At that hour, the sky was already bright. No wonder the banks in Vietnam open at 7.30am since the people start their day very early.

We had our breakfast in the kitchen where Ms Thu prepared bread and omelet for us. She sometimes had Muslim guests from Malaysia and allowed them to do their own cooking in her house. If we visit Ho Chi Minh City again, we will surely like to put up there again.

Source: http://rayleesah.com/ho-chi-minh-city-ix-we-made-ourselves-at-home/

Check for more experience by Ray and Lee Sah at: http://rayleesah.com/tag/ho-chi-minh-city/

Testimonial from a Russian guest

"Билеты ценой в 9 долларов купили у хозяйки комнаты, где мы остановились. Кстати, комнату сняли за 12 долларов с небольшим завтраком, из многих мест, что мы посмотрели это самый приятный вариант - она большая, с кондиционером, холодильником и телевизором, а главное есть балкон, где можно высушить одежду. И еще тут есть горячая вода и в душе, и в умывальнике!Вот комната, решетка - это выход на балкон (она на всю стену), а то, что разбросано - это наше добро!

Находится наш "Ms THU Guest House" между улицей Pham Ngu Lao и Bui Vien, они точные копии улицы Као Сан в Бангкоке. Комнаты в гестхаусах с вентилятором стоят 9-10 долларов, с кондиционером - 15, но некоторые просто ужасающие. Видели без окон и с затхлым запахом, или с железным шкафом, как в механической мастерской для хранения инструментов. Вывески "Room for rent" тут можно увидеть везде: над аптекой или кафе, но комнаты разочаровывают...

Все переулки между основными улицами тоже с комнатами на сдачу.

Вот такой переулочек, весь забитый отелями и гестами, но цены в них мы не узнавали, хватило двух больших улиц."

(Source: http://marsiya.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-post_23.html)

Would love to have someone help translate it into literal English.

As Busy As Ben Thanh Market

What Saigonese know and don't know about their city's most familiar market-Ben Thanh Market

"If we don't have it, you don't need it." The two authors of Lonely Planet's travel guide to Vietnam use this sentence to describe Ben Thanh Market. "The legendary slogan of U.S. country stores applies equally well here," they say. In Vietnam, a song composer compared the market with the hustle and bustle of life. "Life is as busy as Ben Thanh Market," he wrote.

Name
The Ben Thanh management board says the name stems from the fact that at the beginning the market was near a wharf (bến) of Gia Dinh Citadel (thành).

History
Almost a century ago, in 1907, the construction of Ben Thanh Market was approved by the city council. Construction was under way in 1912 and it was completed in 1914. During World War II, the market was bombed by the Allied forces and heavily damaged. It was given a revamp in 1950.

Location
Ben Thanh Market has the best location among all the markets in HCM City. On an area of over 13,000 square meters, the market is separated from the adjacent blocks by four streets. Its north side borders Le Thanh Ton Street, the east side Phan Boi Chau and the west side Phan Chu Trinh. The south side faces Quach Thi Trang Square.

Gates
The market has four main gates and 12 subordinate ones. The main gates are named after their directions-east, west, south and north.

Goods
Vietnamese have an idiom that says "thöôïng vaøng haï caùm" (which literally means from gold to bran). All the things between the two are available at Ben Thanh Market. In addition, up to a hundred stalls sell dishes from throughout Vietnam.

Stall layout
The arrangement of the 1,500 stalls and shops are too complicated to be described briefly.

Prices and bargaining
Shop owners are required to show prices for their goods. However, shoppers should bargain to get lower prices. In many cases, the prices shown are not the real prices. The management board says price competition will not allow a shop to quote prices much higher than those their next-door competitors offer.

Shoppers
Not all people go to Ben Thanh Market to shop. Some go there out of curiosity. Foreign visitors account for a considerable proportion of the visitors. The management board says every day the market has 15,000 visitors. Japanese tourists make up the bulk of foreign shoppers.

Languages
Foreign visitors can use English to communicate with shopkeepers. Some of the sellers can speak French, Chinese, Japanese or Korean. A foreign shopper shouldn't worry about the language barrier because every shop there has a calculator. So, bargaining is done by using the calculator.

Security
During the past few years, Ben Thanh Market has become a safe place. Harassment, quarrelling, pickpocketing and robbery seldom occur inside the market. Its 40-strong security force is ready to intervene.

Fire prevention
A fire alarm and firefighting system was installed recently. The market has reservoirs and more than 100 fire extinguishers at different places. Four backup light columns, powered by separate sources, are installed for emergencies. The market has a total of 16 gates for entry and exit.

Restrooms
There are two rows of restrooms, that is, toilets, inside the north side of the market.

Future
The market will have a basement in the future to increase the area for stalls. Parks will be constructed on surrounding blocks to allow visitors to visit the market and stroll in the adjacent pedestrian quarters.

Source: http://www.eng.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/eng/news/default.aspx?cat_id=547&news_id=516