Ho Chi Minh Nov 10-12 '06 - D2c

As our SQ taxied towards the runway I noticed the 'lotus' flower painted on the tail fin of a Vietnam Jet. It was the National flower of Vietnam - a very common sight indeed in the countryside with its lush green padi fields( even with ancestor tombstones etc) and lotus ponds. I vividly rememberd a guy standing waist-deep in a pond harvesting lotus flowers while our 15-seater tour bus whizzed by.

Sunday morning - after an early breakfast
we decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood and did some last minute shopping in a nearby bazaar.

Ho Chi Minh statue.

What's in the cooking?


A little crowd gathered around the lady on the left
she was selling sliced fruits - guavas, jambu to go.

Pomelos

Pineapples seller - the pineapple rivals the sweetness of Sarawak pineapple.
I have looked hard on roadside stall but fail to see any 'rojack' store
in this part of the world.
Mouthwatering nanas..

Basket seller's wares

Traffic cop leading the way for marathon runners

The street was filled with young marathon runners

The painted white tree trunks add another dimension
to the park
Sunday mass at Notre Dame and the lady in white standing near the entrance
we decided to check it out..

... some sort of donation drive

Believe it or not - this is a Tanjong Tree in
such a creative form

Ho Chi Minh Nov 10-12 '06 - D2b

The fruits of Sonneratia Casseolaris ( mangroove tree)
with its rather long style and prominent sepals are characteristics of Sonneratia Sps.
The connical aerial roots are used for cork.
( My first sighting of similar sp was a few years back in Pulau Ubin)

Lotus seeds.. nothing special but testing for my lens..

Elephant Ear Fish was served.
On adjacent plate in the background - a hollow 'ball'- deeped fried and oily.

Coconuts!

"Ruam mian mian" singing - lead singer.


Raw material for the sweet - here a pile of dehusked coconuts.

Press for squeezing out the coconut oil.

Boiling to concentrate ... add sugar etc ... and keep stirring

Slicing the coconut sweet strips in equal length

A wide angle shot showing the production process on linoleum-lined table top.
The sweets are wrapped in rice-paper and individually wrapped and packed
Watch the S3 video posted in YouTube.

Hot molten hot coconut molasses allows to cool first...


The final product..
each package come with a pen-written DOM (date of manufacturing).

Ho Chi Minh Nov 10-12 '06 - D2

Strung out along certain straight stretches of road
you will find this 'OMO' operated portable gravity-feed diesel dispensing 'station'. ( see the graduated container on the left of the pic.)

She had this special gaze ..This is a common sight - rows of breads

Air ventilators

School girls with their pretty ao-dai's white
uniforms

A dash of red caught my attention... wedding 'lunch' perhaps.

Click the image - I am after the rather 'big' bau in the glass cabinet

Cigarettes...

Pork sellers under the hot sun.. how long can the meat last?

A serene setting

Women tending to the field
Water hyacinth and a pond with netting.

Cooling off from the heat

Dog taking a ride too

Click the image and find out how many fruits you know.

Slums near river

I never expect nipah-palm fruits ( 'attap chee' inside)
ended up this way.

The majestic Main Post Office

One two three

Note the charcoal pot and familar 'love-letter' press.En route to a photo session?

Jet contrail near one of Notre Dame's spiresSelling fans etc while her partner (below) take care
of the kid

My third shots - this time I signaled to her and
she gave me this warm smile and the kid looked great too.