Preface: I meant to get around to this (thanking our friends and dearest supporters of the big move) sooner, but hey, I’ve got 416 kids to teach. Give a girl a minute.
So a lot of you made donations of varying sizes to help us along as we moved to Vietnam, and our typical response was that we’d use it to treat ourselves to a beer and think of you fondly whilst doing so. I just wanted to confirm that we did just that. So for all of you financial and emotional crutches, please select one of our first 10 beers in this city (below) and feel comforted by the fact that your dong was well spent!
Pearson Beers. Hunting down the lounges still serving at 1AM to grab what would be our last Canadians for a good while was made possible by your generous soul. They would also lull us into a perfect single-beer-induced slumber for the next 7 hours. Cheers.
The “Beer Garden.” With a whopping 1 beer on tap, we were treated to a delightful Heffeveisen just downstairs from the apartment in Sky Garden. The pretty hanging lanterns and delicious salted red beans that tasted suspiciously like peanuts made for a lovely atmosphere for a pint. (Peanuts, guys. They’re peanuts.)
The Rusty Bucket. Paired with some netted spring rolls, we couldn’t deny ourselves the happy hour special at this completely empty Sports Bar, also in Sky Garden. (Though we haven’t been back since, I highly recommend the place for a cheap glass of Australian wine and catching an AFL game.)
Orchid Cafe. Of all the countless little lunch patios lining the streets in Phu My Hung, this one has by far the most invigorating mist situation. The Tigers and stir fry were an added bonus.
Fun Fruit World. If we’re talking liquid consumption, I would be remiss to not mention the fresh fruit heaven above which we reside. A cold coconut is easier to track down than a cold bottle of water in this country, and we seriously go to this place at least twice a day for our fill of fresh pressed juices, smoothies, and various other coffee concoctions. The Baileys & Banana (if you happen to come on a day when they decide to have Baileys available) is something that you will be consuming at least once during your visit. Get over here already.
Somewhere in D7. On our first foray into the D7 markets, you treated us to some dirt cheap Heinekens as we watched the… masseuses strolling between hourly rental hotels at this great street bar covered in murals. If we ever find it again, we’ll be sure to stop for another.
Some hotel in an alleyway off of Nguyễn Thị Thập. When the fanciest of peach-bellini-mimosa-fruit-puree-thingie-whats-its are on special in an alleyway leading to a ritzy hotel where you don’t belong in your athletic-hobo-chic attire, it’d be rude not to partake. So we did just that. (Matt would probably like you to know that he had a Heineken.)
The Tavern. An inevitability in Phu My Hung, I was elated when we saw that this foreigner-friendly bar had multiple ciders to choose from. Though I still consider it a splurge (and am very open to accepting shipments of Molson from willing parties), this post would be incomplete without my first cider in Saigon. From the bottom of my heart, I give you the warmest thanks for this one.
Mot, hai, ba, yo.
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