Ho Chi Minh food, etc.

Hedgehog coconut pastry (held upside down).

Standard street-fare.

Fetal duck egg (surprisingly normal), which was followed by conch (surprisingly good), and snails (unsurprisingly not good).

Fried dough ball filled with sweet peanut butter. Speaks for itself.

Fresh rice pancake, wrapped around ground pork sausage, topped with chopped peanuts, beansprouts, and herbs. Amazing.

Big ugly fish, not sure if he's a pet or for eating. Can't imagine he'd be very good either way.

Eel and fish, to buy and eat!

fruit stand at one of the massive markets.

The markets in Ho Chi Minh house some amazing sights. Tubs brimming with live fish, frogs, or snails, stalls piled high with dried fruits and little shrimps, and so on. There are also many stalls selling tourist items, like laquered bowls, fans, and scarves. The perimeter is mostly inexpensive clothes. It's a feast for the stomach and eyes, but come prepared to stand your ground. The walkways are minute, and at every corner resides a small Vietnamese lady determined to tug your arm and suggest buying something. And tug they will! The "food court" is the same way. In a moment of indecision, we found ourselves stranded in the middle, proprietors waving menus in our faces from all sides. They back down eventually, and its all in good fun.

There's lots yet to upload. Prawn on rice noodles, spring rolls, shrimp on sugar cane... and when most of it costs less than $1 or $2, gluttony is cheap!

cheers,

L