This is why you don't drink tap water in Vietnam! | Saigon

Yesterday I spent my first full day in Vietnam, which was crazy. I visited the Vietnam War Museum, where suddenly, I met a local who took me on a food tour. Afterwards, I ended up teaching western music at a local school! And, yes, the day ended with a big night out in the city centre. Who would have thought all of that was about to happen? It was a great start to this adventure in Ho Chi Minh City, or as the locals say it, Saigon.

Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City?

Saigon is the original name of the city. It was merged with the surrounding province and renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1976. This happened because of the reunification of the north and south. The city’s namesake comes from Ho Chi Minh, the communist leader credited for uniting the country after the war in Vietnam. Both names are correct, widely used and not offensive to anyone. I prefer Saigon. This way, I feel more like a local than a tourist.

Since yesterday was such a busy day, I needed to have the chance to explore the city properly, so I woke up early. If only I didn’t go out after teaching yesterday, and I woke up all miserable. Best pro-tip for Vietnam: don’t drink the water from the tap in Vietnam, not even when you are too drunk to remember you can’t drink it.

I started the day with a salad (#health), walked around until it was dark and returned to the hostel. Unfortunately, I had to take it quite slowly, so I could only get to about half of the sights on my list. An early night tonight as I want to feel better tomorrow morning. I ended up watching a Belgian no-brain series and went to bed.

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