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2 - 3 January : Cabbages & Condoms

Morning Tour of Bangkok Temples

Trippin'.
Dinner was not planned at Cabbages & Condoms but when it took us 45 minutes in attempt to find our first choice, we needed a backup plan. And boy are we glad we did because this has to be by far the most bizarre and outrageously strange dining experiences. It's just any normal restaurant but completely decked out in condoms and "Safety First" guides and diagrams-- not sure where the correlation lies but it was interesting. We sat on the outdoor patio which was well lit with condom lanterns and trees. Having nothing to do with cabbages or condoms, we had a traditional and wonderfully spicy Thai meal. Guess what we received at the end of our meals? Nope.. not mints-- CONDOMS!
The next morning we continued our 2nd tour--
2) Temple Tours
Grace was on time, bright and early to take us on our morning tour of 3 of the most famous Temples in Bangkok-- Wat Suthat (Golden Buddha), Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha), and Wat Benchamabophit (White Marble Temple).

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1 - 2 January : Bangin' Bangkok

Custom Suits & Gems

Trippin'.
We divided our time staying at the JW Marriott as well as the Shangri- La mainly because we, well G, had Marriott points which compensated the first two nights so we took advantage of it. So glad that we did because we enjoyed the Marriott more. Even though the Shangri- La was beautiful and great, the Marriott was tranquil and zen- like not to mention beautiful and centrally located near all the best shopping malls in Bangkok.
During our stay, aside from our morning tours, all we did was shop! G and I were in shopping heaven which were all a sky train ride away during our stay at the Marriott. For luxury and exotic shopping, we hit up Siam Paragon and for bargain shopping-- MBK! You ain't seen shopping malls yet until you've visited Bangkok. It's an orgasmic experience indeed.

Moving on. Before we arrived, we had booked morning tours for every morning during our stay-- 1) Floating Market
Grace, our tour guide for our first two days was great; a bit much on the religious talk and how she found her path, but other than that, she was perfect. We took a private boat ride along the river before reaching the floating market. A bit smaller than I thought, but nonetheless, a must.

Check out our first authentic Pad Thai freshly prepared on a boat in just minutes!

Grace took us to the Gem Factory.. talk about a girl's paradise! Ladies will love the idea of custom making your own jewels or shop among the millions of stones, carats and settings. I was able to sneak away with a pair of amethyst earrings.
G got to have his fun also when Grace took us to a local tailor where we were given the royal treatment as we selected some fine Italian fabrics for his custom made suit. Sooo many people fly in just to custom make clothes. We felt silly walking away with just one but one is enough to last a lifetime for G. With our short stay, they were able to finish it in 2 days and even delivered it to our hotel. Gotta love that!

Sleeping: 1) JW Marriott, 2) Shangri- La. Although.. JW Marriott far exceeds our expectations. Centrally located and easily accessible by sky train. Nearby to all shopping centers.
See It: Floating Market & Gem Factory
Skip It: Siam Niramit-- overrated, boring and waste of time and money.
A Must: Go get a custom- made Italian suit not just for the royal treatment experience, but the suit itself! It's the best deal you'll ever come across.

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25, 30 - 31 December : Marital Bliss & Holiday Wishes

The Holidays

Trippin'.
Our last days in Vietnam were full of fun times with family and friends. We were invited to a traditional Vietnamese wedding, celebrated Christmas and rung in the New Year.

Traditional Vietnamese Wedding
We were lucky enough to have a neighbor friend getting married on NYE and cordially invited us to their wedding. If you think you've seen a Vietnamese wedding before, well you ain't seen nothing yet. Festivities may be short but virtually everybody in town is invited. There is live music and karaoke, food and lots of beer.

Christmas & Happy New Years
Spending Christmas and New Years in Vietnam is an experience that far exceeds your typical celebration in the States. You just have to see it to believe it. It's a joyous occasion and everyone who's anyone is out in full force. Most clubs are packed and it's hard to get access if you don't know the securities. But if you can get in, it's extremely loud and crazy techno fun. Happy Holidays to all!

After all the wonderful hospitality we've received, how could we possibly want to stay elsewhere? However, we wanted some personal time to ourselves and explore the city center as the tourist couple that we are, so we decided to book a night at the Metropole . Metropole is great since it's walking distance to the famous Ben Thanh Market as well as all other attractions and shopping.

Sleeping: Metropole. In the heart of downtown Saigon and 10 minutes walk to Ben Thanh Market where all the excitement happens.
Eating: Seek out a place that says "Lang Nuong".. There are plenty all over the city serving up all sorts of Vietnamese BBQ and roasted meats and seafood.
Activity: Bargain shop at Ben Thanh Market. It's more for the experience. You'll get ripped off, in their minds, either way, but you will still think it's a steal. Go for it!

More Photos.

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