After the museum, you can visit Ho Chi Minh’s vestige. This is where the great man lived and worked. You will also get to see here the houses where he lived in, which are always kept clean as the day he died. One-Pillar Pagoda is a short walk from the mausoleum and the museum of Ho Chi Minh. It is also one of the must-see destinations in Vietnam. Watch out though as the grounds can be crowded with a lot of tourists at one time.

Hoan Kiem Lake is a relaxing place to be if you want a quiet time alone. In this park, you can have a leisurely stroll with your loved one. You can also visit the Ngoc Son Temple in this park, which is a good source for Vietnamese history and culture, among which is the story of the giant turtle that is said to inhabit the lake.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is a nice way to spend the day with your family. The theatre tells of Vietnamese history and legends through the use of wooden figures representing men and women and the ever-present dragons. The story is told through music and the puppets dancing.

For a completely unique experience, you should visit the floating markets of Can Tho. You can also take a tour of the area by renting a boat. Some of the floating markets are Cai Rang (sells wholesales mainly), Phong Dien (for retails), Phung Hiep and Tra On.

If you want to go boat riding, then you should visit Ho Xuan Huong, which is also called Xuan Huong Lake. This is located in Dalat and is a favorite among tourists who want to get some peace and quite. This is also a favorite spot of honeymooners as they stroll hand in hand along the banks of the lake. Thung Lung Tinh Yeu is called the Valley of Love and is also popular among honeymooners. This is a wonderful place if you enjoy canyoning. If you have canyoning in mind, then this is the place for you as they have canyoning operators as well who will guide you on your trip.

Ho Chi Minh City was popularly known as Saigon. Here, you will get to see a lot of fascinating places such as the Reunification Palace of the Independence Palace. There is also the War Remnants Museum as well as the Museum of Vietnamese History if you want to know more about the history and culture of Vietnam.

A Vietnam excursion will take you through a myriad of adventures like none other. Ranked number sixteen in the world for biodiversity, your Vietnam cycling trip will take you through expansive tropical forests, across beautiful, winding rivers and up imposing mountainsides. Your Vietnam travel will include an unparalleled experience as you gaze at a number of animals and plant life you can only find in certain parts of the world. With eleven new species of plants and animals found last year in Vietnam, the diversity and culture is constantly being discovered, making your Vietnam tour special and unforgettable. Visit one of the one hundred twenty-six conservation areas or one of twenty-eight national parks, where a range of different animal and plant species can be seen daily. To experience the navigable waterways covering over 17,000 kilometers or to enjoy the shopping and cuisine of some of Vietnam’s biggest and most exciting cities, consider a Vietnam cruise or a Vietnam hotel stay. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are two cities both accessible on your Vietnam cycling trip and both present a vision of the country’s social and educational advancement while providing delicious cuisine and some of the world’s best shopping opportunities. Try a dish influenced by sweet, spicy, sour or fish sauce and experience cooking like no where else. Vietnam is famous for its silk, woodcarvings and embroidery. Everything is unique and your shopping experience will yield treasures distinct from any others. There’s something for everyone in these fabulous cities.

Pho (pronounced “phir” in English) is influenced by the Chinese and French cuisines, and was believed to have originally derived from a French soup, “pot au feu”, (pot on fire) which Wikipedia defines as a French beef stew. This is usually a mixture of cuts of beef, vegetable, and spice.

Pho had its humble beginnings nearly 100 years ago, and at that time was basically boiled beef, broth and noodles. It has since evolved into much more than that. During the war in Viet Nam, when beef became scarce, a pork version (pho lon) evolved.

The combination of both French and Chinese occupation has led to a diverse, unique cuisine that is admired by many. When the Vietnamese fled to the US in 1975, they brought to the United States their unique cuisine and heritage. It is how Pho was introduced to us…

As a Viet Nam vet, I am probably a bit more familiar with the SE Asian cuisine than most. I also worked for many years with a large population of Vietnamese when doing vocational rehab. As a results, I enjoy the cookery of the East. It is spicy, oft-times hot, and is also very healthy.

Offered here is a basic recipe for Pho. I have spent extra time lately with my brother after Mom’s passing. Howard, also a Viet Nam vet, and I talked a lot about the culture there, and the great meals to be had. He, too, loves the bold, spicy hot foods of the Orient…

We are accustomed to meals of bacon and eggs, French toast, sausages, big whacking slices of ham for breakfast. All loaded with fat grams and way too much cholesterol. Do your self a favor, and try Pho one of these mornings instead…

Enjoy!

Assemble These Ingredients: 3 medium unpeeled yellow onions (approx 1 pound) 4-inch piece unpeeled ginger (approx 4 ounces) 5 to 6 pounds beef soup bones (leg and knuckle bones – have butcher cut into 2-3 in sections) 1 lb flank steak. cut into bite-sized pieces. 5 star anise 6 whole cloves 3-inch cinnamon stick 1 1/2 tablespoons salt 1/4 cup Hot chili sauce 2 tablespoons fish sauce Freshly ground Black pepper 1 ounce rock sugar (duong phen) or 1 tablespoon white sugar

For The Bowl Itself: 1/2 lb sirloin or round steak 1 TBS Cilantro-chopped 2 14 ounce packages of small ( 1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh banh pho noodles 2-3 scallions, with green tops sliced into small rings. 2 cups fresh bean sprouts 2 Limes cut in wedges 1 bunch Fresh mint 1 bunch Fresh Asian or regular basil 2 Fresh chili peppers, thinly sliced (Thai dragon or bird preferred)

To Make The Broth: Char 2 of the onions (reserve the other onion for bowl preparation) and ginger over an open flame to release essential oils and fragrances. They do not need to be blackened – only char to soften. (This can be done under a broiler if no open flame is available). Remove skin and blackened pieces from onions and ginger, remove stem ends from onions and discard. Set aside.

In a large stock pot, place leg bones and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, and rinse under cold running water. Thoroughly clean stock pot, and return cleaned bones to pot. Add 6 quarts of water bring to a rolling boil, and reduce to a gentle simmer. Add onions, ginger, star anise,cloves, cinnamon stick, cut up flank steak, salt, fish sauce, and rock sugar. Simmer about 1 1/2 hours, and remove flank steak. (Steak should be done through but chewy) Cool steak in bowl of cold water to keep it from drying out and turning brown. Refrigerate flank steak. Continue simmering broth for approximately 3 hours, skimming scum and fat from broth occasionally, and stirring bones from time to time.

When done, strain broth through double-folded cheesecloth in a colander to remove any impurities and pieces of tendon. Discard bones. To make preparation of Pho much easier, refrigerate broth overnight. When cold, any excess fat can be easily removed from the cold broth. The idea here is to have a very clear, fat-free broth.

To Prepare The Bowls: Slice the sirloin or round steak against the grain in very thin slices. (Freezing for a half-hour makes this easier) Thinly slice cooked flank steak Heat broth to boiling over medium heat. Blanch noodles in 3-4 quarts of boiling water, and use a strainer to remove each bowl portion. Blanching should only take about 10-20 seconds, until the noodles have lost their stiffness, and are easily managed. If using fresh noodles, simply untangle and rinse in cold water. Blanch bean sprouts in same water until wilted but crunchy.

Fill each bowl approximately 1/4 full with noodles, place cooked flank steak and slices of raw sirloin or round steak on top of noodles. Garnish this with sliced scallions, thinly sliced onions, and chopped cilantro.

Ladle seasoned broth into bowl. The idea here is to have the boiling broth cook the thinly sliced raw steak. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

A garnish plate is served with the completed Pho. It is customary for the diner to pull the leaves from the stalk of the basil and mint to season their meal. Take thinly sliced peppers, swirl them into the soup for added flavor. Add the slice of pepper if you like it very spicy. Lime wedges are used to add a tartness to the soup. Bean sprouts are also used as a garnish.

This variation of Pho is typically served in South Viet Nam. In the North, Pho is a much simpler dish, minus a lot of the ingredients found in this recipe. In the North, Pho is served without the herbs and bean sprouts. Green chilies and lime only are used as condiments. In the South, Pho can be served with a dozen different ingredients.

Pho has become very popular in the United States. There are at last count over 500 Pho restaurants scattered across the US. Pho is often served with spring rolls and egg rolls.