Arriving early at the Da Nang airport I had plenty time to search for an accommodation in Saigon. It didn’t take long until I discovered a Lonely Planet “Our Pick” guesthouse called “Miss Loi’s Guesthouse”. I was to discover the next morning that the editors at Lonely Planet nailed that pick. Miss Loi’s Guesthouse was located in District 1. The rooms were very clean and the staff was very attentive and helpful. And considering that the cost only 12 USD per night, which is extremely cheap for Saigon, it was fantastic bargain. I didn’t care much for the very thin bed sheets, but who’s complaining for that price. Miss Loi’s Guesthouse definitely gets a 5-star rating from rucksacktravel.com 
Unfortunately, I forgot to take some pictures of the guesthouse.
After I settled in my room, I suddenly realized that I forgot my Lonely Planet guide in the cab as I was driving from the airport. I thought I’d give the taxi company a call the next morning and have them look for it. It was also then, when I started to fully contemplate how dependent I’ve become on Lonely Planet. Way to go LP! 
But luckily the guesthouse had an older copy of the guidebook, so I was able to plan out my day and visit the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum and the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens (ranked eighth among the oldest zoos in the world). Below you’ll find some of the pictures I took during the course of that day.
While I was in the Reunification Palace I got a call from the taxi company letting me know that they weren’t able to find my guidebook. Well, I didn’t have much hope anyway, so I decided to get another copy at a local book store. After visiting 4 or 5 book stores, which oddly enough all didn’t have Lonely Planet guidebooks in stock, I thought this was no coincidence and decided to interrogate a sales rep. I asked him if I can purchase an original LP guide in any book store in Saigon or if it’s just not available in general. Finally, he told me that the Vietnamese government does not allow the selling of LP guide books. So my hunch was right! The reason is most likely the history section that every LP guide has at the beginning of the book.
Now, I was left with no alternative than to commit a crime and purchase the most current LP on the black market a.k.a. the streets. It didn’t take long to find a complice who would sell me a copy. I haggled down the seller from 10 USD to 5 USD. The original would have cost over 24 USD and the copy was extremely well forged. Damm, why did breaking the law feel so good? 
In the evening of that day I decided to go to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens and found some strange and peculiar things there. One of things I observed really quickly, was the fact that some of the animals there weren’t in really good shape. Take the lion in the video below for instance. See how he’s walking back and forth with an apathetic look? That’s a very strong indication that the animal has a mental problem, often caused by stress or other factors such as limited activity or lack of exercise. Other animals in the zoo were in the same kind of condition, though luckily not all.
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I then attended a meeting at the zoo that reminded me of the executive meetings at the company I work for. It was pretty much the same. A bunch of executives sitting together talking bullshit the whole time
The Reunification Palace
The War Remnants Museum
The Streets of Saigon
Botanic Gardens
Related Posts
- Vietnam Trip, Day 14 | My Departure from Vietnam and Why Communist Countries suck!
- Vietnam Trip, Day 13 | Cu Chi Tunnels and Climbing in Saigon
- Vietnam Trip: Day 2/3 | Hanoi and the Beginning of my Journey through Vietnam
- Vietnam Trip: Day 4 | Time for Some Adventure
- Vietnam Trip: Day 6 | Ninh Binh, Tam Coc and Dog Meat
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