A trip to the zoo

On the schedule today was a tour of the city, which ended up as a trip to the Ho Chi Minh City Zoo.  It was a fairly typical zoo, but showed the level to which this city places focus on its flora--all over the city, and all over the zoo there are beautiful flowers and trees.  It's one aspect of this city that I definitely didn't expect.  (A lot of pictures below, so get comfortable.  Dani did a great job at my suggestion of "Take lots of pictures".)

 

best.trashcans.ever

 

This is a memorial/shrine to Viet Nam's first king (Thục Phán, I believe).  There were no pictures allowed inside, unfortunately.

 

The main entrance to the zoo, from the inside pathway.

 

An important quote, apparently, to be cast into a gigantic bronze tablet by the entrance.

 

There are carts around the zoo that sell little bits of food that can be fed to the animals.  People were feeding what seemed to be sugar cane sticks to the elephants and the elephants were all kinds of excited.

 

Norah and I with what must be a long-lost relative of mine.  Note the mostly-bald fuzzy head.

 

A rare snapshot of wild Vietnamese wildlife in crazy high-heeled platform shoes and a big loud dress.

 

A random small pagoda amongst the trees.

 

Dani noted how at home the hippos are always in the water and we have to go below to look at them through the glass.  These things are freakin HUGE.

 

This was how Norah and I spent the majority of the walk around the zoo.

 

Just about all of the trees in Saigon are numbered (for easy record-keeping--the Vietnamese are very thorough record-keepers).  Dani was proud of finding tree #1000.

 

The orangutan's food pile.  Apparently they eat onions--who knew?

 

A gorgeous bonsai garden.

 

Crazy giant squirrel.

 

 

Santa baby.

 

Granddaddy stork.

 

Dani was brave getting up in this ostrich's face.  She could just sense its desire to spit at her.

 

A beautiful lily pond.

 

Flowers growing right out of the side of the trees.