Just arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) from Hanoi yesterday. Saigon is hot and muggy compared to Hanoi, but it’s still a nice city to walk around in. While there are a few daunting big wide boulevards to cross, there are many more small tree-lined streets and big parks, which makes walking a real pleasure.

As I look around, I’m surprised at how little the city seems to have changed since my first visit about three years ago. Yes, there are signs of construction all over the place, including the old Rex, and the Park Hyatt is finally finished, but most of the city seems the same. While restaurants and shops in most major tourist destinations around Southeast Asia seem to come and go, a lot of the old places I knew along Dong Khoi street from three years ago are still there.

Not that nothing is changing. The city is getting a face lift as it prepares to host several preparatory meetings for the upcoming APEC summit, which Vietnam hosts for the first time this year. The old Presidential Palace, now the Reunification Museum, is closed for renovation. It should re-open in June, according to the sign posted in front.

While a lot of the old restaurants I knew from my first visit are still there, they’ve been joined by a few new places. Among these are several cafes serving western styled coffees and food. There’s the Terrace Cafe, Paris Deli and several branches of Ciao Cafe. These have joined the now ubiquitous Highlands Coffee (a Starbucks clone) in serving cappuccinos and lattes in addition to the more traditional Vietnamese coffee.

Not that I have anything against the traditional Vietnamese coffee. On the contrary, I’m developing quite a taste for the thick, strong coffee that smells like chocolate. It will definitely be going on my “don’t miss” list of Vietnam experiences.