We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on Dec 7, 2017, after eight days in Myanmar. Greg had brought an entire suitcase full of Diet Dr. Pepper bottles to Bangkok at the beginning of our 65-day Southeast Asia Odyssey, however it was now twenty-three days later, and nine days without a single drop of Diet Dr. Pepper.
Dr. Pepper to be found at Chuck’s Burgers
Greg can make do with Pepsi Max, preferring it to Coke Zero, but the night before he scoured, the Internet for Dr. Pepper in Ho Chi Minh City. What he was able to find was an American fast food restaurant called “Chuck’s Burger’s” on Le Lai Street which was reported to serve Dr. Pepper. Here’s a snippet of their on-line menu:
The Harmony Hotel, according to Google Maps, is only 8 minutes walk, that is just over a half a kilometer, from Chuck’s Burgers. That made Chuck’s Burgers our go-to place for dinner on our first night in town.
No pleasant walk in Ho Chi Minh City
Unfortunately, we found Ho Chi Minh City to be a bit different from Thailand and Myanmar – it was ever so much more chaotic, and what was so disturbing was that the motorbikes drove on the sidewalks as if they owned them. Perhaps it would not have been so in less congested areas, but in our area? We tried to walk just that 1/2 kilometer, and struggled to stay on our feet and not get run over. There were moments when we were standing on the sidewalk and actually halted by the gridlock, our legs inches away from hot tailpipes, waiting for the traffic light to change, just so that we could continue walking:
Yes indeedy, Dr. Pepper
With great excitement we ordered our burgers, and Greg his Dr. Pepper:
I’m really sorry to say that we didn’t like our burgers – they were a huge disappointment. But Greg’s Dr. Pepper was not. What was disappointing to him was that the cook / cashier couldn’t tell him where they buy the Dr. Pepper.
This single can (and I believe one to go!) became his only Dr. Pepper in Vietnam.
Source: https://haiphongtours.com