Today's math lesson: Ben Thanh market + hot weather x 6 kids = bad idea

This is what that combination will get ya:

Baby no-name seems to be warming up to us a little more now, and we even get an occasional smile from her. She's beginning to look for me and reach for me sometimes. But the poor little thing is so constipated, and her tummy hurting her. She hasn't had a BM at all since we've had her. I had heard that the babies from this orphanage are often constipated; I don't know if it's the formula or what. I've been mixing some prunes with her rice cereal, so hopefully this will do the trick, because she's just miserable.

We decided to take a taxi to Ben Thanh market this morning--Ben Thanh is a huge marketplace where you can find almost anything, and you have to bargain for prices. I wanted to get all the girls Ao Dai's, the traditional Vietnamese garb. It was very hot and crowded and the merchants were a *bit* pushy. We weren't in there 2 minutes before we came across a booth selling the Ao Dai's, and the moment we showed interest they were on us like flies on you-know-what. They *are* gorgeous outfits, but I don't think I did a very good job of bargaining on them. They ended up selling me traditional outfits for the boys too. I'm such a pushover. After that, we walked around the market for a little while longer, but the kids were complaining and wanted to leave. I definitely want to go back sans children to look around more and pick up some gifts and souvenirs. So we left the market and walked down the street a few blocks to a Highland's Coffee that we had passed in the taxi. I had heard they had good fruit smoothies and coffee drinks, so we had a nice lunch here.

Pad thai was very good:

After lunch, we walked around a bit in downtown Saigon. I finally found a camera/electronics shop to get a new battery charger to replace the one I fried yesterday. Then we got a taxi and headed back to the hotel. We're relaxing here in the A/C for a while before we head out to try to find a new place for dinner. Sweetie pie took a nice nap, but she's still not feeling the best.

Tomorrow we are going to see the Cu Chi tunnels--an underground network of tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the "American War" as they call it here. The hotel has arranged for a van and driver to pick us up in the morning and take us to the tunnels, and also a temple.