Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - March 19, 2012

Vietnam may mean many different things to people in the USA.  Yes, the Vietnam War (known as the “American War” locally) was ugly for our soldiers and the people of Vietnam.  I am happy to report that the signs of war were few where we traveled along the road from the port of Phu My, to Ho Chi Minh City (which most of the former South Vietnamese still call Saigon).  I looked out the window of the bus for signs of bunkers along the rivers and for bomb indentations in the earth that were shown during a documentary on TV.  I only saw one bomb indentation.  Most everything else out the window was an incredible number of people running their small businesses along the roadside, or walking along the road next to cows, or riding one of the gazillions of motor scooters going somewhere. 

Typical Scene from Phu My to Saigon

Two Wheel Chaos on Hwy 1

Rice Field

Our tour guide gave a synopsis of the country’s history and current geometrics (which we write down but didn’t check for accuracy )—

A population of 88 Million, with 75% under age of 27, 4 million motorcycles just in Saigon, still a Communist type country but that seems more a matter of convenience than belief, education not free or compulsory, at 18 years old all men must serve in the military unless they are in university, no telephones at home since everyone has a cell phone, Religions--Buddhist 90%, Christian 9 % and the rest is Hindu with only 50,000 Muslims, primarily a vegetarian country because of the type of Buddhism practiced.



Nice Shoes

He also said the women are covered top to bottom not out of modesty but rather because they don’t want to have any sun on their skin as the lighter you are the better it is; they view either lily white or very black as the beautiful colors.  We think some people are wearing masks not so much to stay “beautiful” but because riding on a motorcycle along busy smog-filled roads can’t be too good for respiratory systems.  Girls in high-heels with socks – very stylish!

Sun Protection?

As the bus drives us through the city, the tour guide points out the various buildings that the French built dating from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.  Saigon was originally known as the “Paris of the Orient”.  The US Embassy no longer has the famous building that the embassy staff evacuated by helicopter in 1973.  Clinton had it torn down and rebuilt the embassy in Hanoi, along with a smaller complex in Saigon.  The French have their original embassy buildings that we can still see through the gates.   

Vietnam Spaghetti Wires

As we drive around Saigon, we get the impression that the very first piece of electrical wire ever strung in Saigon is still hanging there, and every time they build a new building or house, they string a new piece of wire all the way from the generating plant to the new structure.  All of the electrical wire, cable, telephone, etc are in huge bundles above the street level, but right at eye level from the bus.

Museum Statues



The tour bus takes us to a history museum that houses an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating the evolution of the cultures of Vietnam.  A traditional Vietnamese water puppet performance is held for us – what a remarkable performance by such skilled and dedicated puppeteers!

Water Puppets

Laquer ware designer

Next stop is a lacquer-ware factory.  The people crafting the products are sitting outside in a small alleyway, hunched down working on a new piece.  Inside the store is an amazing assortment of items to buy, all made by the workers sitting outside.   

One of the oldest Buddhist temples is tucked away between other buildings – we would never have found this historic temple on our own.  Amazing porcelain carvings and lots of incense offerings still being brought to this temple.

Carvings & Spirals of Incense

We stop at French buildings still in use - Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and Presidential Palace (now called Reunification Hall) where the Vietnamese liberation tank crashed through its front gates on April 30, 1975 signaling the end of the Vietnam War.  There is a park here and many beautiful tall trees, most over 100 years old, which somehow survived all the many wars this land has experienced.


Musicians at Majestic Hotel



Enjoying Rex Hotel & Coffee

City Hall

The Majestic Hotel is our lunch stop, with music and dance performances provided while the crowd eats traditional food buffet style.  After lunch we make a stop at the Rex Hotel to go to the rooftop bar area for a coffee or beer.  This is where the US Army Officers hung out at during the Vietnam War.  We have our first taste of Vietnamese-grown robusto coffee served in the traditional Vietnamese way – with lots of condensed milk and tons of sugar.  Right near here is the beautiful wedding-cake-like historic building now the City Hall that once was the Hotel d’Ville.


River Scene in Saigon



Street in Saigon

Now off to the airport.  Just before we reach the airport, the tour guide points out that the gates of the US Army Base during the war are still standing.  The Ho Chi Minh City Airport structure on the outside looks old, perhaps dating back to “American War” days, but inside it is brand new with lots of duty free shops stuffed with designer goods, American and British liquor and French perfume.

 

US Army Base Gate

Our flight departs for Cambodia and we are left with only our impressions of Vietnam from this short visit – industrious people, amazing sights, culturally-rich, friendly country, expanding, growing and constantly changing.