September 22
Saigon
A early morning walk through the Ben Thanh Market as the stall holders were setting up. The number of motorbikes on the road was amazing but they all kept moving better than traffic in Melbourne.
Lea haggled for a beautiful set of 3 lacquered trays. We were surprised by the fabulous fresh flowers available everywhere.
We then did a self guided walking tour around District 1 with all the stunning French Colonial buildings. First was City Hall.
And the avenue in front of it.
Then on to the Opera House.
And Notre Dame
The Post office was very impressive inside with its vaulted ceiling.
We walked on to the War Remnants Museum to meet up with Dave and Anne. Passed Independence Palace on the way.
We also got waylaid by a Coconut Vendor. Ended up costing us over the odds for a coconut but it was fun.
The War Remnants Museum was our first taste of Vietnamese Propaganda. The Museum was originally called “The museum of Chinese and American War Crimes. They have now toned it down a bit. Most of the displays are anti American and show in graphic detail the horrors of the “American War” including some of the results of “Agent Orange”. There is no doubt that the Americans broke the terms of the 1954 Geneva Peace agreement. However, what is less clear is whether or not North Vietnam broke the agreement first.
After a terrible lunch at a local restaurant where our Chicken Soup came out as awful fish porridge we headed back to the Palace of Independence or “Reunification Palace” This was the symbolic end to the war when VC tanks stormed through the palace gates on April 30 1975 and General Minh took control of the South.
The Palace was originally a French building and was rebuilt after being bombed in 1662. It is still in beautiful condition but complete with the added bunkers and war rooms for the South Vietnamese President.
Lovely large spaces and many formal rooms with lots of light and ventilation. A theatre, billiard room, bar and helipad on the roof. All set in beautiful gardens. The 2 red circles near the helipad were where 2 bombs hit. This was the only damage the building sustained during the war.
Heading back to the hotel peak our traffic was on the move again.
We caught up with our German friends Jessica and Mitra at Oceans Sports Bar. We should have known better as we got ripped off for the drinks and even got charged for the towelettes they gave us. Bought some peanuts from a street vendor and then got told we weren’t allowed to eat then at the bar. I gave them a serve and we left. Researched a recommended Pho Restaurant and found a great one thanks to the “Triposa” App I had discovered. Fabulous meal and a great night. We may have overstayed our welcome though as the other tables turned over customers about 5 times while we were there.
Sunday September 23
Cu Chi Tunnels
We had been warned the the Cu Chi Tunnel trip was just a tourist trap but we wanted to do it anyway. Wasted an hour driving around town picking up other customers from the city’s hotels. Then we stopped at a government sponsored craft centre where victims of the war, Agent Orange and handicapped workers were trained and employed to produced handicrafts. They make beautiful inlaid artworks with egg shells, sea shells and paints with a thick lacquer coating. Very nice but very expensive compared to local market prices. We found Lea’s trays for sale at twice the price she paid.
At the tunnel site, which was only 5 km from the site of the main American Base during the war we first watched an original c-1970 film on the tenacity and determination of the VC. It showed women fighting alongside men and other village women and children sharpening bamboo for weapons and booby traps. Easy to see the difficulty the Americans had distinguishing between friend and foe.
Our tour of the Tunnels seemed rushed and emotionless. The guide spoke in a monotone as if reading a script and didn’t wait for the group to reassemble at each display. The tunnel network was over 250 km long. Where we were was 5 km from the Saigon River and some tunnels passed right under the American Base. We saw agricultural but deadly effective man traps designed to maim and hold the victim so that he and his rescuers would then be easy targets. The tunnels were tiny and very well camouflaged with timber lids and leaf litter. Air vents were well hidden as well and kitchen flues were run for 300M to carry any smoke well away from the actual kitchen. The story is that many schools boys and girls were involved in the digging of the tunnels. The VC were amazingly ingenious and committed. It would have been a very tough life living in those tunnels.
Back in Saigon we checked out Dave and Annes flash apartment on the other side of the river. Walked through the hardware shop section of the city and drooled over all the nice goodies for sale. Well Dave and I did anyway. Had a brief swim but it was a bit chilly and breezy up on the roof. We found an authentic American Burger Joint and discovered an immediate craving for Burger and Fries. Jake the owner greeted us personally and we had a great feed. Jake knows how to run a restaurant.
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