April 27-30: Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Vietnam by Jeff

We finally made it to our much anticipated first stop in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City. Many locals still refer to it as Saigon, as will I.

 For me, actually seeing Vietnam in person is meaningful, considering the conflict basically started at the time I was born and as I grew up I was exposed to media reports, heated family discussions, and images of helicopters evacuating Americans. The head- and heartache still remains from the United States’ gross miscalculation in entering this war.

 We left Cambodia after a short, but very educational three days.  It was a perfect lead-in to Vietnam considering what we learned from the tour guide we hired (see Cathy’s previous post).  I know most of us realize what the war cost our country, but when you talk to some of the people who were exposed as civilians, and see up close what we did over here, you walk away with an even bigger sense of guilt.

As expected, Saigon was big and crowded, with a million scooters.  We’d already experienced a lot of scooters in Morocco and Egypt, but the amount in Vietnam is unbelievable.

Even though there are so many people, the scooters are constantly in motion, obviously much more efficient than the same amount of cars would be.

With few traffic controls, like stop lights, stop signs, or traffic cops, it’s basically a free-for-all. Amazing to watch but very intimidating to walk alongside.

 As with most of our stays, we had a very comfortable Airbnb on the 38th floor of a building that is part of a complex called VinHomes Central Park.

The area looks newly developed and is surrounded by shops, restaurants and a beautiful park – perfect for my short morning runs.  I say short because it’s still very hot and humid and you need to go early if you go at all.

Most of what we saw has changed since the war, but we did see some sights that reflect back on that time and on our involvement here. It was sobering to see and better understand what happened after the US pulled out of Vietnam, the suffering of those who sided with us, and what it was like here until things softened up and tourism was allowed to flourish, as it is  now. Good things for a 14-year-old to be exposed to.  

Saigon Central Post Office, constructed between 1886-1891, when Vietnam was part of French Indochina. It was designed by Alfred Foulhoux, but is often erroneously credited as being the work of Gustave Eiffel.

Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam.In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica.

What makes a basilica? A basilica is a Catholic church granted special privileges by the pope. There are four major basilicas (St. John Lateran, St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major, all in Rome) and more than a thousand minor basilicas worldwide. Minor basilicas are traditionally named because of their antiquity, dignity, historical value, architectural and artistic worth, and/or significance as centers of worship.

Nguyen Hue Street (Walking Street) runs from Ho Chi Minh City Hall to the Ferry Terminal on the Saigon River.

Bitexco Financial Tower, described as looking like a CD rack (because of the helipad) or a lotus flower (because?). Mick thought it looked like Stark Tower in The Avengers.

Ben Thanh Market: Built in 1870 by the French, the market was initially called Les Halles Centrales before being renamed Ben Thanh in 1912. From a wet market created by street vendors by the early 17th century, Ben Thanh has experienced many ups and downs throughout it’s history, and is now the oldest surviving market and one of symbols of Ho Chi Minh city.

DAY 2 SIGHTS:

Cafe BaBo: For sure one of the weirdest places we’ve had stopped for a drink – in Saigon or anywhere. In fact, if you Google it, one of the first results is “The 10 Weirdest Cafes in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.”

The War Remnants Museum: Just months after the fall of Saigon, in 1975, the government of Vietnam opened the “Exhibition House for US and Puppet Crimes,” featuring propaganda highlighting the horrors of war with a heavy political bent. In the 90s, with the normalization of US/Vietnamese relations, the museum was first renamed “Exhibition House for Crimes of War and Aggression” before ending up with its current name.

  

The Huey, or Bell UH-1 Iroquois is military, single turbosaft helicopter with two-blade main and tail rotors. Originally designated HU-1, hence the Huey nickname, which has remained in common use, despite the official redesignation to UH-1 in 1962. Designed for medical evacuation and utility use, it first flew in 1956 and first saw service in combat operations during the Vietnam War, with around 7,000 helicopters deployed. 

 

I’ve seen the above and below pictures many times in other places, but they never lose their impact.

 There were dozens of nauseating, grotesque photos of children and adults with unimaginable deformities resulting from dioxin exposure. These are two – one Vietnamese and one American child – of the least offensive (believe it or not).

Binh Quoi Tourist Village
About five miles northeast from the Saigon CBD, Binh Quoi Tourist Village was billed as being a tourist attraction, but really it’s more like a pretty park offering elaborate buffet lunches and dinners (which we didn’t try). 

Saigon was a must see city for me, but in all honesty I don’t see making a point of returning here. However, I am looking forward to exploring other areas of Vietnam in our days ahead.