Saigon, Vietnam

We arrived in Saigon at 10 AM to cloudy skies, warm temperatures and thankfully not too much humidity.  It was a 50 mile journey up the Mekong River to Saigon from the South China Sea.  This is the largest city in Vietnam, and capitalism done communism style is evident here.  On both sides of the river we saw new high rise apartment buildings or construction cranes.  Slums on the river have been torn down and the residents moved to government housing.  Saigon is a harmonious combination of the old and new.  We were here last year and the amount of building has substantially increased. 

Officially the city is called Ho Chi Minh City, but most people still call it Saigon.  It is a vibrant city full of coffee houses, night life and shopping.  The French occupied Vietnam for over 100 years, leaving a legacy of many outstanding colonial buildings.  The entire population of Vietnam is 90 million, making it one of the most populated countries in the world.  Saigon is a city of nine million people with six million motorbikes.  Cars are still rare as the tax rate is 250%.  If a young man wants to get a girlfriend, he better have a nice Japanese or Harley motorbike, not an inexpensive $250 Chinese brand.  Two adults (wearing helmets) can legally ride on one bike, but they can also carry up to three children (no helmets) and as much stuff as one can fit on it. 

The traffic here is thick with motorbikes, all weaving in and out with no regard for lanes.  They fear no one or nothing. A bus or truck is often surrounded by bikes dodging and changing lanes, or darting in front.  Crossing a street is often a game of chicken.  Once a pedestrian commits to crossing a street, you put your head down and go – do not hesitate or else you might get hit.  The bikes will go around you as they can anticipate which way to move as long as you are moving.  We crossed the main street several times in the past two days and after the first time you will become proficient – or you will be maimed or dead. 

It was a busy two days for us, and the best part of touring this city is coming back to the Sojourn with its air-conditioning and nice shower.  I have to say the buses were comfortable so that was nice.

DAY 1

I had escort duty for the Soul of Saigon excursion.  It was a 4.5 hour tour, with many stops.  Up and down those bus stairs, in and out of the air-conditioned bus into the heat and humidity.  In this part of the world, I have to get used to being sweaty most of the day.  I do not perspire, I sweat.  I HATE IT!  I look like a drowned rat because even my hair gets wet.  This is the last I will talk about it (uh, until next time I’m sure).  I have said this before – being a tourist is hard work, and exhausting.

We stopped at the history museum, my favorite (eyes roiling in back of my head), but what made this different and unique was a water puppet show that was originally staged for the royal family, but today we were treated to this wet performance.  Sitting in uncomfortable straight back bamboo chairs and no air conditioning, the puppets, which looked like mylar balloons, thrashed each other.  Unfortunately, we had no clue what the story was about.  Then came some dancing dolls.  One could see the poles that were attached to the puppets but could not see the handlers that were behind a screen that looked like Astroturf. 

My favorite part of the day was the pedicab, a one person vehicle that is part cart, part bicycle.  The driver pulled the curved part down so when you get in it doesn't fall backwards. Then they mount the bicycle part in back and manually pedal taking you wherever you are going.  Riding on the street with all the crazy buses and motorbikes was quite an experience I will never forget as we weaved and dodged our way through the traffic.

The pedicabs left us off at a lacquer factory, and we saw how the product was made. It is a very labor intensive process and it uses some very unusual ingredients such as crushed egg shells.  The work and artistry was phenomenal. There was a huge showroom filled with coasters, plates, and boxes all the way up to furniture. It was so tempting to buy several pieces, but I am on a no souvenir diet.  

The rest of our stops were not very memorable, at least to me. Another temple with a heavy cloud of incense that gave me a headache, and the former Presidential Palace that is now known as Reunification Hall. We heard the requisite biased presentation of the Vietnam War, and I really had no interest listening to their version of history when several of my classmates never returned home from this place.  They want tourists to come and spend money here and give the economy a shot in the arm, but they would be advised to ratchet down the anti-American stuff. 

    Presidential Palace during war, now Reunification Hall

    These were the gates that the North Vietnamese crashed down to end the war

We returned to the ship, and barely had time to get ready for the evenings entertainment. I gave myself a shot of Fabreeze and some perfume, hoping to mask my sweaty body and clothes as there was no time to shower before it was time to board a bus to go to the opera house.  Many other people were in the same situation, so it wasn't too bad (I hope). 

Opera -- my reaction to the word conjures up the sensation of sucking on a real sour lemon. Yuk!  This was a ship-wide event and no one really knew what we were going to see. Buses dropped us off in front of the opera house and we were greeted with a banner, music, a dancing dragon and pretty girls. Hors d'oveurs and drinks were served in the unair-conditioned lobby, making me glad I hadn't showered and put on clean clothes.  It was tight quarters so we went outside on the balcony trying to catch a breeze. 

    Saigon Opera House

I was hoping that the theater would be air-conditioned; and when the doors were opened, a blast of cold air came out.  Ah, that felt so good. Taking our seats, it wasn't long before we felt cool.  And a little while later, the breeze from the air-conditioning caused us to feel cold.  We all settled in and waited for the performance of "My Village" to start.  This show was created to depict various aspects of traditional life in the country of northern Vietnam.  What we saw was quite unexpected.  There was singing, juggling, acrobatics and dancing all with assorted length bamboo poles. 

    Scene from the show

When the performance was over, the crowd spilled out onto the steps expecting to see buses waiting for us for the return trip to the ship. They showed up festooned with multiple color lights in the interior, something I've never seen before.   

When we returned to the ship, the Seabourn welcoming committee was out in full force singing and handing out drinks and cool towels.  It was a long day and tiring day, but a good day.  A nice long shower and room service was what the doctor ordered.

MICHAEL

At the last minute I was asked to escort an excursion to the Cu Chi tunnels.  I would not have selected this tour on my own, but I was certainly intrigued.  Little did I know!

We began with a scenic tour of Saigon (officially this is Ho Chi Minh City, but virtually everyone calls it Saigon).  We drove past the former location of the US embassy, the Rex Hotel, General Westmoreland's office and residence, and the Tan Son Nhat Airbase, which came under a three-day siege during the 1968 Tet Offensive.  This was the good part of the tour.

We finally arrived at the Cu Chi tunnels, and here is where the tour went south for me.  The tunnels were built by the Viet Cong.  Work began in 1948 during the war against the French, and expanded during the 1960's during (what they refer to as) The American War.  Averaging 31" wide and five feet tall, this maze of tunnels covered over 120 miles.  At one time, over 16,000 people lived in them.

The problem with this tour is that it is intensely anti-American.  It began with an anti-American video and went down hill from there.  Essentially, the tour of the tunnels emphasized the ingenious ways in which the glorious Viet Cong brutally tortured and gruesomely murdered scores of Americans.  Enough said; end of description.

On the return trip to Saigon, we stopped at a lovely country house for lunch.  Sitting in a little covered patio over a stream, we were served a scrumptious seven course meal.  As we watched millions of hyacinth plants floating down the river, I was again struck by the beauty of this country.