#18 - HCMC, Or Saigon ???

Saigon Crazy

This city is BIG. Big and crazy. 

13 million people and what seems like 5 million scooters.

As we said goodbye to our guide, Tri, today he had only a couple of words of advice.

Only get in or call a taxi whose phone number is either 38 27 27 27 or 38 38 38 38. Everyone else will not be honest with a meter - AND
Even though there will be hundreds of scooters driving down the street, just put up your arm, all the way like you are raising your hand in school and start crossing. The scooters will go around you. 

Number 1 is easy as 90% of the cabs have these phone numbers. Number 2 is hard and pretty scary the first time, still scary the second time....the third and the fourth too. By the fifth time, you start to just not look at the oncoming bikes or you cross with a local. 

So, if you can’t find a cab with the right number AND it’s too hard to walk in the brutal traffic, what can you do? Call an Uber of course. What a surprise when he arrives on a motorbike!

Today we had our first afternoon to ourselves. We walked around District 1, the old City, through the Ben Thanh Market, where the workers were a bit less laid back, and had our first Bahn Mi at the Street Food Court....and no one seemed to care that we lost all the electricity for half the meal. 

Ben Thanh Market

...Some unusual meal choices...

It turns out that Saigon has 13,000,000 people and not 5,000,000 but actually 11 Million motorbikes. Now you might be wondering why I say Saigon and not Ho Chi Minh City or HCMC.  Well, Saigon was the original City, a capital. But much later on a large additional area was incorporated and since then the new bigger city is indeed HCMC. However, the historical center, District 1, is actually still considered Saigon so now when I say Saigon, Steve can stop correcting me. 

Easier to make deliveries in town on motorbike

Day 2 brought a full day guided tour with another easy to talk to, easy to understand guide, Lam. Only 28, married with a little baby and a big smile, took us early Sunday morning to the more local ‘hood where we walked through small alleyways seeing non-tourist HCMC and sipping delicious Vietnamese coffee in a very small cafe.

Marci and Lam

We did temples and a fabulous local lunch we would never have stumbled into ourselves. It is where Lam takes his family when they go out for a lunch or dinner. During all these stops, we were clearly the only white farangs ( foreigners) within a mile. 

...... “Now....how do I eat all this?....”

Enjoying the local restaurant scene...

Although we had some conversations about the ‘war’ with our guides and in villages, today we went to the War Remnants Museum. Twice the government acquiesced to changing the museum’s name after American tourists were offended. As we were approaching the museum, Lam shared with us that there are actually four names given to the 'war'..... 

1. The Vietnam War (American name)
2. The American War (Vietnam name)
3. The Civil War,  &  4. The Communist War......both of which Lam said were far more correct.

The museum is, of course, completely from the perspective of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong who WON the war. But regardless of where you live or how you felt about the war, the photos show atrocities committed by the Americans, especially Agent Orange, the gift that keeps on giving.

Here in Saigon you would never know you were in a communist country. Capitalism abounds in huge glittering malls and Xmas decorations, in free access to information and in the lack of membership in the Party. These South Vietnamese describe themselves as ‘middlemen’ or as I interpret it, they want to stay out of politics and simply live a decent life. 

Central Post Office in Sai Gon (yes, 2 words)

We expected Saigon to have a very French feel; after all, the French occupied this country for almost 100 years. The Hotel du Ville (City Hall) and the Central Post Office and a few other buildings do have that look but not much more of the city. I expected small bistros with wicker seats facing the street where we could have a coffee or wine but they were impossible to find. We did, however, have a cocktail at the rooftop bar of the Rex Hotel, a charming five star hotel where the American journalists used to gather every night to drink, swap stories and watch the ‘fireworks’ over the city. And we finally caved on our last night and passed on Asian food in lieu of a small French bistro for a Frisee au lardon salad and a tartare...yum!

at the Rooftop Bar at the Rex Hotel...City Hall in background

Last morning in Saigon, another early wake up to drive to see the Cu Chi (Gucci) Tunnels. This is an area outside Saigon, more jungle like, where the Viet Cong built their network of tunnels, bunkers and boobytraps. The tunnels were actually constructed for the local people to hide in safety during the French War. But then they were repurposed by the Viet Cong during the American War. Visiting these tunnels it is amazing to understand how the Viet Cong, who were very cut off from the North Vietnam troops and supplies, could use what they had to catch and maim the Americans. Simple contraptions made of sharpened bamboo designed to trap and harm, but NOT kill our soldiers, underground kitchens with pipes that took the smoke and brought it above ground 100 meters away to trick the Americans, and tiny intricate tunnels that went up and down and split off causing fear and claustrophobia - this is what the Viet Cong could do with nothing but their labor and creativity. They captured an American tank and instead of using it, they took it apart to understand where it was weakest for the best way to attack it. Then they used the metal to create weapons. All this is fact even though the tunnels we crawled through are partial reconstruction.....to allow (fat) American tourists to fit it!

What may not be fact is the movie we watched at the end. This was pure propaganda, much like we do in war, just the other version.

Today we fly to Phu Quoc, an island where we will do NOTHING but relax. Maybe we’ll leave our resort to head to Mango Bay Resort for dinner with Oscar and Alicia, some friends from the boat who are also on the island this week. I am hoping for sunshine, a Long Beach to walk on and maybe another massage or two.