Next Stop: Ho Chi Minh City

Once we got to Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon, we were all feeling much better. Ketan joined us for the weekend so it was nice to add another person to the group. Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) was a much more cosmopolitan city than Hanoi. It didn't feel like we were "roughing it" so much, but in a modern city. I was surprised how nice parts of Ho Chi Minh were. While the city was Vietnamese, it did have a French influence. There were many well-maintained churches and historical structures, nice hotels and some big shopping complexes. There were also a few Gucci and Louis Vuitton stores, which usually means the city has money. 


The most remarkable (and scary) part about the city was the sheer number of motor bikes. When you were out on the street, you could hear a steady stream of beeping and revving of motor bike motors. When crossing the street, you had to be aggressive and step out in front of them. Otherwise, you'd never get anywhere. I was more worried about the cars than the motor bikes because the motor bikes would maneuver around you.

Ho Chi Minh City Opera House

Notre Dame

Ben Thanh Market

Motor bikes!

More Motor Bikes

Ketan carrying a basket of coconuts to sell

Two of the biggest attractions in HCMC are the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum. The Reunification Palace was finished in 1966 and saw four Presidents live there until 1975, when the North Vietnamese crashed through the gates with their tanks and  established the Communist government, which still rules today. We toured the Palace and while it was interesting, there wasn't that much to see. Basically, you got see a bunch of the rooms, many of which are still used today. It was evident the decor hadn't changed since 1975. 


The War Remnants Museum, on the other hand, was intriguing. Originally, the museum was known as the Museum of American War Crimes, but it was changed to War Remnants Museum. The museum is effectively a propaganda museum for the Vietnamese Communist regime because it is highly critical of only the US. Outside the museum,there are tanks, choppers and aircraft from the war. Inside the museum, they have many floors dedicated to the "American War", as they called it. One was dedicated to the lead up to the war, and showed protests from all over the world about "America's aggression" in Vietnam. There was an exhibit that showed grotesque pictures about agent orange and its effects. There was a really interesting exhibit showing photos from journalists (both Vietnamese and American) who were killed in action. There was also an exhibit showing the weapons and atrocities performed by American soldiers, including the use of chemical defoliants and Agent Orange. 
It was odd to see the Vietnam War from the Viet Cong's perspective. Also, I realized that I didn't know as much about the Vietnam War as I should. My primarily and secondary education always seemed to stop at WWII and never quite made it to the Vietnam War. 

Outside the Reunification Palace. This tank is one of the two
that crashed through the gates in 1975. 

Reunification Palace

Elephant Feet at the Reunification Palace

Outside the War Remnants Museum

Outside the War Remnants Museum (during a torrential downpour)

Inside the War Remnants Museum

Vietnamese Propaganda

Justin