Saigon's name was changed to Ho Chi Minh City in 1976 by the victorious communists, but the city is still popularly known as Saigon. We were here for a week including a short trip exploring the Mekong Delta, so it was nice to settle in and explore a little more deeply. Most of the tourist sights are related to the war, but we found plenty of interesting ways to fill the time.
Highlight was a murder mystery tour (Urban Tales) of Saigon's Chinatown! Priscilla and I were brought in to investigate the murder of "Dr Lam". We searched the crime scene, explored the atmospheric neighborhood of Cho Lon, and unraveled a complicated story involving the Black Dragon cult and ancient artefacts. We were super sleuths and cracked the case all by ourselves. And they would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for us meddling kids!
Speaking of kids, we made friend with a group of university students practicing English with foreigners in the local park. We later went with some of them to tour the claustrophobic Viet Cong war tunnels in Cu Chi.
Back to history. The US withdrew combat forces from South Vietnam in 1973, and the North Vietnamese overran it in 75. The Presidential Palace (now the "Reunification Palace") is the major symbol of the fall of Saigon, plus the dramatic images of crowds trying to board overloaded helicopter evacs. The palace was the seat of government, and when the NVA captured the city tank #185 broke down the gate and it's crew hoisted the North Vietnamese flag here. The palace is almost exactly as it was in 1975, and you can explore the offices, meeting rooms, living areas, and basement command bunker. It looks too modern to be so historically significant.
The nearby War Remnants Museum has stunning war photography and stomach-churning exhibits on war crimes and the health problems and birth defects caused by Agent Orange defoliant chemicals.
Moving on from tragic war history, Saigon is Vietnam's largest city and is bustling with activity. Swarms of motorcycles are everywhere, and you cross the street by avoiding cars and letting the motorcycles flow around you like water. We enjoyed crossing the street, seeing the latest blockbusters for under $3 (Specter and Mockingjay II), and sampling the Pasteur Street Brewery's craft beers.
We also did a two-day tour of the Mekong river delta. It was an underwhelming package tour, where it's kind of a racket and everyone asks for tips, but it was nice being out on the water so much and it's good to do one of these whenever we forget how much we dislike package tours. We went to the famous Cai Rang floating market, where locals sell anything you can imagine from their boats (as long as you mostly imagine produce). Also got to see a coconut candy workshop and rice noodle workshop.
Why a week in Saigon? We luckily were able to overlap for the last night of our visa with some old friends! Spent a very enjoyable night at a street restaurant with a lively local clientele.
-Peter
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