Saigon
The bus ride to Saigon was rough. Leaving from Nha Trang the night before,the journey is about 10 hours, which we spent laid flat in assigned “sleeper seats” (which beg for a more realistic name), bumping along as the bus careened southward. When we arrived in the city, the speakers on the bus ceiling blasted to life, blaring a poorly covered reggae song at full concert volume, and abruptly waking everyone on the bus. When we lurched to a halt a few blocks later, blearily hefting our packs as we searched for baguettes and Vietnamese coffee, it was just after 6 am.
In hindsight, though, our bumpy landing here was a pretty good introduction to one of the most hyperactive cities in Asia. Saigon (which is what everyone calls it, not Ho Chi Minh City) is huge, loud, and fast. It’s also lots of fun.
There are lots of attractions around here that are war related, and they do a nice job of balancing the fun stuff (crawling through underground tunnels, firing antique machine guns) with the grim realities of landmine victims and those suffering from ailments caused by exposure to agent orange. We covered the bases, doing a morning tour of the Cu Chi tunnels before visiting the War Remnants Museum. It’s difficult to look at the displays of the weapons used by both sides in the war, and of the photographs documenting their effects, but it absolutely lends new perspective to familiar history.
Another of our favorite memories here was a motorbike taxi ride we took from the museum back to our neighborhood. We each climbed aboard the back of a scooter and watched each other weave in and out of view as we zipped though the city, over sidewalks and into oncoming traffic, before arriving, thrilled but unscathed, near our hotel.
We finally found some awesome pho here (turns out hoisin suace is only used in the far south), and ate a magnificently spicy Indian meal in a tiny halal restaurant we stumbled into. The coffee is amazing, and while the traffic is no less insane than in hanoi, the streets are mercifully wider, allowing the motos to flow by as a river instead of a flash flood.
We spent 3 days here, then got on (you guessed it) a bus, and set out for the Cambodian border at Moc Bai. Next entry: Phnomn Penh and Angkor Wat!
December 17th, 2009 at 8:31 am
The way the trees spread out to form the supports for the roof over the shooting gallery is very cool, and I see what you mean about the weapons being a really grotesque reminder of what went on in Vietnam, especially the nail board. Fires up the imagination regarding pain, suffering and death. As John Lennon said at the time, “Give Peace A Chance.”
December 17th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Even though I’ve watched Denver grow into a big city, I see the congestion and pace of life in the cities you have visited make this look like it’s still a cowtown. Speaking of that, how was the food at the Dung Cafe? Brian, you’re majorly too big to be a Viet Cong – you no fit in tunnel. Enjoy the plane ride and the beach!