We docked very early in the morning at a very depressing and boring looking port called Phu My, Vietnam which is about 2 hours south of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). This is a difficult if not a troublesome port of call for some of us of the “boomer generation”. I hadn’t done any pre-planning about what I was going to do here. I don’t know if I was dagging my feet because of the War in Vietnam’s huge presence in my early adult hood or a lack of interest. Anyway, I did get my act together and went into Saigon with a group of independent travelers. We hired a driver and a van to drive us in and take us to the sites that we were most interested in.
Our group consisted of a couple from New Jersey (Suilan and Walter) SuLin was born in Hong Kong; three German-born women who are now US citizens, me and our visiting Chef, Brown (yes that’s his first name). We all got along fine and really enjoyed each other’s company.
It’s a straight drive into Saigon on bumpy crowded roads by rice fields, a rubber plantation, local shops and homes. The traffic in this area of the world is a hoot. There doesn’t appear to be any order or rules and regulations. You never see a traffic light or a stop sign. Like my friend Dawn says it’s “organized chaos”.
There were a couple of signs along the way that reminded us that we were in a Communist country.
I was very interested in seeing the former US Embassy since I wanted to see the rooftop where the escaping Vietnamese scrambled up into the waiting helicopter in 1973. However, our driver either didn’t seem to understand our request or just didn’t want to take us there instead he drove us to the current US Embassy site.
As I was walking into the Cathedral the driver of this passenger bike asked if I would like a ride, I declined but he insisted on taking my picture.
This was formerly the Presidential Palace where the historical picture of the Communist tank that hit the gate of the Palace to end the Viet Nam war in 1975.
This is where the signing of the agreement that united North and South Vietnam was signed. The inside of this building was very elegant.
This was used by the Vietnam President before 1975.
This stop was a difficult one for me and a few others. To be reminded again of those horrible war years by the very graphic photos that loom large in my memory in the country where it all occurred had a profound affect on me. I had to look away a few times because tears of sadness and shame were starting. It’s a profound emotion to be in a crowd of many nationalities with a large majority of them being Vietnamese and to read about the destruction and war crimes that your country was responsible for.
We then went to the Rex Hotel which has stood for over 80 years as a landmark and a witness to the trials and tribulations of this city. It has been recently renovated and has not lost any of it’s charm or luxurious feeling. We went up to the Rooftop Garden which overlooks the heart of the city with spectacular views. I had read that during the war US military and journalists would gather in the evening for “Five O’clock Follies in just this spot.
It’s really crazy how they hang their electrical wires, very primitive and dangerous looking.
Many years ago President Clinton ate here…
In a side room I spotted this man napping
My German friends bought a cage full of birds and then let them go free. Very fun.
We have the Catholic Archbishop of Seattle serving the Catholics on board the ship. He took a group of them to visit this order of nuns while we were in Vietnam. They came back to the port to say their farewells. It was very touching. Maybe I should have joined a convent, they looked so healthy and happy AND Black is slimming.
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