Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Grandpa S. came to visit so we thought it only appropriate to take him out of Singapore and show him around a little. He, Patrick and I made a trip up to Vietnam for the weekend. There was wonderful sights to behold and amazing food to eat. Here are a few highlights:

Bikes, either cycles or motor are the beasts of burden in this area of the world. They carry anything and everything you can imagine. We saw some amazing things. Food, hardware, and people all stacked high and deep, to the point we thought they would collapse!

 Over 80% of the population owns a motor bike and they are all out on the street at any time of day. They zip in and out of each other and not once did we see an accident. They are pretty good at it. Also the thing I loved about Saigon was the blend of old and new. You see these well used items, like this cart here and then a nice new polished building or neighborhood. Vietnam's economy is booming right now and we were able to see how much growth is going on. Condos and businesses are popping up right among the traditional things Vietnam has to offer.

Vietnam was occupied by the French starting in the 1800s well into the 1900's. They left some noticeably french influences like this Notre Dame Cathedral. As well as french food and bakeries and European styled houses. This church sticks out in the center of District 1 and is such a sight to behold amidst the rest of the Vietnamese style.

 We stayed at this lovely hotel La Jolie. They upgraded us and were so helpful we really enjoyed our stay and we would recommend it to anyone!

 We arrived in the morning and by the time we had settled in we were ready to go out and see the sights. So many of the street vendors and workers wear the iconic asian hat. And of course these ladies were traveling around on their bikes. They had stopped to chat and reorganize themselves. Just one moment after this she removed her hat to cover her face from the camera. They don't love having their pictures taken and we felt a little ashamed pointing it around. We definitely reigned it in, in comparison to other trips. But there are just some things that need to be captured!

 I like to take pictures of street signs in other countries. I love the symbols!

 The first day we made it to the big market down the street. So many things for sale. I love markets. So many colors, shapes and items. This first store was so delightful to be in. Everything was brightly colored and fluffy.

 This market had everything you could want. And the little stalls stayed by its own kind. Whether it was food, shoes, clothes, jewelry or dishes. There were 4 shops right next to each other to offer you the same thing. This one was dried fruits, nuts, fish and everything else you can imagine. These little stalls are pushed so close together you can barely get through the isles. Especially when its busy. So many people shopping and sellers hawking their wares. Some are so bold and get mad at you if you don't buy something.

 These motorcycles are selling fishies in a bag!

 This cycle is carrying a small family. I even saw a cycle with a husband, wife and 4 kids on ONE bike. It was crazy. They had a little two year old standing on the legs of the mother. Completely insane to me. I do wonder what motorcycle mortality rate is there.

 Just up from the market we stopped at a corner cafe and just watched the cycles go by. Each stop light would collect rows and rows of bikes. When the light turned green it looked like they were all coming straight for you!

Day 2 we went to the Mekong Delta. It's about an hour or so outside of the city and where farmers come to sell their food wholesale. People from the city come to buy and then take it to their shops to resale. This is what they call the floating market. The sellers come for about 4 months at a time to live on the water and sell right out of their boats. Once their boats are empty, they go back to their farm to fill up again. All these old worn boats fill the water. We went in the afternoon so there weren't as many as the morning, but it was easy to picture the boat traffic of people selling and buying in the early hours.

 Every boat we saw we loved. They all had so much life and character. Each one had its own reason for being photographed. Of course once you get home, your memory card is full of boat pictures! I love this picture because it shows all the T.V. antennas. A very large majority of Vietnamese have T.Vs in their homes. And its funny to see the antennas poking the sky.

We stopped in a small village for lunch and were sent on a bike ride (it was a tour thing) While out we came across a local school. Here are the kids learning their sums!

 We also got to take a long-boat ride. And of course it was so hot so they provided us some hats. I already had purchased one, but the boys weren't too keen on owning one so they had to use the old smelly ones provided. Patrick wasn't too excited about that.

 The bikes they let us use to ride through the town were worn out, at best. They were rickety and had flat tires, but it was fun taking a tour nonetheless. They had one main sidewalk that was used for walking, and riding both bikes and motorcycles. We had to veer to the side every time one came through.

 We stopped at a local market in the area and found all these live roosters and ducks for sale. Couldn't help but get a picture of that.

The last major tour we did was of the Cu Chi Tunnels. They are also out of the city and were a main battleground during the Vietnam War (which they call the American War).

The Viet Cong built underground tunnels in which they would hide during American air strikes. 

We get a chance to go in one and they are tight as can be. SO hot and cramped and almost impossible to walk through. You have to be completely crouched down. They definitely weren't build for our "big" American bones. At some points the tunnels were so narrow the people could only get through them by crawling on their stomachs. Which is mind boggling to me. I only went a little stretch to try it out. The idea of being in their for too long made me a bit panicky.

And of course this post would not be complete without addressing the elephant in the room....Not a real elephant of course, but the question of what it was like being in this country that changed our history, our politics and our social acceptance of war. So...what was it like? These are the times I wish I was eloquent in speaking. I wish I could describe each thought and feeling as it passed through me. I won't even try considering its really my bedtime, but I do have a few thoughts:

It was amazing to be here and learn more about the history of Vietnam and the part we played in that history. I checked out some books before we went and they provided a lot of extra insight on things from that time. Things I knew and things I didn't.  It was difficult to be there and see it up close. Both what we did and also what the Viet Cong did as well. There was propaganda which of course didnt sit well, but then there was glaring truth staring you in the face, which makes it impossible to ignore what we did there. How much we affected this country and its people. It was a reminder that war is never cut and dried. Never about just being right or wrong. And a lot can be skewed when war is justified as liberation for the oppressed.

One of the things I was amazed to see (that I had read about) is that the Vietnamese people are so gracious and kind (except when your taking their picture ; )  I never felt they were looking at us as "those Americans" or felt they had animosity for us because of our shared history. Instead they are looking to the future. They desire all that is good for their families and country and it seems they know the only way to find it is to leave the past and move forward. We could learn a lot from them. Indeed my heart and mind has grown from our trip there and it is something I will never forget. It is a beautiful place and I hope we can go back to visit other areas that I know will be just as beautiful and stimulating. I love these trips because I see so much clearer and can appreciate my life in so many ways that I easily forget. To put it simply I am humbled and gratitude fills my heart for what I have, who I am and the responsibilities I have here on the earth.