Ho Chi Minh City – Day Two

We took a private tour on day two in Ho Chi Minh City that allowed for us to have direct interaction with our driver and guide and customize the things we were interested in doing without the on/off of a large tour bus. This was important because of the crowded streets within the city. The larger buses are much slower given the traffic constraints I described from our first day. 

We visited the Independence Palace also know as Reunification Hall. It was the home and workplace of the president of the Republic of Vietnam. It was also the site of the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 that ended the Vietnam War, when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates. The above picture was taken outside of the building. It is currently a museum that features the President’s Office, an old war room, a banquet chamber, the Minister’s cabinet room, a conference hall and on its roof a helicopter that was used during the Vietnam War. There is a Vietnamese T-54 tank at the garden entrance.

We also visited the Jade Emperor Pagoda, a Taoist temple built in 1909. This temple was stuffed with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes. Incense was burning in and outside the temple. Its roof had elaborate tile work and the temple’s statues, depicting characters from both Buddist and Taoist lore were present. Worshippers were present during our tour and we were witness to their rituals involving prayers for this life and the next, fertility and luck. Each room or chamber had special meaning and ritualist properties for its followers. Most involved bringing gifts for the divinities. I can only liken it to the small offerings I’ve seen in Vietnamese nail salons in America. Many of you will have seen these offerings if you have been in an American nail salon run by Vietnamese Americans, just in much larger quantity. This also turned out to be beneficial (to me) in understanding the dialect. Joe struggled a bit more than I did, given my years of interaction with Vietnamese manicurists. No joke.

We next visited the Central Post Office. It is on the list of 20 ancient Post Offices in the world and is considered an architectural masterpiece of Saigon City. It was evident that there was a great deal of pride in the building from our guide. It was built between 1886-1891 and boasts towering vaulted ceiling and arched windows and has a mix of European architecture – French, Gothic and Renaissance along with East Asian design. Most interesting, is that it is still a working post office and it has large banks of telephone booths that are very ornate but no longer working. The designer of the building was Gustave Eiffel, who was the architect of some iconic constructions including the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. 

We also visited Saigon’s Notre Dame Cathedral. We were only able to see the outside of the building as it is currently closed to the public. It is one of the oldest churches in the city and is undergoing a mass restoration process at the moment. It was constructed between 1863 and 1880 by the French, and reaches a height of up to 60 meters. The Cathedral is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Saigon. Its bright pink color makes it visible on the city skyline.

Our next stop was the Binh Tay Market, home to what is considered to be one of the greatest Saigon markets. Originally, Saigon had a trading area called the New Market, where merchants gathered to exchange goods and when it became to cramped and inadequate for the growing demands of the city, this market was constructed. It has a century old history and the new market was completed in 1930. It was restored in 1992 to preserve its architectural charm. We wandered around here and bought a few necessities likes socks, toiletries and makeup and resisted buying the hundreds of shoes and handbags, t-shirts and hats that were available along with household goods galore. Unfortunately, after shopping, we had run out of tour time so headed back to the Odyssey. 

Each time we leave a port during daylight hours there is a sail away party on deck and today was no exception. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of the skyline views of a city we have just discovered. The passengers are all very jovial and enjoy the drinks and music as we depart. As the sun set we left Ho Chi Minh City behind. 

We have been at sea since and the water has been very rough. This is the first time that we have felt “funny in the tummy” since our initial day onboard while adjusting and getting our sea legs. While dining last night the ship struggled with the wind and waves and both of us have been taking ginger pills to quell the nausea we are experiencing. Joe put his relief band on his wrist today but I haven’t had to just yet. Hoping that things will calm down as we make our way toward Da Nang through the South China Sea.