Saigon and the Mekong Delta

Saigon: Modern Chaos with a Distinctive Flavor

Saigon is simply vibrant. Officially it’s Ho Chi Minh City, but locals still favor the older name — perhaps with the exception of party loyalists (none of whom I met). Unlike Hanoi, Saigon feels younger, its downtown a mix of gleaming towers and old buildings mid-demolition.

From rooftop bars overlooking the river, Saigon looks like a wealthy, modern metropolis. Yet that modernity contrasts sharply with the poverty in outer districts and rural areas. The median income here is about one-fifteenth of the U.S. level. Still, wealth measured in dollars isn’t the whole story.  What I think I’ve learned (or re-learned) is that wealth measured monetarily is not always such a great measure.  It turns out crossing the street here is less a gamble and more a dance. Drivers swerve, brake, and smile — honking not in anger but as a cheerful ‘I’m here!’ reminder.  And it just seems Vietnamese are indeed quite happy with their lot.  And according to their definition of poverty, they have one of the lowest rates in the world.

So, to the visits … we first walked through the older part of town, with more than few colonial era buildings.  The French Colonial Post office, for which you will see some pics (click here) was impressive.  Told important artists and scientists were memorialized across the façade, I was surprised to find an American … Ben Franklin … among them.  I take back anything bad I ever might have said about the French!!  Other colonial era buildings include City Hall and an Opera House … somehow, they are all rather seamlessly integrated within the whole of the city. 

You’ll note a very colorful Caodaist temple, a monotheistic religion born in Vietnam in the early 20^th century.  I started to write it was unusual, but much of Vietnam is highly colorful … so maybe just a slightly better exemplar.

The following day we visited the War Remnants Museum which depicted the brutality of the conflict, though it glossed over the North’s own violations of wartime law (and let’s be honest, the Americans weren’t saints either).  I occasionally get lightheaded when I’ve not eaten enough and that happened during the tour … I took a cab back to the hotel and, like always, was fine after an hour laying down.   But I missed the tour of China Town and shopping … and NO, I did not fake the lightheadedness to back out of shopping tour.  Another tour member and I ended up spending the afternoon walking around town and having dinner in a different rooftop hotel bar with a magnificent view of the river. 

 

The Mekong Delta: Boats, Tuk Tuks and Natural Beauty.

On Monday, we drove to the Mekong River delta.  You’ll note in the photos, plenty of flotsam in the dark brown river and its tributaries largely from the flooding throughout Vietnam.  A boat took us across the river where we visited a place that I never quite understood, they had bees and were environmentally active … but ok, next.  We boarded narrow boats rowed by standing oarsmen who glided us through lush tributaries. Photos don’t do it justice – we kept pointing out birds and plants like excited schoolkids. At a family farm we sampled tropical fruits, cooed over a charming baby, and then hopped onto Tuk Tuks for a bumpy ride through the forest to lunch. 

It was a wonderful day; but with boat and bus we got back to Saigon in the evening where we again spent time on the rooftop bar laughing and just enjoying ourselves.

 

Last day …

Our last day offered a morning excursion to see Viet Cong tunnel systems, only a few went and the rest of us had a full day to ourselves.  I ended up in a taxi with four women to Landmark 81, the tallest building in Saigon.  First off, four people in the backseat of a taxi is a bit cozy … but somehow we pulled it off both directions.  We even had the taxi driver (who spoke neither English nor German) in stitches with various antics underway.  From 1,513 feet up, the view was staggering — the city seemed endless, as if Saigon refused to admit it had edges.

We wandered downtown and found a nice café for lunch where we watched several young Vietnamese strike model-worthy poses for what my companions believed to be Instagram posts. Suffice it to say, this old guy from Missouri didn’t quite get the influencer thing. 

My last adventure wasn’t glamorous: stumbling into a pharmacy with eyes like ripe tomatoes. The pharmacist spoke passable English, was kind, and sold me two meds for less than a dollar.  This would develop into a full head cold as our flight neared Germany.   

A few people had their own transportation set for the return.  For example, Katja, our Swiss teammate, was off to Bangkok for three days before heading further west to Europe.  Everyone else departed the hotel by bus for the midnight flight to Frankfurt.  Underway, we capped the trip with one last rooftop bar (with infinity pool), spectacular view, mediocre cocktails, and fantastic camaraderie. A perfect finale to a magnificent journey.