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| Motorcycles here and there |
Travel to the city from the airport wasn’t that long and we didn’t get bored. The first thing that we noticed is the pack of motorcycles which surrounded the bus especially when traffic lights are red. In Manila, we have roads with Motorcycle lane but in Vietnam, they have roads with car lane. Our tourist guide mentioned that each one in Vietnam owns 3 things and one of which is a motorcycle. It is estimated that currently, the motorcycles on the Roads of Ho Chi Minh is around 7 million units. It is probably because it is very convenient and low maintenance for a developing country like theirs.
It wasn’t long until we reached the city center where the tour guide decided to bring us to the Reunification Palace before we start our tour proper. She dropped us right in front of the gates and mentioned that it was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War until 1975 when the war officially ended and North and South Vietnam officially became 1 country. As this was not part of our tour, we were only allowed to take photos outside and hurriedly boarded the bus to proceed with the tour.
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| The Reunification Palace |
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral is located at the downtown of Ho Chi Minh. Its structure is inspired by France and materials used were directly imported from France. The bell towers, on the other hand, were only added in the late 1890s. In the short span of time that we were there (and it was a Saturday morning) we noticed that there are a lot of couples lined up to get married there. There was an ongoing even an ongoing wedding ceremony when we entered the Cathedral.
We were directed to go to the Central Post Office adjacent the cathedral. This is one of the oldest buildings in the city which was built in the 1880s. The building was designed by the famous Gustave Eiffel and the building is Gothic and French inspiration combined. Its grand exterior really captures the eyes of all people passing through Paris Commune Street. It is said to be the busiest post office in Vietnam, mainly because other than the normal business that they do, the building is also visited by heaps of tourists on a daily basis. Couples getting married at the Notre Dame Cathedral also make sure they have their pictures taken here!
Weather was warm in Ho Chi Minh so after a few outdoor shots, we were tired, thirsty and hungry. The tourist guide then said the magic word… Lunch! Now everyone’s looking forward to our first authentic Vietnamese meal, right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh.
One thing that I find it different here in Vietnam is how the tourist guide taught us how to cross the road, especially for tourists. In Manila, we are to look left, look right and then cross. In Vietnam, it has been a practice of most to just cross the street in your normal pace and the motorbikes will just avoid you. We found this odd until we actually experienced it that we fully understood the logic behind. As we arrived Khaoi Restaurant, we were directed to the second floor where we were served our lunch. This was the first time that most of us were able to try snails wrapped in caul fat (which was actually very good) and their local iced tea (which was literally tea with ice) nonetheless, we all enjoyed lunch and each other’s company.
We were all full after our yummy meal and felt sleepy and tired but we still have an afternoon of scheduled tours to follow. We had our first crossing the street experience upon arriving the War Museum but as this was a tourist spot, there are staffs who are assigned to assist tourists crossing the road. The museum was not located on the main road so there were no traffic lights by the street. Upon reaching the building, we were welcomed by the children whose parents were exposed to agent orange. My heart began to sink as I see these innocent young people who were the results of this chemical warfare. We proceeded to the upper levels to further understand how this chemical warfare has affected the country. The exhibition halls were actually photo galleries on how this warfare started and spread through Vietnam - its forests, the citizens and the next generations. It is a continuing battle for Vietnamese people as until present, descendants of people who were exposed to this chemical are still deprived of living a normal life. As we left the museum, I realized how much blessed I am that I’d be able to live life to its fullest.
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| Victims of Agent Orange |
At 6:30 pm, we were all gathered at the hotel lobby excited for our dinner as we will be cruising by the rivers seeing Ho Chi Minh from Saigon River. Bonsai Cruise staff greeted us as we came down from our bus and we were happy to find out that they’re all Filipinos and that they’re the ones who will entertain the entire cruise this evening. We took photos with them afterwards we were requested to board Bonsai so we could start sailing. It was a replica of an emperor’s dragon boat with food set-up at the center. We were directed to our seats and were given welcome drinks. Our boat started to sail together with the other boats along Saigon River. After a few safety reminders and demo, buffet station is opened to all guests. The buffet station is a mixture of European and Asian buffet, as there was just so much food that we decided to take a little bit of everything. ALL drinks had to be paid for – they don’t have service water so we ordered bottled water instead. As we were one of the last people who stood up for our second serving, there wasn’t much food that was left to most dishes but we were able to enjoy the fruits.
We were serenaded by the in-house singing group while we cruise around Saigon River. They sang many famous songs in several languages. Pride filled our hears as the singer is a Filipino. We all sang with them in the Filipino and Chinese songs that we knew while other danced. It was indeed a good way to end a day that was full of activities!
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| Saigon River at Night |
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