Happy New Year, Uncle Ho
Trip Start
Nov 05, 2002
1
14
69
Trip End
Aug 13, 2003
Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam
Wednesday, January 1, 2003
I made it back to Vietnam, as part of another trip, in September 2005. Check out the entry for Ho Chi Minh City here. As an entry it's a lot better than this crap. Honest.
************************************** Update - September 2005 ************************************
Hello from Ho Chi Minh City.
We were here for the New Year celebrations and spent it mixing with the the Vietnamese at an open air party. It was good fun interacting with them and seeing how the city comes together for the New Year celebrations. Large open air concerts with a heavy party atmosphere. But it all stopped dead at 12!! Just like in Cinderella, when it struck 12 and the New Year was rang in everything, including the massive lights all around the huge stage and the hundreds of street sellers, were gone and everyone was going home! Just like that. Of course it wasn't nearly over for us so we headed to the nearest bar and stayed there till 4!
Most of the major tourist attractions in Saigon are related in one way or another to the Vietnam war. I found them very interesting as I'm into that sort of thing and I think Bairbre did as well in her own sort of way, bless her!! One of the things we saw were the
Cu Chi tunnels. Now a district of the greater city, Cu Chi was the site of intense action during the American war. To see signs of this destruction, you have to dig deep - underground. Not even 40km (25mi) from the city, the area around Cu Chi was nonetheless controlled by the VC through its now-legendary system of tunnels. At the height of the war, the tunnels stretched from Saigon through to the Cambodian border; in Cu Chi district alone there were over 250km (155mi) of tunnels, some several storeys deep. The whole makeup of the tunnel network that the VC constructed under the very noses of the Southern Vietnamese army and Americans was really amazing. After seeing their resolve and determination through the life they had in the tunnels it's a wonder that didn't win the war sooner! These days, some of the tunnels - enlarged and upgraded - are open to the public, and give a fair idea of the conditions within the system. At their peak, the system of tunnels included kitchens, living areas, hospitals and a network of trap doors to guard against gas and water attacks.
On another day we visited The War Remnants Museum and that was also amazing. Once known as the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, the name change reflects a desire not to offend wealthy tourists. The pamphlet handed out at reception pulls no such punches; it's entitled 'Some Pictures of US Imperialist Aggressive War Crimes in Vietnam'. Despite the rhetoric, this museum has become one of the most popular attractions with Western visitors of all political persuasions. It is a stark reminder that wars rarely have winners and are never glorious. Along with the many photographs, the museum displays US armoured vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons. There is even a guillotine used by the French on pesky Viet Minh 'troublemakers'. Though certainly not an even-handed representation of events in Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s, the museum is nonetheless successful in driving home the fact that wars are brutal and that civilians are the biggest losers. Bairbre refused to go into the section entitled "victims" as it had hundreds of photos of people who had been born years later and how they were deformed by the gases and toxins dropped by the Americans during the war. There was, wait for it, even a few large glass jars containing aborted babies so you could see the damage done. A bit over the top maybe, but it got the point across and was certainly an eye opener. Certainly not a place for the squeamish, or Americans come to think of it.
Also in Saigon we saw the Reunification palace. This was the head quarters of the southern Vietnamese army and the scene of the end of the Vietnamese War in April 1975, when it was taken by the Northern Vietnamese army. On the morning of 30 April 1975 the 43-hour old government of South Vietnam sat quietly on the second floor of this grand building - then called the Independence Palace - waiting to transfer power to the Northern forces who were crashing through the wrought iron gates below. 'There is no question of you transferring power', they were told by a Viet Cong officer. 'You cannot give up what you do not have.'
It is partly because of the rich history of this building - and partly because of the striking modern architecture - that this building is one of the most fascinating sights in the city. Preserved almost exactly as it was on the day Vietnam was reunified, the building took its current form in 1966 after it had been partially destroyed in an attack by South Vietnam leader Diem's own air force (they really hated him, it seems). Now, the building is a magnificent example of 60s architecture - airy and open with spacious chambers and tasteful modern decorations. The building is still used for official functions. The most interesting section of the Reunification Palace is the basement - a network of tunnels and rooms, including a war room and a telecommunications room. One of the tunnels stretches all the way to Gia Long Palace, now known as the Revolutionary Museum.
After all that sightseeing we spent a day relaxing in Saigon Water Park. There were only about 30 people in the whole park (!) so we had a great time as we didn't have to queue to go on any of the rides!!
Till next time, keep well.
Dave
