The day dawned bright and early this morning as we arose at 6.15am once again. Looking out of the window, we could see that there had been rain overnight, and we ensured we had our cagoules packed in the rucksack in case of any heavy showers.
I tend not to try for the perfect tan when on holiday as excess sun is harmful to the skin, so I stay in the shade whenever possible. But it was obvious that even walking around in the sun had given my face a little colour, as my foundation shade was too light when I went to put on my makeup. 🙂
We were breakfasted and ready in the foyer at 7.30am to meet Kevin, for our first visit to the Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Hall. The palace served as the workplace and home of the president of the Republic of Vietnam (then South Vietnam) and was the site of the 1975 “Fall of Saigon” when a Liberation Army tank crashed through its front gates.
It looked to be a fairly modern building, and indeed it opened in 1966. We entered the building then switched on our audio devices so we could hear Kevin’s commentary, which was augmented by the explanatory boards outside each room.
There were several meeting and conference rooms where world leaders and other VIPs had convened over the years, as well as a large state banqueting hall, large enough for 100 guests. The last state dinner was held there by President Thieu on 1st March 1975 for the US congressional delegation sent to report on the prospects for continued support for the southern goverment. The room’s bright colour scheme was intended to create a convivial atmosphere.
The next room was a plush and richly decorated reception room designed to hold 500 guests. This room was also used for the installation of each new Cabinet.
It was in this room that President Thieu delivered his resignation speech on 21st April 1975; he spoke for over two hours about the country’s situation in the wake of the American’s decision to discontinue their support. In the November of that year, the room was used by the Consultative Council for National Reunification for its deliberations. Today, it’s used for official receptions and other important events.
We continued around the building, and saw the Presidential Office as well as his bedroom and the Ambassador’s chamber. If the walls in these rooms could speak, I’m sure they’d have a lot of secrets to tell.
It was all very interesting looking around this historic building. It was set in manicured gardens and there was a fountain at the front of the building, exactly opposite the main entrance.
Back outside, we walked along the street and onto the waiting coach for our next visit, which wasn’t far away. This was to the amazing Post Office. Now you might wonder what is so exciting about visiting a post office, but this one was constructed in the late nineteenth century when Vietnam was part of French Indochina.
The architecture, both inside and out, was fabulous. Inside the lavish, high-ceilinged arched interior, a large portrait of Ho Chi Minh dominated the wall.
What was interesting was that the building is still serving as a Post Office today. There were places where you could buy postcards, stamps and stationery, as well as stalls selling the usual holiday tat. We thought about getting some postcards but decided we wouldn’t have enough time to sit and write them out.
Outside the building, we milled around and looked at the roadside stalls while waiting for Kevin and the bus to come back and pick us up. Soon we saw the bus appear, and we all boarded, refilled our water bottles, and set off. At this stage there was a bit of a kerfuffle from the seats near the back; it appeared that Sally, one of a fun group of travellers from Northern Ireland, was missing! Kevin alerted our driver who did an about-turn and went back to where we could see Sally looking around in alarm for the bus. When the doors opened and she boarded, she predictably received a loud cheer and applause from the rest of us. 🙂
We now had a while until we reached our next stop, so we used the time pleasantly to enjoy the air-conditioning, read, doze or look out of the window, until we pulled up at another stop, where Kevin told us we were going to meet some artists and see their works of art.
We arrived at SÆ¡n Mà i Lâm Phát 2, the (not very politically correct) “Handicapped and Handicraft” company. It consisted of disabled artists and sculptors creating works made of slate, pottery, pieces of shell, metal and even grains of rice, as well as paintings and collages. The works were intricate and detailed.
As we entered the building, whcih had a corrugated roof, the heavens opened and the rain thundered down. We were glad it had waited until we were inside! We walked around and admired the artistry, seeing works in progress as well as finished items. Kevin told us that we would have an opportunity to purchase some unique items in the on-site shop, afterwards.
Inside the shop, Trevor and I saw some nice pieces that we really liked, but we simply do not have any spare wall space at home, so we didn’t buy anything. However, several people in our party did, and I only hoped they had enough room in their luggage, because some of the pieces were quite large.
It was now time to go for our lunch, and we were happy to see that the rain had abated as we walked towards the coach. The air had that sort of damp-leaf, humid smell but at least it seemed to have freshened the oppressively hot air a little bit.
After half an hour or so, we arrived at the Ben Nay Restaurant, an open-sided place next to the water, which had lots of lily-pads and lush greenery. Inside, we ordered the usual freezing cold “Saigon” beer each, and enjoyed a selection of local dishes; rice, spring rolls and dip, beef, chicken and fish dishes with fresh vegetables. It was a delicious and varied meal.
Once we’d used the loos and I’d washed and sanitised my hands, it was time to board the coach once again for our next visit, and probably one of the highlights of a trip to Vietnam – the famous Cu Chi tunnel complex.
The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting tunnels located in the Củ Chi District of Ho Chi Minh City and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong’s base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968. They stretch for over 200 kilimetres.
The idea was that the tunnels would serve as hiding places for the Viet Cong, as well as communication and supply routes. They are very narrow with low ceilings; this meant that while the average Vietnamese person could fit into and move around in the tunnels, the average American soldier would be too big to follow them in. The Viet Cong were also very resourceful in creating camouflaged bamboo traps using spikes made from bomb parts; these almost-invisible traps were designed to catch the ‘tunnel rats’ of South Vietnam.
As we walked through the rain-soaked and muddy jungle paths, we came across various examples of the entrances to the tunnels. They were extremely well disguised, which was the whole point. Kevin walked through a pile of leaves and revealed a sort of rectangular ‘manhole cover’, which he lifted up above his head before lowering himself into the hole and replacing the lid; you couldn’t see where it had been.
He then invited others in our party to have a go, and some did. I looked with trepidation at the size of the hole; I am not exactly the svelte type so I doubted very much that I would fit in; several others in our party felt the same (mostly the women!). But Ashley, Brian, Trevor and several others went in. I noticed, when Brian came out that he had a large smear of mud on the back of his shirt; another good reason for not going in.
Trevor and a few others then went to a part of the tunnel that you could actually crawl through for several metres. It looked very narrow and it transpired that it had been enlarged to allow tourists to go in! When Trevor eventually emerged, he said I wouldn’t have liked it at all; not only was there hardly any room but it was pitch black in there as well as being stuffy.
Next, we came to an area where some of the vicious traps were demonstrated to us. Anyone falling into them would do themselves serious injury or worse.
We had noticed that many of the guides and staff around the tunnels had been wearing distinctive black sliders. It turned out that they were traditionally made in Vietnam from old car tyres; nothing was ever wasted during times of war. We came to where a bloke was sitting making these sandals, and you had the chance to buy a pair if you wanted. They didn’t look the most comfortable of footwear.
It was around 3.00pm when we’d finished our tour around the tunnels and time to make our way back to the coach. We still had a couple of places to visit, and we’d be cutting it fine because we were booked at a restaurant for a “farewell dinner” tonight, and the coach was picking us up from the hotel at 6.30pm. Kevin told us that we still had the Xa Loi Pagoda and its amazing bronze Buddha to visit and then, if we had the time, the Saigon War Remnants Museum. There was a bit of a storm of protest at this; most people on the coach said they would rather visit the War Museum than yet another pagoda. He said that we’d not arrive back at HCMC until around 4.45pm, depending on the traffic, and the museum closed at 5.30pm, so anyone who wanted to go wouldn’t have very long, as it takes a good couple of hours to get around it.
In the end, he took a vote; over half voted to go to the War Museum, and the rest of us said we would rather go in the morning, when we had much more time, as it was only walking distance from the New World Hotel.
As we neared the hotel then, around 5.00pm, those who wanted to visit the War Remnants Museum were dropped off outside, and the rest of us continued back to the hotel.
It gave us a good hour and a half to rest, then get showered and changed and ready for our meal. It would be the last evening that we would all be together. We had been lucky enough to be part of a great crowd, although there were 33 of us, we all got along well and, apart from the groups that had come together, such as our friends from Northern Ireland (I think there were nine of them), there were no “cliques” formed, it didn’t matter who we sat with for meals, and no-one was made to feel left out. 🙂
I felt like a new person once I’d been showered, dried, put fresh makeup on and dressed in a floral cotton dress with a black lace jacket. When we all reconvened in the hotel foyer around 6.20pm, even Kevin commented on my appearance! It’s very true that I looked completely different from the sweaty, lank-haired, crumple-clothed person of earlier on.
We arrived at the Vi Sai Gon Restaurant about 6.55pm and all piled into its cool interior, taking our seats along two long tables that had been set for us. We were slightly bemused at the menu; it looked as if every effort had been made to include only European dishes this time, but it was a strange combination. So we started with cream of tomato soup followed by moules marinières, then a sort of salade niçoise and spaghetti bolognese, then a beef stew. It was all delicious, and we appreciated their efforts to make us feel at “home” by giving us their versions of European food. 🙂
It was, of course, all washed down with freezing cold Tiger Beer, that we enjoyed so much we ordered another one each. 🙂
It was around 9.45pm when we arrived back at the New World Hotel; we needed to be quick if we wanted to have one more drink before the bar closed. We all poured into the previously-empty bar, then spent some time moving chairs and tables around so we were more or less all sitting in a large circle, much to the bemusement of the staff. Trevor and I ordered two drinks each as we knew we didn’t have much time. I ordered Aperol Spritz which was very good indeed. 🙂
As it happened, the hotel bar staff must have known they were onto a good thing, as they kept the bar open for another hour. It wouldn’t have made good business sense when there were 33 people all buying drinks; and more than one, as well.
It was a noisy and lively affair, everyone laughing, joking and relating tales of previous holidays. We tried to put to the back of our mind the fact that tomorrow would be our last day in Vietnam; indeed, the last day of this fantastic trip. We had spoken to Kevin about visiting the War Remnants Museum in the morning, and he was going to meet us at 8.30am to take us there and buy the block-booked tickets.
It was after 11.00pm when we returned to our fabulous hotel room, and we settled down for our last night. We didn’t have much to pack as we hadn’t really unpacked; in any case, we didn’t have to check out of our room until 12.00 noon tomorrow.
We slept well after our interesting and varied day. What a holiday it had been! 🙂