Saigon - January 29, 2018

Since 1975, the city's official name is Ho Chi Minh City but no one is offended if the former name, Saigon, is used. I like Saigon. Apparently many business establishments prefer the name as well.

Ay yi yi! We certainly got our money's worth today. We hit the road at 8:30 and did not end the day until 11 pm. And what a day! We drove with Sinh and driver two hours to the north to the area of Cu Chi to visit the tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war. The tunnels were originally built in 1940's by farmers and villagers as underground chambers and links to neighbor villages in which goods and wealth was hidden from the French. Ove time the chambers and links between villages were connected together form a network of multi-level tunnels. At the time it was used in the Vietnam War, the system was a very sophisticated, hand-dug all-total network of over 200 kilometers concentrated in the Cu Chi area only and played an important strategic role in the outcome of the war as military command centers, weapons storage, hospital, cooking and sleeping facilities. The network had hidden entrances—large enough so that only small people could enter, and ventilation systems to ensure adequate oxygen. The sophisticated tunnel system had methods for directing water away and traps to catch invaders or people who might become traitors. The guerilla soldiers were farm people who knew the land thoroughly and many of the guerillas were young women and boys who became skilled in weaponry. They built booby traps not necessarily as weapons but as a means to slow down enemy advance. They gathered dud enemy bombs and disassembled them to get the explosives. They melted down shrapnel and bomb skins to make land mines filled with explosives gathered from the bombs. They picked up and used US Army equipment as their own like canteens, camouflage covers and web belts.

As we walked into the forest, bomb craters could be seen here and there. A Vietnamese man with only one arm made a presentation on how the tunnel system was built and how it operated. We watched a video of a black and white propaganda film made in 1967 telling the story of the Champa region, the paradise that existed there and the peace loving people who were bombed by the Imperialistic Americans and how they worked together to defeat them. It was chilling. Then we went in. Waking stooped over through tunnels that had been enlarged so that tourists could pass, we moved through tight tunnels from room to room. Marks on the tunnel walls show that they were dug layer by layer, each about 8 inches deep. The farmers and their families used short curved shovel type tools to scrape the hard clay soil and passed the dirt up through holes to the ground's surface in bamboo baskets. After the war ended, there was no further use for the tunnels. Only sections of the tunnel network exist today; the rest have given way to nature and have not been maintained.

Before we left the area, we sat at outdoor tables and were served roasted taro root, a starchy staple food of the people during the time they lived and operated in the tunnels.

Back in the city we were treated to a wonderful typical Vietnamese meal at the Hoi An Restaurant. We had fresh spring rolls, soup, vegetables and chicken in a clay pot. Fresh-cut tropical fruit is the usual dessert. Stan and I both are growing, I'm afraid!

We visited the Reunification Palace. Once the presidential palace of South Vietnam it is now a well-preserved museum. Its grounds are used for governmental ceremonies and military parades.

Brazenly borrowing copy from online Vietnam tourist guide: Reunification Palace was the base of Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem until his death in 1963. It made its name in global history in 1975. A tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate, ending the Vietnam War. Today, it's a must-visit for tourists in Ho Chi Minh City. The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975. You can see two of the original tanks used in the capture of the palace parked in the grounds. Reunification Palace was the home and workplace of the French Governor of Cochin-China. It has lush gardens, secret rooms, antique furniture, and a command bunker. It's still in use to host important occasions in Ho Chi Minh, including APEC summits.

It was like walking through history. The fine, impressive furniture and deep carpets from 1975 are still in place even in open air humidity.

As we returned to the hotel for a short break late in the day, the Vespa team was already here. We dropped off the unnecessary items in our room and hoped on the bikes. We were tired from the long day and thought we might cut this tour a little short. Oh boy!!!! Did we have fun!!! Stan was on one motor bike and I on the other - we both were passengers; two cute university student young men expertly drove the Vespas through the traffic. We went from district one to district five - that's a pretty good drive from one side of the city to the other! The city is getting all dressed up for Tet and the decorations especially show vibrantly night. The city literally glows in lights and flowers! Everything looks happy!

Let's talk about Tet. Tet is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. It marks the new year per the lunar calendar. The word, Tet, is a shortened form of Tet Nguyen Dan, meaning "Feast of the First Morning of the First Day." It's a day for family gathering with food and drink. It's also a time to re-new. Paint the house; get new furnishings, new clothes and new shoes. It is a happy time.

Our Vespa drivers and guide, Miggy, took us to two restaurants where we sampled Vietnamese fare. By the time the night was over we felt like fat teddy bears. We had tasted deep-fried chili seasoned crabs, oysters, clams, squids, octopus, frog legs and I just don't even know what all else. But it was all fresh and magnificently wonderful. Not one bite tasted fishy or strange in the slightest way.

Miggy was a delight. She's the mom of two boys, ages 9 and only 10 months. She is also a fulltime tour guide and works day and night. Like most wives of the youngest son in a family, she is committed to living with her husband and kids in the house of her husband's parents. According to what I've been told by some of these wives, this seems to never work out ideally but it is tradition.

After stuffing us to the gills, Miggy and the guys took us to bars that feature live music. The first showcased talented singers who performed three or four songs or ballads (some in English). After their short set, they introduced the next performer and then moved on to repeat the show at multiple venues throughout the evening. The second bar where we stopped was rocking. We could tell before we even entered. I wanted to dance. Oh my, the performers were fantastic! One guy was a young man with glasses and sexy long hair - ooooo, he could sing. Next, the tiniest little young woman in a slinky white dress came on and belted out sounds like Celine Deon. Third was a skinny, emaciated-looking older man (he was probably all of 42) began to sing and was he something!!! He preferred the Righteous Brothers music and performed it righteously (excuse me, please). Finally, the last guy came on the stage. He had big muscles, had on a baseball shirt and a ball cap - you know the kind. Not rap, please! Oh my, this guy was good. He did Train's Soul Sister in his own style and had the place going crazy. I could have stayed until one, but it was 10:30 and time to leave.

What a day! If you EVER happen to visit Saigon or virtually any place in SE Asia, do sign up for Vespa Adventures!!!