Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Day 1 of 2)

Our final port in Vietnam and we arrived mid morning. We’d booked a highlights excursion to see the key sites since we’d never been here before.

Ho Chi Min City, previously known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam but not its capital. The population is about 10 million. It’s a vibrant, bustling city that is overrun with motorcycles. The architecture is a blend of colonial French and modern skyscrapers.

Our guide didn’t mince words when discussing the war. (Vietnamese don’t call it the Vietnam War, they call it the American War.) they’re deservedly proud of the rebuilding they’ve accomplished. And they acknowledge the contradictions within the country…a communist country with five star hotels and designer shops.

We visited the Post Office, Reunification Palace, a pagoda, the wholesale market and the Rex Hotel. I’ll tell you more about the Rex Hotel in my footprint to follow about our evening.Read more