Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam Day 1

We always wanted to go to Vietnam, and now surrealistly, here we are. We are feeling a curious mix of emotions ranging from excitement to a bit of aprihension as our teenage years were all about the war and fall of Saigon. The city is now officially called Ho Chi Minh City, but many locals still call it Saigon.

So the photos start with the building currently called Independence Palace. This is the building where the last USA helicopters flew from which marked the fall of Saigon at the end of the war when, on 4.30.1975, the North Vietnamese army tanks crashed through its gates. Many mixed emotions for me as a protester and in losing someone in the war (Rest in peace, Herman).

Ho Chi Minh has now become a bustling, seamless blend of history and modern youthful energy, where pagodas and French colonial grandeur mingle with bustling old world alleyways and marketplaces along with modern skyscrapers.

In addition to the Palace, our tour took us to Chua Phuoc Hai, Buddhist Temple. We then visited a Lacquerware factory employing people affected by the war's aftermath. Fascinating multistage process of utilizing eggshells, shells, and painting to create these pieces of art.

This city has 15 million people and 10 million scooters swarming all around mixed w cars. Traffic lanes and lights only seem to be a suggestion as everyone tries to pass everyone else in this chaos. Then, all of a sudden, someone raises their hand, wanting to cross the road. As I put my hands over my eyes, anticipating the horns, the slamming of breaks, and imminent carnage, I see a woman's confidence in stride crossing the road and traffic just going around her. Our tour guide told us that this is normal here, and you either cross this way or don't get across. The main rule is don't stop and don't step back ... "Because that's how accidents happen." We now have a new normal.

With this introduction, our fear of a strange place melted away, and we decided to get off the tour bus for dinner on our own. In the process, we bravely tried to cross the busy streets ourselves, and I am happy to report that we survived!

We found a fun restaurant for dinner, discovered the local beer, and grabbed a Grab back to the ship.Read more