Ho Chi Minh

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh after a short flight from Da Lat yesterday evening. Getting to the hotel was slightly harder than expected as we were advised that bus 152 would take us straight to District 1, however after searching for over 30 minutes we still couldn't find the bus stop… Taxi it was. We arrived late evening but had time to eat in a local courtyard near our hotel. Ho Chi Minh is described as the larger more modern version of Hanoi which so far looks to be true.

The following morning we hired a scooter to explore the city and visited a few of the famous sights. The roads are no less busy than Hanoi but have a slightly less chaotic feel. They are by no means quiet but do feel somewhat manageable so we left for the Independence Palace, the ex home of the president prior to the Vietnam war. Now open to the public, the building has little use but remains a significant historical landmark. On the afternoon of 30 April 1975, the northern Vietnamese 390 tank finally crashed through the front gates of the grounds effectively ending the war.

Our second stop was at the War Remnants Museum detailing the American Vietnam War. Upon entering the museum we walked through an area showing the Vietnamese ‘tiger cages’. These were small cages covered in barbed wire used to detain up to 7 people at once in the prisons. Difficult to see and read the detailed accounts of how the north/south Vietnamese treated each other during the war but very informative. We did have to do a little reading up on the war beforehand as the museum didn’t really focus on the causes of the war (which perhaps may have been useful). It was heart-breaking to read the stories, information and see photographs of the inhumane actions that occurred throughout the war, including the My Lai massacre and impacts of Agent Orange, a toxic chemical containing extremely high concentrations of dioxin. 45 million litres of this devastating chemical was sprayed over 24% of south Vietnamese farmland, villages and cities to kill all vegetation and food supply chains. More significantly, it was estimated to have affected over 3 million individuals. Short term direct exposure caused skin burning and blistering, second hand exposure led to serious illness but long term effects included cancers and severe physical and mental defects. An estimated 150,000 babies were born with serious birth defects and millions are still affected today, as effects can be passed down through generations. Fortunately all remaining stock of agent orange was destroyed in 1978 with no suggestion that any exists today other than in a few highly concentrated areas still being actively decontaminated to this day. Very upsetting to read about but also very eye opening. The final display on the third floor showed images taken by photographers throughout the war to commemorate other photographers killed during the war. Some very powerful but yet again saddening images.

Overall the museum gave a Vietnamese perspective however this did seem biased focusing solely on the war crimes committed by the USA. We didn't really know enough about the war in detail, but did wonder if it was a little dismissive of other nations’ involvements? Despite this, it gave an opportunity to reflect on the terrible past and how important it is that we learn from these events, although it appears this may not be the case with Ukraine and Russia.

Soon after we rode to explore a few other landmarks including the Pink Cathedral, Central Office and the Notre Dame towers albeit hidden behind scaffolding and out of sight. The evening was spent mooching around enjoying street food and a bit of Ho Chi Minh’s night life; this involved a trip to Bui Vien walking street, also known as ‘Western Street.’ This is a street packed full of bars and eateries which come alive at night; a very popular area amongst backpackers. After a wander down the street we stopped for Pho Bo street food once again.Read more