Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh is the first city I have visited so far where I could see myself living. Perhaps it is because it is so westernized. Perhaps it is because people of this beautiful city walk their dogs on a leash, as opposed to keeping them in tiny cages for eating them later. Ho Chi Minh's people are friendly! I got stopped by students wanting to learn English, and ended up teaching then the basic Salsa dance step in a square in the middle of the city. And while I watched a rehearsal for typical music by a group of women drummers at the same square, I had a nice chat with a different group of college students about environmental awareness in the country. Environmental awareness and well treated dogs. Of course this is my favorite city so far! And since I didn't take many pictures, I'll spare you the "good food" section on this entry. I will only say that I bought lots of coffee before leaving.
Here I visited the Independence palace and the war museum, as well as the Notre dame cathedral and the historical post office. All the tourist attractions are within walking distance from each other, and they can all be seen in one day. The independence palace's bunker is very impressive. Exhibits of the communication equipment and the strategic maps used during the Vietnam war are shown. The war museum was a humbling experience. Granted it shows a very one sided view of what the Vietnam war was and how it came about. But most of it is pictures. And pictures don't lie. I teared up in there and it took me a few hours to overcome the shock of the explicit images shown. The terror in people's faces portrayed in some images will stay with me forever. I left the museum feeling so much admiration for the Vietnamese people. Not because they won the war. But because they were able to forgive and move on after such horrific events. They could have dwelled They could have become a nation of complainers and resentful people. Instead, western tourists walk around the streets of all Vietnamese cities, and they are not only allowed to come vacation here as much as they want, but local people (especially in the south) are kind and welcoming, and striving to learn their language. Amazing!Read more