A look at Saigon.

The Vietnam War ended when a North Vietnamese tank smashed open the gates of Norodom Palace. The tank commander then took what is now the Vietnamese Flag and flew it from the Palace flagpole.

The gates are repaired and the Palace is now called the Reunification Palace.

Next stop was the War Remnants Museum. This museum displays military equipment, photographs and artefacts relating to the Vietnam War (1961-1975). It contained many photos taken by Photo-Journalists during those years. It was also confronting and graphic - particularly the visual displays of the impacts of Agent Orange and other chemicals used by the Americans.

Like war museums around the world, this one shows the horrors of war in the hope that wars may cease.

The Central Post Office was constructed in the late 19th century. It has Gothic, Renaissance and French influences. It was designed by Auguste Henri Vildieu and Alfred Foulhoux but is often wrongly credited as being the work of Gustave Eiffel. (Similarly, a bridge in Hue is often wrongly credited to Eiffel). After the war many Vietnamese found the need to write to family members around the world having fled such devastation. One gentleman set up in the Post Office to assist locals with translations. He did this until he was in his 90’s.

On the walk to meet up with our bus, we passed what had been the CIA building during the war. As Saigon fell, the Americans tried to helicopter as many people out as possible. Many escaped from the Palace. Many more escaped from the tiny helipad on the roof of the building.

We also stopped at a workshop making pictures and decorated furniture with eggshells and lacquer.

After lunch at the Star Anise Restaurant, the bus took us back to the hotel for a couple of hours free time before meeting to go to dinner.Read more