Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City - Cathedral, Presidential Palace, War Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels

We were up an hour earlier than expected because the time zone on our clock was set for an hour east of Saigon time.  We're experiencing the same problem as the Russians - too many time zones.  We discovered this error when we showed up for breakfast before the restaurant was open.  So, it was back to our room to wait an hour to eat.  The rest of the day went well.  We visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral and Saigon Central Post Office which were built by the French during the colonial period.  We then went to the former Presidental Palace which was like the South Vietnamese "White House" during the Vietnam War.  Our last stop in Saigon was the War Museum followed by lunch and a long drive to Cu Chi on the way to Cu Chi, we stopped briefly at a factory where workers were creating lacquered works of art.  At Cu Chi we toured a tunnel complex from the Vietnam War.  We returned to the hotel very tired and just split a hamburger and fries with beer before calling it quits for the day.

Vietnamese Lacquer Work

Construction on the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Saigon was begun by the French in 1877 and completed in 1880.  The cathedral is quite impressive with its two soaring bell towers.  Currently, it is under renovation.  So, we could only view it from the outside and scaffolding covered a good portion of the exterior.  Saigon's Central Post Office is directly across the street from the cathedral.  It was also built by the French with construction begun in 1886.  Two mural maps inside were of particular interest.  One was of Saigon in 1892 and the second of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia also from 1892.  Carla bought some stamps and post cards for us to mail to the kids at home.  A Vietnamese couple and their wedding party were having their pictures taken outside the post office.  We took one too.

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Saigon Central Post Office

Vietnamese Wedding Party

The former Presidental Palace used by the South Vietnamese president during the Vietnam War is now a tourist site run by the Vietnamese government.  It has been restored to appear as it did in 1975 when the war came to an end.  It was very interesting to walk through corridors and rooms which were used by diplomats and dignitaries from many countries during the time South Vietnam existed.  The underground war room and bunkers were amazingly simplistic and seemed more like a brigade tactical operation center than a national command center.  Of course, the president's living quarters and diplomatic reception areas were luxurious and designed to impress visitors while at the same time provide a comfortable and secure place for the president and his family.  A reminder of that a war was raging is the bullet proof glass which was used in parts of the building and a helicopter stood at the ready for take-off on its rooftop landing pad.  Construction on the palace began in 1962 to replace the previous presidential palace which was bombed by two South Vietnamese pilots who defected and flew their US built plane to North Vietnam.  They dropped their bombs on the Presidential Palace on their way north.

Former South Vietnamese Presidential Palace

The War Remnants Museum told the story of the Vietnamese struggle for independence.  The primary focus was on the period after World War II when Ho Chi Minh lead the fight against the French, US and occupying forces.  Military weaponry and extensive photos brought home the terrible cost of the war to all involved; however, the French and USA are clearly defined as the perpetrators of evil.

 We took a quick break for lunch before heading off to Cu Chi.  The two hour drive from Saigon was interrupted by a brief stop at a lacquer craft work factory.  We had a very brief explanation of the materials and process involved while we observed people at work in various stages of production of a variety of lacquered objects which were for sale in the adjacent factory store.  The works on display were varied and more beautiful than what could be captured in a photo.  We refrained from purchasing anything as we still have several weeks to go before returning home and our bags are near the weight limit for international travel.

Lacquer Workshop

At Cu Chi we were giving a very thorough orientation to the determination of the Vietnamese people to gain their independence despite all efforts on the part of the occupying enemy powers, particularly the US forces.  The Cu Chi tunnels remain in place and a section of the complex has been developed into an informative exhibit.  Over 250 kilometers (150 miles) of tunnels were dug in the vicinity of Cu Chi which lies very close to both the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Cambodia and Saigon.  The US forces sent in a significant number of ground troops and dropped thousands of tons of bombs attempting to destroy parts of the tunnel system.  Numerous bomb craters remained in the small area we visited.  All of us but Brian entered a portion of the tunnels open to tourists to see what it was like to move through the tunnel system  Brian was a bit over-sized for the tunnels which were less than 3 feet high and about 2 feet wide.  We were too big to turn around once inside the tunnel and had to keep moving forward until we departed the system through another entrance/exit hole or reached a work area.  It is incredible to realize the amount of effort that went into the digging of the tunnels and easy to understand why the US forces had such a difficult time trying to fight in these conditions.

We were served some tapioca and tea while we waited for the bus.  The raw tapioca tasted a bit like a very soft, raw potato.  A Vietnamese woman was also offering free samples of snake and scorpion wine hoping to sell some to the tourists.  Carla and Janet passed but Dwayne and Brian took her up on the offer.  That cobra had a real bite and the scorpion's sting lingered despite their appearing dead in the bottle.  We passed on making a purchase.  This villager is still trying to kill Americans.

Vietnamese Snake and Scorpion Wine