Saturday April 2, 2016 – A fabulous return to Saigon, Vietnam (locally written “Viet Nam“) today. Let me clear up at the outset that the Official name of his City (population 9 Million) is Ho Chi Minh City after the North Vietnam communist leader that was victorious over the South. However, most locals particularly in the South, where it is located, still call it by it’s old name and the name of the river on which it is located, namely Saigon (locally written as “Sai Gon” and prior to the French domination it was called Gia Dinh). Thus I will refer to it throughout as Saigon (who am I to argue with the locals)!!!! It is a bustling metropolis divided into 22 districts with District 1 being the Center of town, where we spent most of the day. The ship docked on the Port side at the container port, of Phu My (pronounced “Fu Mi“), which is in Vung Tau (pronounced “Vong Tau“) province where there was no facilities / shops etc, so we boarded coaches parked alongside the ship and were greeted with a fabulous guide – Nghia (pronounced “Near” – as he kept saying – My name is Near, not Far). He regailed us with facts, figures and jokes all the 1 1/2 hour drive to Saigon on the new motorway. The exchange rate is US$1 = VND 22,000 (Vietnamese Dong), but US Dollars are accepted in most places.
Briefly, before discussing the day, let me talk a little about Vietnam and this area, much of which was told to us by the guide. Vietnam has today a population of 92 Million living in 62 provinces with the vast majority under 30 years old. The provinces are sub-divided into districts, then villages / hamlets then groups. Thus if addressing an envelope, mention Name, Province, District, Village, and Group and the post will arrive. Given this hierarchical system, all know each other’s business and thus if a foreigner comes to stay in your home, albeit for a few days, one has to relinquish one’s passport for the authorities to review. Officially, it is a communist country from a political standpoint, but actually a capitalistic society in most other ways. There is no welfare, no fixed salary, no education paid for by the state (from kindergarten through University), no free medical care, no state pension – all of which are guaranteed by the state in communist philosophy. People can run their own businesses, worship as they please (mostly Buddhist, but Christianity, Confuucionism, Shintoism, Muslims etc are all acceptable and represented), salaries vary from person to person based on education, skill and performance (not so under communism) and education is not compulsory at any age. However, at 18 one of 2 paths are followed, based on the results of an examination. If you fail, you are conscripted into the military; if you Pass, you go to University. A few other facts and figures – Tourism now accounts for 20% 0f the economy; World Rice consumption – Vietnam #1; Thailand #2; There are three crops of rice a year with a seed to harvest time of 3 months, with 7 million tons of rice being exported a year; locals eat rice 21 times a week; Other commodities – Coffee – Brazil #1 (Mainly Arabica beans) and Vietnam #2 (mainly Robusta beans); Vietnam #1 in Cashew Nuts, India #2; Black Peppercorn corns – Vietnam #1 (he teased us by saying Leprachaun instead of peppercorn to see if we knew the difference and whether we we were already asleep). The Vietnamese Flag – Red background due to all the blood having been shed with so many wars , with a central yellow star – people claim to belong to the Yellow race, not black or white – meaning, bleeding for yellow skin Independence (prior to 1875, the flag was half blue and half red, with a star). The “Happy Room” is the Toilet – “Singing” when referring to happy room = urination; and “dancing” = deification. We recall that this is what our guide also called the facilities last year. There have been many wars throughout history (mainly due to its strategic location with extensive coastline on the South China Sea) – During the 1st to 10th century AD at constant war with China; 1858 to 1954 French Colonisation of Indochina; 1954 to 1975 – Civil war / Vietnam war / American war, ending April 30, 1975) – 600,000 GI’s (Government Issue) from the USA died during the war; 1976 to 1979 Pol Pot from Cambodia; 1979 – 1980 war with China in the North; 1980 Independence but from 1975 to 1985 all students had to learn Russian as the second language as the Soviet Union / Russia had helped the victorious North against the Americans in the South, but now the second language to learn is English. Automobiles are a real luxury, few are unlikely to ever afford as there is a 300% tax. A Rolls Royce costs US$1.5 Million, a regular – $30K car in the USA costs $90,000. However if and when the country joins the WTO, (scheduled for April 2018) the tariffs will be lowered and many more vehicles will be on the street. By contrast, motorcycles can be bought for between US$1,000 and US$2,000 and 45 million of them are registered in the country. Real Estate in the Center of town costs US$40,000 per square meter. Finally, Westerners are known as “white skin, long noses”. One other thing that the guide told us which I found fascinating as the tonal nature of the Vietnamese language, having more tomes than Chinese. Thus “MA” can mean Mother, Horse, Devil and 4 or 5 other meanings depending on the tone!
Our first stop was at the Thien Hau (goddess of the sea) Chinese Confucionism (300 year old) temple. As we walked through the side, unassuming entrance into a room with parked motorbikes, then past the “happy rooms”, we wondered where we were headed. However we were rewarded by a slightly run down and dirty, but none the less, spectacular temple with extensive intricate carvings, urns and incense everywhere. All the writing was in Chinese characters (Vietnamese is written with western alphabet). Coils of incense suspended from beams in the roof, once lit, last for a week. Other smaller sticks were stuck in sand. Pink strips of paper with Chinese characters, covered the walls, one assumes for good luck or requests of the deities. Effigies of Confucius with gold face and red robes adorned the high altar. The intricacy of the roof carving and surrounding the hall at the top of the columns, was amazing. We eventually made our way out to the main entrance, which was carved, befitting the grandeur of the place. We had entered through the tradesman’s entrance.
Once back on the coach, we drove past the very colourful Chinese Market (Chulun) and through the streets with the colourful vendors, past the hotel we stayed at last year, near the main market until we reached the Handicraft Market and Lacquer work factory. The crafts men and women showed their dexterous skills, working with inlays in wood of mother of pearl and broken eggshells, before covering with 11 to 15 layers of lacquer. The showroom was extensive, the quality excellent and the credit cards melted away, as all participated in the retail scrum during the short stay. We then drove past the US Embassy (now the consulate) which Nghia, our guide, bemoaned the fact that Madeline Albright (former Secretary of State under Preident Clinton) had ordered the old classical building destroyed and a modern edifice constructed in its place. Interesting, as that was the closest that he ever got to saying a bad word about any Western power. He did make a joke about why the British were not involved with the Vietnam war – 1) Because the French were here and UK + French don’t mix well!!! and 2) because Tony Blair was not Prime Minister!! Our next destination was the square where one can visit Notre-Dame Cathedral (Nhà thò Dúc Bà), The Central Post Office (Buu Dien Thanh pho) built by Gustav Eifel (of Eifel Tower fame), the inevitable McDonalds and the old American Embassy where the last helicopter took off from the roof and the iconic photograph of the people trying to get onto the helicopter on the top of the building at the end of the Vietnam war. The Cathederal built in the late 1870’s of red brick and granite in Neo-Romanesque style, dominated by it’s twin towers, is a smaller version of it’s namesake in Paris and constructed during the French occupation of Indochina. Across the road is the famous Post Office building constructed about the same time, with its numerous shops, huge picture of “Uncle Ho” (Ho Chi Minh) and thronging masses. We stopped outside to take pictures, pick up some pop-up cards and braved the street crossing. It is indeed an act of bravery to summon the courage and cross the street without being hit by the oncoming Tsunami of motorcycles!
Next on the agenda was a “photo stop” at the Reunification Palace – Dinh Thông Nhât – which was the seat of the South Vietnam government, but when the Communist North Vietnam troops rolled tanks into the compound on 30 April 1975 the war was over and the North took over the South. It is an impressive building, which we visited last year and basically unchanged since 1975, spending several hours climbing the steps, seeing the various rooms, including residential areas, and most impressive, the bunkers, a few floors under the main floor, which were used and still “decorated” to portray the wartime era. Outside, the Tao Dan Cultural Park gardens are very impressive and fit for the ruling class. Back on the bus to our next “walk-about” stop through very luxurious Union Square Mall (rivalling any exclusive Western Mall), to see the French style, light yellow “Hôtel de Ville” / City Hall / Uy ban Nhan dan Thanh pho (pick your language) building. We Saw the exterior of the Rex Hotel, with its American Bar and was where the newspaper and TV reporters lived during the war. In the area there was also the impressive Opera house (a miniature version of “Bellas Artes” in Mexico City with its circular entrance), Intercontinental Hotel and Times Square Saigon, before ending up at The Grand Hotel for lunch. It was a buffet lunch at the Hotel’s – Saigon Palace restaurant with a series of local delicacies, noodles, rice, spring rolls etc, with a very charming show of native dancers and music (Vietnamese instruments) entertaining the gathered groups. A gorgeous marble inlaid floor and decor one could imagine being in any major city around the world. A brief visit at a local shop and on to the next and final stop. This was a visit to the well laid out Historical Museum (Båo Tàng Lįch Sú) which houses a number of important archaological artefacts from the various periods in Vietnamese Hisory. There was the Cham (from India), the Chinese, the intricate gold work from 1000 years ago etc as well as the long tradition of pottery, on exhibit. Within the museum, there is a traditional Water Puppet Show. A pond filled with fresh, but blue murky water is the stage around which the audience sits and part of the 2 ft deep pond has a green curtain across it, which itself is within a structure and can be considered a stage curtain. The puppeteers operate with waders standing in the water behind the curtain which is partially “see-through” from the backstage. The operators have poles attached to their waists and strings going along the poles to manipulate the puppets. The poles are under water and not visible, only the puppets that are on a small supports running at right angles to the pole can be seen. This pole may be from 3 to 12 feet long (or longer) depending on where the puppets are to perform on the “watery stage”. Music starts and a story is told, in this case about the beginning of times when the dragon, turtle and other mythical beasts roamed and fought. Eventually man and woman appeared and soon babies learned to swim and dance, with 6 children and parents performing dances in unison for the crowds. There were 8 puppeteers who at the end of the performance came out from behind the curtain to take a bow. A really charming art form that I have only seen in Vietnam, but must be elsewhere.
It had been a fun filled day, so it was time to take the 1 1/2 hour return drive to the port and back on the ship for dinner and the show – Byron Johnson telling the story of the guitar greats in history, by performing brilliantly with both an acoustic as well as electric guitar.
Roger & Anne Travels 