Our first order of the day is to find some Vietnamese street coffee, which we manage to do. Nestled up alongside some corrugated sheeting, we settle into plastic chairs to sip ferociously strong coffee with the locals and watch the traffic nonsense in the roundabout.
We're off for a second look at the War Remnants Museum which documents all the horrors of the French and American wars in Vietnam. It is distressing to say the least, but we both feel compelled to go slowly and absorb it all in order to fully understand this country's recent tragic history. Everyone involved — the Vietnamese people, the North Vietnamese soldiers, the American soldiers and their allies - were victims of an overconfident, misguided and cold hearted American government solely concerned with keeping communist countries from controlling the resources of Indochina. It was a tragic mess. If the fighting wasn't enough, there was Agent Orange, the dioxin laced exfoliant used to kill the jungle foliage amongst which the Viet Cong would hide. Not only did it poison the ground for decades to come, but the water and the people exposed to it as well— inncocent Vietnamese citizens and American soldiers. The repercussions of this choice are still being felt today and the images of people and families affected by the chemicals, which range from birth defects to cancers, is almost unbearable to take in.
It all makes for a sobering, but essential morning. One can't help but tour this museum and think about the US involvement in Iraq and the blinding similarities to the Vietnam war — the very words and reasons used by the US government to explain why, the barbaric treatment of the enemy soldiers and the deaths of thousands of innocent people by air strikes. "So it goes", Kurt Vonnegut once wrote. History is doomed to repeat itself and no doubt there will be a similar museum in Iraq years from now, documenting the very same tragedies of war.
A more pleasant visit is to the Japanese Emerald Pagoda. It's a bit of a walk from the war museum and it is hot. A thick blanket of humidity hangs in the air. Keir is sweating by the time he exits the museum and by the time we get to the pagoda, it's coming off of him in buckets. Good thing he stole a towel from the hotel to mop up with!
Just your local hardware store!
Scooter puncture? No problem at this sidewalk repair stand.
Constructed around 1900 by the city's Cantonese community, the Jade Emperor Pagoda offers an ornate warren of rooms in which to worship. We tour about the various rooms taking in the detailed carvings. Many people have come to pray and pay their respects to Buddha, lighting incense and pouring the hot oil over the candles as an offering. It's a privilege to witness the whole ceremonial process.
We then decide to walk back to the hotel along the Saigon river. The walk is longer than we anticipate, noisy, stinking hot and very exhausting. We both get cranky trying to find a place to stop for a drink -- everything around is too touristy. Eventually, we get back to out hotel area and stop at Zen Garden again for a drink and veggie snack. The food here is good vegetarian and way more affordable than the tourist traps.
This guy has the right idea for a sweltering afternoon.
The Saigon tower with helicopter pad.
Street snacks. Yum! (we think... Maybe? )
After a quick walk around the packed, barely squeeze-through-able aisles in the Cho Benh Thanh market, it's back to the hotel for a shower up (the third of the day if you count the sweat-a-thon on the street) and to get ready for our back of the scooter night tour of Saigon.
What a highlight! Two accomplished drivers from the highly professional XO tour group pick us up at our hotel. We are kitted out with helmets before we set out for our 2.5 hour (nearly 3 hours all told) night time tour of the streets of Saigon. We whizz through the avenues and lanes, dodging traffic and stopping in districts 1,4,5,7 and 10. We zip along the highway and cross numerous bridges. We even get to stop at the non-touristy Thai Binh market.
Given our limited time in the city, we are thrilled to get to see way more of the area than we initially thought possible. We sample some street food and chug back some infinitely delicious fesh pressed sugarcane and kumquat juice.
We return back to our hotel around 9 pm -- just in time to head out for some karaoke Vietnam style with our Canadian pals, Brett and Jenna.
None of us have ever karaoked before, but that didn't stop us from tearing up the studio room. What a blast! With hoarse voices, we stumble out into the humid HMC night at 11 pm... perfect time to grab a stool at a street side bar for a few thirst quenching pints. At 50 cents a beer, who can complain?!?
Massage and a beer anyone??? Just $2 for 15 minutes!
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