Unification Day in Saigon

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Dear Readers - Today and yesterday was a National Holiday in Viet Nam - Liberation and reunification of South and North Viet Nam. The holiday has been in existance since 1975 when the US pulled out of Saigon and the North took over the South. The flags flying are either the hammer and sickle on red or yellow star on red.

Went shopping today for items that might be harder to find as we get to the interior and coastal areas. Internet connections may or may not be available as much as here in Saigon. The computers do not always have a USB port to download pictures so we apologize for that.

Genuine imitation watches are for sale all over the place as well as imitation clothes, music, and videos, etc.

Driving here is on the right hand side and left side of car, just like the US, however that is the extent of the similarity. There is no right of way. There are stop signals that are mostly ignored. It is some of the scariest driving we have seen.

Crossing the streets is an experience in playing chicken. You just start walking slowly across with the expectation that nobody runs you down. You walk slowly and everyone goes around you. Jim does much better than I do at this. He kept going and I froze midway across a busy intersection. I did better after that.

What everybody says about the traffic here is more than true. Enough about that.

Did run into a couple of fairly agressive touts and ended up buying a casio calculator for $1 US. Also bought a casio digital watch for $5 US.

Jim has been looking for one of his sister ships, the Forester, from when he was here during the war. With the help of Ned, one of his sailor buddies, we were able to track it up to Saigon in 1997. After which no record seems to exist. The ship in reality would be 70 years old and it is doubtful that she has not been scrapped by now.

We have been doing a lot of resting gearing up for the next few weeks. Jim still has a cold but is much better. We are heading early tomorrow morning for the airport to catch a flight to Nha Trang. We have booked a hotel there, which just about took a complete day to do via the internet, which failed us and caused our credit card to be frozen. What was left of the day was spent trying to get ahold of Bank of America and getting the account unlocked.

All for now,

Jim and Ann

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Comments

[Lynne]

Good Morning, Enjoy reading about your adventures as I sit here at my computer. Must have been very frustrating trying to get your card taken care of. Glad to hear all is well again.

[Glenn and Sue]

Hi there, nice to hear from you. Enjoy reading about your adventures. We are busy packing, and downsizing. getting ready for our life s next adventure. Winter is still hanging on here and we are fed up with the coldness..Its aproximatly75 in wenatchee. not fair. be well. love ya. G@S.