Act I

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Let's begin this post with our first activities with the family last weekend. On Saturday afternoon we travelled about an hour south of Manila to the municipality of Pampango. Each year they host a "lantern parade" with the different neighborhoods designing, building and displaying their lantern in a big competition. Think of it as a small-scale Macy's thanksgiving day parade that features the lanterns-or Parol's-instead of inflated floats/balloons.

In the Philippines a Parol is a seasonal star-shaped lantern that appears throughout the nation during the holiday season. They are made of all different types of material but the original Parol's were make of colored paper or shells with a frame made of bamboo or other type of light ridged material. They are everywhere one looks...hanging from telephone poles, buildings, bridges; in store windows; on or in front of homes....and all different shapes, colors, and sizes.

The special lanterns in this particular parade were roughly 20' in diameter and each made by hand. In addition, they were operated by hand as well. Each one was worked and choreographed by 5-10 operators, keeping the lights synced up with the music and competing against the other neighborhoods. Thousands of locals came out for this event and were treated to firework display at the conclusion.



Sunday afternoon we enjoyed an afternoon lunch gathering with Maria's Aunts, Uncles, cousins, their kids, etc. We ate at Via Mare, a restaurant on the campus of the University of the Philippines. The kids (all of them-see the pic) got a personal tour of the campus from cousins Steven and Joel who are currently attending UP.



We were at the airport bright and early on Tuesday morning hopping on the 2 hr flight for Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Once there we quickly realized what a vibrant and crazy city Saigon is. The taxi ride from the airport to the hotel is all we needed to see. Trust me here: if you have plans of ever visiting Vietnam, be sure to hire a local driver of Taxi to get around. Our style of driving in Southern California-or elsewhere in the US-is not suited with the skills one must possess in order to navigate the streets, traffic patterns, customs and speeds. I was in awe of the amount of motorbikes on the street. That vehicle alone is the predominate mode of local transportation perhaps outnumbering cars and other 4-wheeled vehicles by some 15-1! And it was some kind of organized chaos watching them drive down the street, make lane changes, merge, turn left or right or get in and out of a traffic circle. And if the street was too crowded during rush-hour?? Beep-beep, they just used the sidewalk!

I can't go into a history of the region too much but suffice to say the French had a profound influence on the nation in the century and a half leading up to WWII. This influence is still very much alive in the way the city is organized, quite a bit of its legacy architecture, and most importantly the food. Of course, there is plenty of Asian architecture (and food) you'd expect but the French tried their best to make Saigon a replica of Paris so their soldiers and citizens abroad would feel at home. And had some world events happened differently in the past, Saigon would've sported its own Eiffel Tower and L'arc de Triumph. The cathedral of Notre Dame is the best example of this. Though not an exact replica of Paris' Notre Dame, this is an impressive structure that was build with materials mostly made in France and shipped to Saigon. Each time we walked or drove by this landmark, some couple was tying the knot, getting pictures taken in front and readying their vows. Across the street is the General Post office (designed by Gustave Eiffel) and further east stands the Municipal theater...which resembles the Opera House in Paris and the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC.

Many thanks to our half-day guide, Thi, for showing us a bunch of cool HCMC landmarks:

-Thien Hau Pagoda, built by the Cantoneze in the early 19th century. It is one of the oldest and most ornate temples in the city

-The Binh Tay Market...a huge wholesale mart that's been in the same spot for 200 years.

-The museum of Vietnamese history

-Chinatown....yes, even Saigon has a Chinatown.

We also had a cocktail on the Rooftop bar of the historic Rex Hotel, visited the 50th floor observation deck of the newly constructed Bitexco financial tower, and visited the War Remnants Museum. Of course, we also tried to get a taste of all the delicious cuisine the city has to offer as well. Discovering the Banh Mi equivalent of Phelippe, enjoying delicious Pho and stumbling upon a couple cool French bakeries.

HCMC/Saigon is a great place and those who interact with tourists couldn't be nicer or more helpful. Of course it helps when you are an American 'mark' with dollars to spend. I'd definitely return. More of my droll prose in the next few days as we visit DaNang. I'll try for more pictures and less writing.

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Photos

Lantern Parade
A Bad pic of one of the giant Parol Lanterns...unfortunately, it's the best I have.

Erin, Jack and Joseph....
....with the cousins.

Street Scene HCMC
So many motorbikes

Bitexco Financial Tower
New signature skyscraper. 62 levels.

Bitexco tower
Looking up from street level. It is an impressive structure

War Remnants Museum
Joseph in front of a tank for scale purposes.

Rex Hotel
Taken from our room on the 21st floor of the Sheraton

Bakery
Delicious fresh baguettes.

Binh Tay Market
Outside the hustle & bustle. If you are in the way, they put their hand in the small of your back and just push.

Notre Dame Cathedral - Saigon
Street urchins posing in front.

Thien Hau Pagoda/Hoi Quan Tue Thanh
Hard to see but the sculpture at the roof line is very detailed and maintained after 200 years.

Comments

[Itchie Pope]

Vicariously Traveling with the O'Connors...
This is so cool Sean! Thank you for sharing. You're an excellent writer too. Happy holidays to you, Maria and the kiddos!