Advertisement
Published: August 21st 2010
First Glimpse
Reunification PalaceIt’s been a while since I last updated; mainly because I’ve been very busy with work. This weekend I decided to free my soul and get out and enjoy Saigon. It was a cloudy day as I walked into the street. Motorbikes were whoosing past me as I headed for the Reunification Palace. HCMC has such a different vibe from Tokyo, even though both places are crowded, I would characterize Vietnam as more “disorganized chaos”. The motorbikes have completely no regard for pedestrians so crossing the street is much like running for your life!
After a short walk, I reached the Reunification Palace, which is where the president of Vietnam meets his heads of state and congress. In this multi-level mansion there are displays of the different receiving rooms the president would use for his guests and other state affairs. Everything inside was fairly ornate and obviously made to impress. Outside in the front of the palace are replicas of the two tanks that the North used to crash the gates of the South which signified the to end of the Vietnam war.
My next stop was the War Remnants Museum which is the Vietnamese memorial to the Vietnam
Shoot that baby!
Me in front of one of the tanks that ended the VN war. War. Visitors are first greeted at the museum by giant planes, helicopters, and tanks sitting outside. The helicopter was especially impressive as humans looked dwarfed next to its massive size. Inside, there are various displays of bullets and pictures of the war and the victims created by it. One room I had to leave after a short viewing as it showed the deformities of the Vietnamese children who were affected by all the chemicals and radiation dropped by the war. Upstairs, more pictures showed the destruction of the Vietnamese cities and towns and then had a picture side by side of what they looked like today. Overall, the experience was very sobering and showed me what the cruelties of war could be like. The museum was very anti-American and it was sad to see the consequences and devastation of war between the two countries.
As I left the museum, a light rain began and I decided to walk back to my hotel. Even though I got decently wet as I headed back home, I felt like my adventure in Saigon was quite interesting. The summer rain on my skin was quite refreshing and I look forward to my next
War Remains
War Remnant Musuem Aircrafts day of exploration tomorrow!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.062s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 6; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0378s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
jasonwu
Jason Wu
Nice view!
Nice view from the room! When are you coming home btw?