Advertisement
Published: April 11th 2019
Edit Blog Post
It really does. It shimmers and shakes with the haze of mid-thirties heat. It shakes with the vibrations of thousands of scooters that crowd every intersection and relentlessly barge around 24/7. It shakes with the footsteps of an army of tourists checking out every nook and cranny of this ginormous conurbation.
Of course, we should properly refer to this place as Ho Chi Minh City as it has been known since the reunification of the country when in 1976 it was given a new name in homage to the late Uncle Ho.
But if it's all the same to you dear reader, I’ll call it Saigon. It’s the name that evokes so much more about this place, good and bad, and what it was called when the foundations of this now massive city were laid.
Our journey here involved a short but bumpy flight from Hue. A routine domestic transfer made more dramatic by some fairly aggressive turbulence. No big deal and as with all plane journeys, if it lands safely, it’s been a successful flight.
Our minibus journey to central Saigon was almost as eventful as the driver dumped us at the wrong hotel. After some
frantic phone calls, he was summoned back and rather grumpily took us to the correct Central Palace Hotel. But the reception staff at the Saigon Palace Hotel were great so a big thumbs up to them even though we didn't stay there!
Once checked in to our lodgings we got our bearings and noticed our room had a birds-eye view of one of the most iconic sites in modern Saigon. We could see the top of the former Independence Palace. It was here that tanks from the North’s army symbolically broke down the gates of the compound and effectively ‘won’ the war. It was subsequently renamed the Reunification Palace.
While the North Vietnamese army was coming through the front door, frantic efforts by American forces and friendly Vietnamese to get out of the back entrance were in motion. This being the implementation of a withdrawal plan amusingly named Operation Frequent Wind. Some of the most famous images from the time are of this chaotic evacuation using a squadron of Huey helicopters.
Saigon is huge, Brobdingnagian, dare I say. The development work the French and US did in times of strife is now being driven forward by international
investment. Saigon will soon become one of the most exciting and significant cities in Southeast Asia and will no doubt experience all the benefits and downsides such expansion brings.
Let’s do some tourism. An early start and a quick trip over the road to the Reunification Palace complex. This was the seat of power for both the French and later South Vietnamese governments. In the Nodorom Palace building, there’s an informative exhibition that goes some way to unravelling the complicated Gordian knot of what happened in Vietnam and how it became subject to such protracted conflict with so many nations involved. Worth a look if you need to get your head around it all.
Then there’s the palace itself. Commissioned for the ill-fated Diem regime in the early sixties it opened in 1966 and was the administrative centre for the ruling military council until 1975. It stands both as a reminder of South Vietnam’s geopolitical history and an example of Asian modernist design. A mix of Bond villain’s lair and swinging sixties pad. You could see Austin Powers exclaiming ‘oh behave’ before being carted to the basement to have his fingernails pulled out.
But this was the
real deal. With rooms for government business, state visits, leisure and living quarters it was a self-contained state within a state. It even had bombproof bunkers with rooms bristling with antediluvian communications technology that must have generated vast amounts of heat and static.
It’s well worth a visit, as much for the aesthetic design and architecture as to understand the gubernatorial powers exercised here. And of course, for the symbolism of when a new chapter opened in Vietnamese history.
A short walk from the Reunification Palace is the historic French-built Catholic church and Belle-Epoque style post office. Both are favourite tourist stops and help to evoke what Saigon looked like before the influence of war and Americans. Long before it became the ultra-modern metropolis, it is today.
Talking of modernism. We decided to visit one of Saigon’s most recently opened tourist attractions. The Saigon Skydeck on the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower. A 68 storey, 262.5m building that offers 360-degree panoramic views of greater Saigon.
We decided to visit at dusk to capture some lovely shots of the cityscape in the ’magic hour’ when the light is thought to be at its most sublime.
We got some superb piccies of Saigon including a clear view of the significant areas currently being developed that will swell the city yet further.
One unexpected, and remarkable exhibit we discovered on the 60th floor was The Heineken Experience. A thing so bizarre you'll think I am making it up. First, though, we met Brand Ambassador Jennifer our chirpy, enthusiastic host who, loyal and smiling, extolled the virtues of this international beer brand. Heaven knows how many times a year she has to do this same chipper routine. I do hope the Heineken people offer counselling.
Then you go in and experience what it's like to be brewed into beer.
Yes, you read that right. You become the beer in a set of interactive exhibits including a 3D ride experience complete with VR headsets and associated sensory effects. All the brewing processes involved are illustrated with you at the centre of each being rocked around in a moving ride simulator.
Then there’s a games room complete with fuzzball table and video racing consoles. Finally, you learn how to pour the perfect glass of Heineken beer before being let loose in the noisy bar complete with
pretty hostesses catering to all your (beer-related) needs.
Included in the very reasonable 50,000 Dong (about £1.70) entrance fee was two complimentary beers. Nice! And after some fortuitous horse-trading with fellow tourists, we parlayed this up to five or six. When we finally fell out of the place, we were more than a little tipsy and ready for some grub. Alas, the restaurant we chose wasn't the best, but it didn't mar another hectic day of unfettered tourism. Then it was back to the Central Palace for some well-deserved kip.
Right, it's time to relax and enjoy a few days of beach holiday.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.402s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 10; qc: 45; dbt: 0.3379s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb