Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

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Standing next to the tank that crashed through the gate of the presidential palace of South Vietnam was pretty amazing. The tour takes you into the palace where you get to see the bedrooms, the war rooms, and the rest of the palace. The history video was incredibly biased of course. Always the 'American Imperialists', it was unique to hear the perspective for once from the 'other side'. The city feels alive, and the pulse is measured by the nightmarish traffic. Whizzing around everywhere without stoplights multiple 5 lane roads intersect one another in a constant mess. Pedestrians like us get to play "frogger" trying to cross the street and avoid getting hit.

One of my favorite experiences thus far was yesterday's lunch. We wandered to a part of the city not often frequented by tourists in search of a vegetarian food center. We couldn't find it, so we walked into a random restaurant. We can't speak Vietnamese and the staff spoke no English, creating a very amusing experience. The entire staff gathered around us trying to assist us in making a lunch choice. I pulled out a translation book, and pointed to the Vietnamese word for "beef." A few minutes later we were brought a plate of sliced beef served with a salad, and a plate of french fries (which was absolutely hilarious; we know we were given the fries because we are white. I assure you none of the Vietnamese at the other tables were eating fries). The meal was delicious, and it was so humorous to consistently have a portion of the staff watching us.

To fight the intense heat, we made our way to a water park yesterday. It was a blast; we spent all afternoon trying out the all the water slides. And we never had to wait in line, making a much better experience than such places at home.

We leave on a bus tonight to Nha Trang on the coast. I'm ready for the beach again.

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Photos

In Front of Tank 390
The leading tank through the gate.

The Gate
Rebuilt; the tanks went through the original one.

Comments

[JOHN]

HI JESS
HI JESS, IT LOOKS LIKE ALOT OF FUN, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I WAS FOLLOWING YOUR ADVENTURE. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU SHARING IT WITH US. ILL WILL BEWAITING FOR UPDATES . LOVE JOHN AND PATTI

[Renae]

Hello
Just wanted to say Hi!! I love the fact that you guys are letting the rest of us take the trip with you, virtual. I have been keeping up the whole time. It looks like your having so much fun and it seems like a great experience. Keep me posted!

[Paul Ruiz]

Jealous
Hey, guys! I am still so envious... You have seen some amazing things! You're not here for the Dark Knight premiere (not cool) and Corey misses you.... you're right, Corey is only worried about his next meal, but.... I miss you guys... have fun and stay safe!