The Post Office and Reunification Palace

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We took a one hour flight from Denang and arrived in the morning. We had pre-arranged an airport pick-up and it was worth every slightly-over-priced cent. Our driver was there ahead of time, carried our bags, and then drove us half an hour to a hostel we wouldn't have ever found on our own.

After a quick lunch we split up to each do our own thing. I decided to enjoy the heat and walk to some of the major tourist spots, all conveniently located nearby each other. Getting to Reunification Palace proved to be a bit of a challenge because there was a flower festival due to Tet. I finally arrived, only to find the palace was closed until 1pm. So I walked a few blocks, saw the outside of the cathedral (it was closed, too), and then went to the post office.

I couldn't figure out why a post office would be on my tourist map until I went inside. It was built by the French in the late 19th century. Inside the tall ceilings were covered with glass and there were murals on the wall. I took a moment to buy a postcard (with a photo of the PO on it) and mail it to my parents. Then I sat and enjoyed the air conditioning until nearly 1pm.

From the ticket line on the sidewalk, I looked at the palace. The outside doesn't look like much of a palace--at least not in my opinion--but the inside felt like a palace. Every room had high ceilings, plush carpet, and stately furniture; everything is preserved exactly as it was on April 30, 1975. Most of the communications rooms in the basement were sparse--usually just a desk and a phone--but the larger and more important rooms had maps. On the palace lawn were the two tanks that stormed the gates in 1975, still looking ready to attack. It was as if time had frozen inside the fence.

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Photos

The Palace
Just as it was in April 1975.

uh-huh
Okay, so this wasn't here in 1975. You got me.