Ho Chi Minh

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Day 1

Jetstar Vietnam delivered us to Ho Chi Minh city safe and well, although the landing was bumpier than usual. I admit I am a nervous flier, but I'm sure a plane isn't supposed to bounce like it's on a trampoline. A short taxi ride to District 1 and we were checked in to our hotel (no pool, trying to save some bucks! - bad decision...). We were a little peckish at this stage (breakfast in Danang airport was ok, although Eleanor was hungry after dropping half her omelet on the floor), and opted for the market for lunch. Deciding which place to eat at is like a lottery, but we found somewhere which served rice paper rolls. Delicious and refreshing.

As were were in the city for only two days, we had a couple of things we wanted to see, so we ventured out into the humidity to pop into the Ho Chi Minh City Museum. Which was mistake number 1. We actually hadn't planned to see this museum at all but the glaring heat fried our brains and we stumbled into it by error. There's no need for anyone to visit this museum, unless you're a bride or model having photographs taken (there were three weddings and one fashion shoot there at the time). Spending approximately 20 minutes feigning interest in the exhibits, we left pretty quickly. Going back to the hotel to regroup, we rested for a while under the air conditioner to rethink our Saigon strategy.

The War Remnants Museum was top of the list so we waited until about 3:30 before heading out into the heat. It is quite different to Hanoi's museum, and I was really interested to see how the war would be interpreted in the south. The usual propoganda, tanks, aircraft and bombs. However, there was a photographic exhibition of photographers who had died in Vietnam which I had read about in an airline magazine on one of our recent flights. It was really worthwhile and quite interesting. Eleanor and I skipped a few exhibits (Agent Orange, and the after effects rooms) because they were fairly graphic. The Hanoi Museum is more 'full-on', I think, but this one provides a general Vietnamese overview of 'The American War' and its effects, so it's worth visiting. Afterwards we grabbed a cold drink at the Saigon/Ho Chi Minh equivalent of Boost smoothies. Watching the traffic zoom past (not taking a scintillating video like the guy in front of us) and listening to Christmas tunes (Last Christmas I gave you my heart...as interpreted by Vietnamese pop stars), we just relaxed and watched the sun set (under the green awning) while discussing what we just saw.

Dinner was an interesting experience, just for something different. We had an authentic experience (aka no air conditioning) and tried not to over eat, just for a change. It was similar to dining in Springvale, without a front wall, although the menu didn't have 250 options. Back at the hotel, the television provided the usual 70 channels of action movies, Korean/Chinese/Vietnamese soaps and news (in Vietnamese). Although Eleanor is now into the latest season of Amazing Race, so we watched an episode of that. Maybe she believes we are a team, racing through South-East Asia.

Day 2

We had planned a surprise for Eleanor today. However, due to our disorganisation (how surprising), she found out our destination in the taxi. It all began with an early trip to the Reunification Palace. Before we even arrived at the entrance, Dean had to go back to the hotel because he forgot his bathers. Walking around the palace, we admired the 1960s/1970s fixtures and features, taking some decorating tips as we moved from room to room. After an hour or so, we were ready for the next part of the day. Or so we thought. Mistake number 2. We didn't have the name of where we wanted to go. Before we had left the hotel, Dean had asked me if I had the "name of this joint", which I thought meant the name of the hotel written down. Of course, I had that. But, he actually meant the destination. Of course. So we had to walk back to the hotel (Eleanor was practically melting at this point) to find out the name.

Once in the taxi, Eleanor perked up and wanted to know what we were doing. Dean and I were doing well keeping the secret, until I let slip something about a pool. Idiot! Anyway, she was then quite excited about it. People commenting on Trip Advisor were somewhat negative, but we thought it was worth travelling to the burbs to spend the day in the equivalent of Geelong's Waterpark. And did we make the right decision! It was so much fun. A few thousand Vietnamese youth (15-25) and about 10 or so Westerners. For 60,000 Dong (about $3), you can spend the day on the slides and in the pools. Some people had commented that it wasn't clean, but it was no more dirty than a hot day at the Harold Holt (and I didn't once see a bandaid!). For the whole day, we did not feel the heat. Everybody was friendly and Dean and Eleanor went on all the slides I was too scaredy cat to go on. The Vietnamese people are very modest, so most people wore shorts and t-shorts (like us), so it was a very relaxed and casual atmosphere. On the Wandering River, Dean made a few friends, so we had an entourage for a while. After about six hours, Dean's back was almost giving up (when he gets home, ask him about the spaceship ride!) so we jumped in a taxi back to the hotel.

Before dinner, Eleanor and I spent some quality time together having a manicure. Yes, I know, I allowed somebody to touch my hands. Fairly hilarious, I was too busy watching demanding women having manicures and pedicures to concentrate on my own. Anyway, we left with cuticles shaped, cut, coloured and what have you, to meet with Dean for dinner. Surprisingly again, we didn't order too much food and left satisfied. I think I prefer food in the north, however. Is that a bad thing to say, when most Springvale food is from the south?

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Photos

The President's Bar
I''ve ordered one for Dean's Christmas present.

from the Dam Sen water park website
It captures the atmosphere perfectly.