We went to the lounge to be dispatched for our tour. When we got our stickers, I went ahead to board the coach. This way we got decent window seats for taking pictures. Alice arrived near the end of the group. We might not even have had seats together, if I had stayed with her. Watching her, I could see that walking was not easy. She was very determined not to miss anything.
Inside the Museum
The bus left for the long drive to Saigon. On arrival we went directly to the City Museum. This provided excellent information on the economic and cultural development of Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Min City. This was a good start.
Next we went to the Bitexco Financial Tower. This high rise offered an observation deck with excellent city views. We opted to forego that for a tour to Ben Thanh Market. You may have gathered by now that we cannot pass up a local market. This was a fine example of a local market. All of the usual suspects were present. Fish were varied and abundant, very little meat, rice in many varieties, some vegetables and many kinds of fruits and nuts. It is easy to see the impact of diet on the people's fitness. There were also clothing and accessories. This market occupied a large square block in the heart of the city. It bustled with people buying food for a few days. That is an American observation. This could well have been food for a week. Rice is a substantial part of the diet, and that is home grown or purchased in larger quantity.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this market. The people were friendly. Best of all, we survived the adventure of crossing the street through the mass of motorcycles. Again we had been instructed to progress at a steady pace, looking straight ahead without making eye contact with the drivers. Magically they dodge us, but they need our steady pace to pick their paths. Wow! We returned to the Tower to board our bus.
We stopped at a large square next. This was home to Notre Dame Cathedral. It was built by the French colonists of materials imported from France. It's exterior is beautiful, but all doors were locked. We never saw the interior. This was just as well because our time here was limited, and on another side of the square sat the large Post Office. Our guide had told us we would find souvenirs here in addition to stamps. The interior was very nice. Far in the back were the postal clerks. To get to them you had to pass through counter after counter of jewelry of all sorts. Near the entrance a wing off to the left was full of conventional items at crazy low prices. My dragon t-shirt was less than $4. We also bought a beautiful map for less than $1. We were glad we had time to spend here because the church was locked.
Lunchtime took us to a 4th floor buffet restaurant not far away. What a magnificent spread. There was a pasta bar, a sushi bar, a chicken and rice station, a salad bar, a soup and dessert bar and a spring roll and bread bar. Oh yes, and a separate beverage bar. But we only had an hour to eat. We spent it well.
Now we were off to Reunification Hall. This was the former Presidential Palace. In 1975 a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the front gate on April 30th, signaling the end of the war. We toured the rooms used for entertaining heads of state, as well as various meeting rooms. It was rather like touring the White House. As a museum it is kept in impeccable condition. Even the bunkers in the basement were pristine. They were still filled with vintage American made communications gear. Alice was now walking with a cane borrowed from a passenger. We mistakenly went down the stairs to the bunker. This works OK, but the climb back up really aggravated Alice's knee.
Now we were off to a lacquerware factory. We learned how objects were painted and some had egg shell or mother of pearl inlays. We watched as one man carefully created a picture using pieces of duck egg shell that he cut to fit and glued in place. When the artwork was completed, 17 coats of lacquer are applied.
Of course there was a showroom. The work was beautiful, and the prices were reasonable.
We bought this vase to end our tour day.
Back on Amsterdam we iced the knee and took it easy until dinner. Rest helps Alice, but does not erase the pain.
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