No Fixed Abode: We’ll Miss Saigon

Mon 21 Mar 2016 - Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and travel to Dalat

Our last morning in Saigon was spent at two of the war related sites. The reunification palace was built in the seventies as the presidential palace and was scene of the iconic images of tanks driving through the gates to force the surrender of Saigon at the end of the war. It has been left as a kind of museum with the various offices, suites, council chambers and even an underground bunker left as they were found as a kind of museum. The bunker still resembled a military command centre with walls plastered with maps showing military positions and rooms stuffed with radio equipment. The architecture is very 70’s and reminded us both of the technical colleges we attended in our late teens - right to the side staircases where we visualised spotty adolescents with adidas bags slung over their shoulders trading insults as they barged past each other.

At 11:30 we arrived at the War Remnants museum. The grounds are packed with helicopters, planes and ground vehicles all captured from the retreating US army while the building houses photographs and stories of the ‘atrocities’ carried out by them. Needless to say the Vietnamese army is portrayed as the victorious saviour of the people from the imperialist forces. We suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle but will we ever know. Interestingly though most of the photos are from US sources. At 11:45 as we were musing over the exhibits in the first gallery an announcement came over the PA stating the museum would be closing for lunch at 12:00 and all guests should prepare to leave - why the lady who sold us our tickets failed to mention this we don’t know but we hastily walked around as many of the galleries as we could be looking at an external exhibit of various torture devices used by the french including a fully operation guillotine that was last used in 70s. Seems they weren’t the best of colonists either.

Although our ticket was eligible for the afternoon we had to return to the hotel as we were needed to get to the airport for our flight to Dalat. As we wouldn’t arrive until the early evening, on the walk back we looked for somewhere to eat. Originally hoping to find a snack shack serving fruit smoothies and local food we ended up in a western style joint eating pizza and drinking shakes. It was nice and cool and neither of us could recall the last time we’d had pizza - not necessarily a bad thing!

After a speedy shower and a quick bag pack, our hotel receptionist called us a taxi and we were off to the airport. The driver frequently had to force his way through the sea of scooters causing Yvonne, or Yvo as she is now called following the Mekong cruise crew’s inability to say her name fully, to squeak with a sharp intake of breath - despite Glenn’s best attempts to keep her distracted with inane conversation.

We arrived at the airport in good time and found the check in desk easily, however, we were informed the flight had been delayed by two hours so we would have a bit of a wait. This was especially galling as had we checked before we left we could have returned to the museum. Another learning point.

Saigon has been great fun and, although just as busy as the other Asian cities we’ve visited, has a more airy and classier feel - and it’s much cleaner.

Once inside the large departure lounge a group of mature Vietnamese ladies showed an extraordinary interest in a German couple’s blonde haired, blue eyed toddler. So much so that he was soon kidnapped into the arms of the nearest then handed around for all of them to have a cuddle. Fortunately he didn't seem to mind much.

Despite some last minute gate change confusion the short flight was uneventful and we were soon stepping out on the tarmac into the cool mountain air of Dalat airport - a welcome respite from the heat. We’d read more horror stories of taxis taking people to copycat hotels or shuttle buses dropping people on the outskirts of town but, once again, our experience was good and we said goodbye to the polite driver who’d driven us safely to the door of our hotel. As we opened the car doors to get out the bell boy was already carrying our bags inside where we were met by three others who completed the necessary passport checks, explained the facilities and the tours they provided. Then a young girl escorted us to our ‘VIP’ room and showed us around. The room was enormous with a huge bed with a very comfortable mattress - something of a novelty in Asia, they prefer them firm (hard) -, a large seating area with a sofa and the biggest bathroom ever. We seem to have chosen well - can’t wait for breakfast.