After sailing away from Singapore it is over a day and 1/2 until you reach Saigon. The waves were big and we rocked and rolled.
Then we arrived and not wanting to miss a minute of this fascinating city I set out to discover the Saigon of my teenage years and the war. Surprise. It's really not there but has been replaced by a busting city complete with skyscrapers, a huge shipping industry and streets crowded with motorbikes and seemingly no traffic rules. The city bustles at night and it is a city where entertainment is everything so we set off on a vesper to discover what the locals due.
There are still some vestiges of a colonial time and beautiful architecture. This is nowhere better displayed then in the old post office building.
The locals all call this city Saigon and none refer to it as Ho Chi Minh City. They say that this a mouthful and doesn't have the beauty of the real name. Here is a look at the crazy streets.
We began our visit at the Museum of Vietnamese History. This traces a civilization that has experienced war from the first century when conquered by the Chinese to the war we all know. But regardless of this, the country has prospered. They have the most beautiful art of the water puppets and their belief in Buddha and other gods is strong.
We visited the beautiful Chinese temple dedicated to the water goddess as well as Giac Lam Pagoda where the monks live and Buddha is revered. Finally we visited Cho Lan Market which is the heart of Chinatown and the busiest market I have seen as vendors sell everything from candy to face masks.
Then we arrived and not wanting to miss a minute of this fascinating city I set out to discover the Saigon of my teenage years and the war. Surprise. It's really not there but has been replaced by a busting city complete with skyscrapers, a huge shipping industry and streets crowded with motorbikes and seemingly no traffic rules. The city bustles at night and it is a city where entertainment is everything so we set off on a vesper to discover what the locals due.
There are still some vestiges of a colonial time and beautiful architecture. This is nowhere better displayed then in the old post office building.
The locals all call this city Saigon and none refer to it as Ho Chi Minh City. They say that this a mouthful and doesn't have the beauty of the real name. Here is a look at the crazy streets.
We began our visit at the Museum of Vietnamese History. This traces a civilization that has experienced war from the first century when conquered by the Chinese to the war we all know. But regardless of this, the country has prospered. They have the most beautiful art of the water puppets and their belief in Buddha and other gods is strong.
We visited the beautiful Chinese temple dedicated to the water goddess as well as Giac Lam Pagoda where the monks live and Buddha is revered. Finally we visited Cho Lan Market which is the heart of Chinatown and the busiest market I have seen as vendors sell everything from candy to face masks.
No comments:
Post a Comment