While we have found the Vietnam ports to be very
interesting, the past couple days have been full of places and events that were
significant in US history, not to mention our own personal history. Having lost a couple of classmates, and
having known others who served in Vietnam, these ports have been difficult as
they brought back many memories of highly emotional times and events.
As we sailed toward Phu My, we were struck by the difference
between the two banks of the river. On
the port side we could see miles and miles of mangroves with openings that
showed houses hidden back in the mangroves.
The river was dotted with fishing boats out for an early catch. The starboard side was lined with derricks
and cranes and industry. What an
incredible contrast!
Our tour, The Best of Ho Chi Minh City, was a
full-day excursion from the relatively new port city of Phu My to Ho Chi Minh
City. While the official name of the
former capital of South Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City, the name is only used for
official purposes. Otherwise it is still
referred to by its former name of Saigon, the name preferred by the locals. Since it would take about two hours to get
there due to extremely heavy traffic, we settled back to enjoy the scenery and
listen to the running commentary by our tour guide, Thien.
In two days we’ve heard three quotes on the population of
Vietnam, so the number of 90 million is somewhat of a question mark in our
minds. The country is roughly the area
of New Mexico, though of course it is very long and narrow, which is hard to
visualize considering the difference in physical shape. The government is Communist, but the southern
part (below the 17th parallel or the DMZ) is allowed much more
freedom than the northern part. Here
people can own their own property and can make their own decisions. Up North, the government makes the decisions
for the citizens. Throughout the
country, there appears to be much poverty as the only ones who are considered
rich are those who work for the government.
Citizens here must pay for their own education and their own health
care, as well prepare for their own retirement so they must work in some capacity
to provide for those needs. Many people
own small shops. Their living quarters
are behind and above the shops, meaning that they eat, sleep, and work under
the same roof. It’s difficult to imagine
a life in such a limited environment, especially with the trash that seemed to
pervade the entire area.
As we headed toward Saigon, we saw that there were almost no
cars. Everyone got around by truck, bus,
or motorcycle. Helmets are required, and
most people wear masks and long pants as well as long sleeves and gloves – even
in the heat! It’s amazing to think that
at home some people do everything they can to get a tan while people in Vietnam
try to keep their skin as white as possible.
White skin in Vietnam signifies wealth so they cover up as much as they
can to keep from getting too much sun.
The traffic as we approached Saigon got more and more
congested, and we were very glad that we were passengers rather than the bus
driver! I have never seen so many
motorcycles in one spot in my life! These
cycles seemed to come from every direction and weave in and out in the traffic,
causing many gasps among the bus passengers as we watched. Not only that, but I’ve never seen so many
unusual items being transported on those motorcycles. In a few cases, there were two adults and a
child on a motorcycle! The assortment of
items that they carried was amazing! In
one case a passenger was carrying a ladder and some kind of huge square
box. Another appeared to have about
eight huge bags of concrete. Friends of
ours even saw one that had a full-size refrigerator strapped to the back of the
cycle!
Another thing that struck us was the tangles of wires we saw
everywhere we looked in the city! In one
case I even saw a birdcage hanging from one of the wire tangles, and in another
instance, there was a man on a ladder that was propped up against the wires –
right in the middle of a street at an intersection!
Our first stop took us to the Reunification Hall. This was originally the Presidential Palace under
the South Vietnamese regime. It was here
that the jeeps arrived to take over the government when South Vietnam fell in
1975. This was our first experience of
being in a place that was openly controlled by a Communist government, and it
certainly felt strange! We really
weren’t sure how to react as the tour guide gave us some of the history – a
history that brought back difficult memories for many Americans.
We also visited the Post Office, where we were able to see
where the helicopters landed to take the South Vietnamese government leaders to
safety.
We also stopped at a lacquer ware workshop, where we learned
about this beautiful artwork. After a
delicious buffet lunch at a very upscale hotel, we made one last stop at the
National History Museum, where we learned about the history of Vietnam dating
back as far as the Stone Age. During our
visit we enjoyed seeing a water puppet show – something very unique! The puppets are steered through the water on
long sticks by performers who are hidden behind a backdrop. It was different from anything we’d ever seen
before, and everyone in the group found it very entertaining.
During our return trip to Phu My, the guide talked a little
bit about the Vietnam War. It was a
totally different perspective from any others we’ve heard. His father who I took to be about my age, and
who had grown up working in farming, was expected to enlist in the army. Because of his small stature, he found it
very difficult to use the weapons he was given.
While he fought for the South, he really wanted to see a unified
Vietnam. Apparently this was the
sentiment of many people.
Because of the number of people who had full-day tours
planned for Saigon, sail-away was not scheduled until 11:00 PM. That meant there was time for a Vietnam
Cultural Show. While it had been a very
long day, we didn’t want to miss the later-than-usual entertainment. We were delighted that we did because the
group who performed was excellent! Many
of the musical instruments were very unique, including one that looked almost
like a small pagoda (Chuck said pyramid, and Al said birdcage) but in actuality
was a xylophone-type instrument. There
were also six very elegant and graceful dancers whose grace and elegance was
something to behold. Each number
exhibited different dresses and different accessories. In one they used small china cups (egg cups?)
as castanets, as well as head pieces that held lit candles. In another there was an elegant use of fans,
and in another they used conical hats to portray waves – whether of water or of
rice in paddies, we weren’t sure. We
were certainly glad that we’d stayed up to attend this wonderful performance!
We are very pleased to have had the experience of visiting
Vietnam, but we are sure that our next port, Singapore, will be quite a
contrast!
BT
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