Reginald Mundain ... With Reservations: Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh...Cu Chi Tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City, officially renamed from "Saigon" in honour of "Uncle Ho" is home to many "must sees". For history buffs there are the many museums, including the War Remnants Museum. Another venue not to be missed is the Reunification Palace, formerly known as the "Presidential Palace", commemorating the reunion of North and South Vietnam in 1975 after the war.

...the main boulevard entry where a victorious North Vietnamese tank
crashed the gates of the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam,
symbolizing the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War

architecturally the palace is a blend of traditional
Vietnamese and modern 60's design...

one of the many hallways...

...visually captivating design elements

one of many formal reception rooms...

one of many formal dining rooms...

...the command room

...odd accessories in the personal living quarters area,
...actual elephants feet, hollowed out and taxidermied

...rooftop helipad with captured U.S. helicopter

Mundain with Uncle Ho

For shoppers there is the Ben Thanh Market, where one can enjoy street food, watch old toothless men playing chess, dodge touts, or haggle with the hundreds of vendors selling everything imaginable. When you tire, pop into one of the many cafes...

...when hot and thirsty, plop yourself onto a kiddie size
plastic patio chair, the seating of choice among street eateries and cafes...

...and order a cold, refreshing iced Vietnamese coffee just like the locals

...or for a tall, cold, local brew at an upscale
beverage bar catering mostly to foreigners

Alternatively, you may prefer your favorite branded store, either stand-alone or in a modern mall. But choosing this route it offers the same shopping experience as in their New York, Tokyo, or London outlets, with identical products similarly over-priced.

So Mundain suggests that you save yourself the trouble and head for your local branded shop rather than waste your money flying all the way to Vietnam; go ahead and buy yourself another LV handbag or two with the airfare you can save.

...but do visit local malls, when it gets too hot outside,
and explore the local retailers for products not found at home

...like this whole floor

of boutiques devoted to children's attire,

...accessories and amusements...

then make a beeline to the food court for dark belgian chocolates

or something cooling

or delicious baked goods from one of many patisseries

not surprisingly Vietnamese baking is heavily French influenced
and Saigon's patisseries rival that of Paris

If you really want to experience a bit of Vietnam, don't forget the traditional Water Puppet Show; it is unique, entertaining, and unmundane per Mundain. But, as much as I enjoyed the show, there is always someone with an opposing opinion...such as one written on Travel Advisor by a person disappointed that the performance was presented in Vietnamese!

DUH...did you know that you were in Vietnam? Go back to your hotel room and watch American Idol while munching on some Pringles (hmmmm...will Jessica Sanchez or Phillip Phillips win? ...ok, I'll admit to catching every episode except the finale...oh, and by the way...a tube of Pringles cost me 80000 Dong).

...Saigon's venue for the Water Puppet Show

All the above attractions and many more are located in District 1, and within walking distance of each other and our lodgings. It is said that the top three criteria in determining real estate value are 1)location, 2)location and 3)location. Mundain discovered on this journey, the same applies to travel accommodation.

THE CU CHI TUNNELS

The Cu Chi Tunnels, located some kilometers north of Saigon and constructed during "The War" is a testament to the ingenuity and determination of the Vietnamese people.

Which war? If you ask the Vietnamese the answer would be the "American War", whereas we in the west refer to that conflict as the "Vietnam War".

Through sheer will power, the Viet Cong hand dug 250 kilometers of interconnected tunnels, depositing the excavated dirt into American bombs craters. These tunnels were intricate and sophisticated and contained mess halls, hospitals, arms manufacturing plants using unexploded American bombs, water wells, escape hatches and everything else needed to sustain, hide and protect 16000 people.

Without delving into politics, suffice it to say that the Vietnamese are fiercely self-sacrificially patriotic, having withstood the full force of America's military, save atomics, and not only survived through wit, determination and focus on purpose but thrived, unified, and emerged ready to forge ahead in all endeavors.

...these tiny openings hidden throughout the jungle
were the gateways to 250 kilometers of underground tunnels
constructed by the Viet Cong providing safe haven from American
bombs and providing a crucial supply link between the Ho Chi Minh Trail
and Saigon.