Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

I spent the morning on a city tour of Saigon, while Bill did a day-long excursion entitled "Good Morning, Vietnam", visiting places related to the war, including the Cu Chi tunnels.  Parts of Saigon were evocative of Paris, reflecting the years the French were in Vietnam.  Other parts were typically Asian.  And motor scooters were everywhere.

Our first stop was a lacquerware factory; we got to watch the items being made and visit the shop - beautiful items but I resisted the slight urge to buy.

Next stop was the Reunification Palace, where in 1975 the Southern forces officially surrendered to the Revolutionary forces.  It's now a museum, with its exhibits frozen in their pre-1975 state.

Notre Dame Cathedral; not up to Paris standards, but a nice place to pray.

Central Post Office, built by Gustave Eiffel.

Giac Liam Pagoda, built in 1744; the oldest pagoda in Saigon.  A religious haven where Taoism and Confucianism merge with Buddhism (not sure what that means....just lots of "isms" all mixed together!)   The elegant white statue is of Quan The Am Bo Tat, the Goddess of Mercy.

Ho Chi Minh statue in front of  City Hall.

Our last stop was in the Chinatown district, Cholon, at a local market.  I was very hot and worn out from the heat and humidity and chose to stay on the bus with my book.  It felt wonderful to get back to the ship with its fantastic air conditioning and delicious ice cream!

Tonight Bill and I are off to the Rex Hotel for a folklore show and tomorrow we are spending the day on a Mekong River cruise.