Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta

We flew Tiger Airways to Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon), stopping in Singapore for several hours since it is a point-to-point, budget airline. We had to laugh at what they called a budget terminal with the tagline: Enjoy the difference (read: you get what you pay for). Our first challenge in Vietnam was crossing the street. It is no exaggeration to say that there are over 1 million motorbikes in Saigon, all of which seem to be dodging you as you attempt to make it across the road alive. It proved to be a slow and unnerving process, but we gradually got the hang of it. Just to clarify, there are no crosswalks or traffic police; therefore, the life threatening situation is inevitable—it’s a survival of the fittest.

Our first order of business was a treasure hunt for a 1970s gas tank for BJ’s motorbike. We found the piece with little hassle thanks to some local advice, clear diagrams and photos. The hardest part, actually, was getting to the post office to mail it back to Australia. Since the taxi driver did not speak English, we resorted pointing at the word in the key phrases section of our Lonely Planet. We made an attempt at pronouncing it, but the mixture of a southern accent and a foreign, tonal language ended up being a communication disaster. The same word can be pronounced ten different ways, and therefore, have that many meanings. For all we know, we could have asked him to take us to the fart or light switch instead of the post office. Nevertheless, we made it and posting something was a piece of cake compared to the chaotic bureaucracy in India.

The following day we arranged a day trip to the Mekong Delta, where the rich nutrients from the Mekong River are deposited at the mouth of the South China Sea. We visited the towns of Mytho and Ben Tre, both of which are benefiting from the economic opportunities the delta provides. We crossed the [very brown] river by boat to one of the delta’s islands, stopping at a floating fish farm to see thousands of (soon-to-be-sushi) fish harvested in small confinements. On the island we were treated to tastings at a honey bee farm and coconut candy workshop. Two American men on our tour were former soldiers 40 years ago returning to Vietnam, this time for different reasons. One mentioned that the scenery triggered flashbacks—something we cannot imagine. After lunch we took a row boat along a winding creek that cut through the island. As we floated along the water, we were surrounded by lush green vegetation and enormous palm leaves. The experience was complete with two cone-shaped Vietnamese straw hats that we wore in order to blend in more with the locals (it didn’t work). On our return to Saigon, we rode a boat back up the river and got a glimpse of life along the water. Hundreds of boats travel up and down the waterway daily transporting anything from massive tons of dirt to several thousand pieces of fruit. The people in the area thrive on the benefits of the delta and it’s proximity to Saigon—perfect for supply and demand.

For our full day in Ho Chi Minh City we opted to go sight-seeing and market shopping. Sight-seeing included a stop at the War Museum and a walk by their version of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Reunification Palace. The War Museum was a horrific collection of photos taken during the Vietnam War (which they call the American War). It was a tribute to the photojournalists and soldiers on all sides whose fates were determined by the brutality of the war. A large group of people wandered through the museum at the same time we did, staring at the gruesome photos and reading their captions, which left most everyone speechless. The Reunification Palace still looks the same it did on the day in 1975 when it was seized by the Viet Cong (and communism won). Surprisingly, when asked by locals where we are from, we’ve only received warm welcomes when they hear America and sometimes even a thumb’s up.
After we waited out a torrential downpour, we pressed on to the famous Ben Thanh market where we found very good imitation designer items for more than reasonable prices. Hundreds of stalls were packed with Lacoste polos, silk scarves, token Vietnamese souvenirs, Gucci purses, sunglasses, food, toiletries, and almost anything you could ever need.