Ho Chi Minh City-Whirlwind of Energy
It was a little Khmer village named Prey Nokor in a swampland until the Vietnamese got permission from the Khmer king to settle here. Later waves of Vietnamese came without permission and Cambodia, then at war with Thailand was unable to stop them. Soon the whole lower Mekong Delta was overrun by them and annexed by the Vietnamese kingdom.
After the victory against the US in 1975, the North Vietnamese changed the name of Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in honor of their revolutionary leader. Today, the country is communist just in name and the fierce entrepreneurial spirit of the Vietnamese, long suppressed, is out and raging in the city’s markets and malls like a flood of the Mekong.
Binh Tay Market is located in the Chinatown (district 5) and is said to be better than Bin Thanh market. Almost everything you get in the more popular Bin Thanh, you can get here as it’s more popular with the locals. Vietnamese products from clothes to snacks, cooking utensils, nuts, spices, and tools, etc. are all on offer.
War Remnants Museum is the Vietnamese version of the war. Some say the French and Americans atrocities documented here are not true. But this museum lets the victims tell their own stories, along with photographs from US and French archives that corroborate and make the atrocities believable.
Cu Chi Tunnels were widely used during the Vietnam War and has living rooms, kitchens and storage facilities. With over 120 km of tunnels that were begun during the fight against the French, they were greatly expanded with air ventilation and command centers that led to their surviving carpet bombing by Americans. The entry is near Ben Dinah or Ben Douch, and at both places you can fire AK47s but it will cost you per bullet.
Cao Dai Temple near Ho Chi Minh was established in 1955 during the aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Indo-China. All are welcome and the deities include Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad and Confucius, in addition to Joan of Arc and Julius Cesar.
Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office was designed by Gustave Eiffel, of the Eiffel Tower fame and opened in 1891. It still functions as a post office and you can post your postcards from here if you like. This beautiful building is still intact without any changes.
Markets are scattered around the city and Thanh Market, Cholon, and An Dong Market are a few major ones that sell coffee beans, household supplies, and Vietnamese street food at attractive prices. Almost all of Saigon has markets that sell wet produce as well as other stuff.
October to November is the wettest periods and November to March is the time to visit Vietnam. There are lots of options for vegetarians too, if that’s putting you off. Book early and see one of the most interesting countries in the world and don’t forget to get travel insurance as well.
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