(AHEM) IT’S SAIGON |
| HCMC SKYLINE |
In the ensuing years
after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 if you called Ho Chi Minh City by its
original name, you would be invited to the Communist Party’s offices for a cup
of tea.
Not good.
Since 1986 though, when
the Doi Moi economic renovations were rolled out, the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam has risen from one of the world’s poorest countries to a middle-class
economy. Things are still very cheap for us while there, but money talks and calling
the largest, wealthiest city in Vietnam Saigon is much more relaxed.
Yeah, officially the
city is still named after Uncle Ho, and Ho Chi Minh City is listed as such on
maps, road signs and airport ticker boards, but HCMC and Saigon are both
recognized. Afterall, they never changed the name of the Saigon River, and they
still brew Saigon Beer.
“Ho Beer” doesn’t have
the same panache, I guess.
WORLDBANK OVERVIEW OF VIETNAM
Saigon…er HCMC… is a
sprawling city more reminiscent of say New York than Vietnam, and its wealth is
evident in the growing infrastructure. On our recent trip to Vietnam with the
small tour group company, Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), several fellow travelers
who had been to Saigon … er HCMC… a few years ago were amazed by all the new
skyscrapers that had sprung up in the interim.
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CARAVELLE MARTINIS
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Yet, despite the
gleaming new buildings and models posing for photo shoots on the streets, the
high-end shops, and even a few craft beer establishments, there are people in
Saigon … er HCMC… using charcoal braziers on the sidewalk preparing street food
and the scooters buzz like hornets on the busy streets, and most importantly
you still cannot drink the tap water.
Yes, do not drink the
tap water anywhere in Vietnam. Bottled water only. Trust me.
MARTINIS IN SAIGON
Better yet, avoid water
altogether in this cosmopolitan town and drink a well concocted martini. Here
are a couple of places where we’ve enjoyed a drink and a beautiful view.
CARAVELLE HOTEL for
Happy Hour
Go to the rooftop bar
for the Caravelle Hotel’s 2 for 1 happy hour. Marvel at the gleaming expanse of
Saigon as you linger over your martini perched on their open balcony. With top
shelf vodkas and reasonable prices, the Caravelle is just across the street
from the Opera House and across the square from our next gin mill.
THE CONTINENTAL HOTEL |
| The Continental Hotel, Saigon |
First opened in 1880
this hotel was built to accommodate French travelers after the long cruise to
Indochina. During the Vietnam War the Continental was where all the press hung
out and presumably drank. Notable guests of the Continental were Hunter S.
Thompson who covered the last days before the fall of Saigon in 1975 and the
British author Graham Greene. Greene was a long-time guest at the Continental
and conceived his novel, “The Quiet American”, about the end of French
colonialism in Indochina and America’s early involvement in the Vietnam War while
staying there. Made into a film twice, the second one stars Brendan Fraser in
the titular role.
Proud of her place in
history, there is a corridor near the entrance that contains several placards
that chronicle the Continental’s past and her storied guests. As it was too hot
and humid for us to sit outside at café tables on the street we sat inside in
the large airy hotel foyer. The high ceilings were to help dispel the tropical
heat and there is a large garden in the interior. Even if you don’t drink you
should visit the Continental in Saigon… or whatever you want to call it.
The Opera House is
directly across the street.
THE CONTINENTAL SAIGON
HCMC CRAFT BEER
Beer is popular in the
tropical temperatures of Vietnam and every city we visited in Vietnam had their
own brew. Country-wide you could find 333, Larue and Tiger Beer. The capitol
had its Hanoi Beer, a pilsner, and Bia Hoi, a beer brewed daily and found
mostly in the bars along Beer Street. |
| Huda in Hue |
Hue had Huda, a lager.
While cruising along the spectacular Halong Bay, a Halong pilsner is necessary.
Apart from the Hoi An Brewing Company there are also small craft breweries in
that tourist town. Heineken has been in Danang since 1997 where they brew all
Larue and Tiger brands as well as Bia Viet.
In the tourist town of
Nha Trang we had craft beer at the Louisiane Brewhouse situated right on the
beach.
Saigon Beer is found
everywhere in Vietnam, but there are two notable craft breweries in HCMC. One is
Pasteur Street offering a full array of styles. There are 8 taprooms in Saigon
and thankfully one was just around the block from our hotel, the Central Palace
Hotel.
PASTEUR STREET BREWERY, VIETNAM
Heart of Darkness is
another craft brewer. They also have a taproom in DaNang and they name their
beers after characters in the film Apocalypse Now. Especially appealing is Kurtz’s
Insane IPA.
HEART OF DARKNESS BREWERY VIETNAM
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| Central Post Office Saigon |
BECAUSE YOU CAN’T DRINK
ALL THE TIME
Central Post Office and
Notre Dame Cathedral
I know this article so
far has been about alcohol, so go visit the Saigon Central Post Office at No.
2, Paris Commune Street. It is one of the oldest buildings in HCMC.
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| Central Post Office interior |
Construction
began in 1886 and the French Colonial building with neo-classical European
design elements like arched ceilings and decorated with Asian influences looks
more like a train station. It is a working post office, a gift shop and a
beautiful building to visit.
The “secret” CIA
building
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| now |
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| then |
When you exit the post
office look to your left to see the “secret” CIA building a block or so away.
History buffs may recall the iconic last helicopter taking off from that
building in 1975 during the fall of Saigon. The building is not open to the
public, but it is worth a picture.
Notre Dame Cathedral
If you’re into visiting
churches, the Catholic Cathedral across from the post office might be
interesting. Erected by French Colonialists in the late 1800s, Catholics were
running the government in South Vietnam and were biased towards Catholics at
the expense of Buddhists. This led to clashes in the lead up to the Vietnam War.
If you visit the
grounds of the Basilica, be sure to check out the statue of the Virgin Mary. In 2005 the statue was purportedly shedding a
tear down her right cheek which lured thousands of pilgrims.
Ben Thanh Market
Whatever souvenirs you
need go to the massive Ben Thanh Market and prepare to haggle, especially if
you decide to venture to the interior where vendors will nearly tackle you to
get your business. This beautiful massive market has everything. We bought a t-shirt
and a carry-on luggage piece that cost about $13 USD.
BROKEN RICE AND PIZZA
Overseas Adventure
Travel provides most meals. Though we were in Saigon for just three full days with
two of them filled with road trips, we still managed to eat out on our own.
Com Tam Moc
Broken rice are kernels
that have been damaged in the handling process and once considered inferior. There’s
nothing wrong with the rice, but poor farmers would eat the broken kernels because
it was cheaper. It is now a staple of Saigon cuisine and is popular with locals
and foreigners. Usually served with pork or eggs, you can eat Com Tam with a
fork.
The Com Tam Moc restaurant
was a couple of blocks down from the hotel.
COM TAM MOC SAIGON
Ciao Bella Il Primo, 11 Dong Du Street
Sometimes you just need
comfort food. After three weeks of Pho and fertilized duck eggs, pizza
beckoned.
CENTRAL PALACE HOTEL SAIGON
DAY TRIPS
Using HCMC as a base,
OAT took us on a couple of day trips out of HCMC. A couple of hours drive by
coach each trip was remarkable and historical.
Cu Chi Tunnels
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| Cu Chi Tunnel Rat |
Cu Chi is a vast
network of tunnels that are not far from Saigon proper and during the war
served as the Viet Cong’s base of operations during the Tet Offensive. Stretching
to over 200 km to the Cambodia border the tunnels were the terminus of the Ho
Chi Minh Trail. It’s kind of eerie and even unnerving to some to experience the tunnels like a tourist and
one can book a day tour. It is a popular tourist excursion. Outside the
entrance there are derelict war machines like a tank and an airplane and there
is a firing range for several types of guns used during the war.
There’s a gift shop.
CU CHI TUNNELS
Mekong Delta and
Coconut Candy
Another popular day
trip out of Saigon was to take a sampan along the Mekong Delta. As a youth the
Mekong Delta was mentioned nightly on the news, and it was intriguing to see
it. The sampan slipped along the sediment filled water passing fish farms as we
drank coconut water from a coconut. We visited a small farm on one of the
islands and met with the owner who gave us fruit from his garden. We then
transferred to a smaller sampan to visit a coconut candy factory. There’s a
gift shop here too. Art, leather goods, artifacts and of course coconut candy
are available for purchase. |
| Sampan on the Mekong |
Later we stopped for
lunch.
There are several
outfitters for similar tours. OAT just told us to get on the bus!
Saigon… er HCMC…. was a
great end to the Vietnam portion of our trip.
Up next…it’s a Holiday
in Cambodia.
OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Thanks for reading.
Love Janet and greg
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| LUNCH |
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| COCONUT CANDY "FACTORY" |
© 2024 by Gregory Dunaj
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