Introducing Vietnam

Today was almost an overload of information. After breakfast at the hotel we began with a lecture at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on the history and culture of this country. So, beginning in 221 BC. . . .  basically China has always been a presence and wars are not a new thing. We had a lot of questions about current attitudes towards America of course and honestly, here  Americans are friends. Our group guide collected bullet casings to sell as a child and has relatives affected by agent orange, yet it’s all about the future, without resentment of the past. A remarkable attitude.

We wandered the Post Office building, designed by Eiffel, and it totally looks like a train station! But it never was – and now houses a post office and lots of souvenir shops.  We could see the building where those last helicopters took off at the fall of Saigon. Not actually the embassy but a CIA building – apparently the media got it wrong at the beginning and no one remembers the corrections. Lunch at Propaganda Restaurant and then on to the Reunification Palace. Here one sees the tanks that pushed down the gates as the North Vietnamese entered the city along with the residence and official rooms for the current government. Very 1960’s still.

Also visited the War Remnants Museum. This is filled with photos of the war as well as some planes and weaponry. Very intense, very disturbing.

Now, resting and preparing for departure tomorrow – on wards to our small ship and exploration of the Mekong.

Just a note – not that you will find this in the news at home – Vietnam won a big soccer match last night – I think vs. Syria – and this put them into the semifinals (I think) of the all-Asia soccer tournament. So, at midnight there was a huge celebration with thousands of people waving flags, riding motorbikes, honking horns, yelling with happiness, holding cellphone lights etc. – walking in the streets in a spontaneous parade that lasted a couple of hours. It was joyous, it was peaceful, it was LOUD!