On the morning of April 30th, 1975 the tanks of North Vietnamese Army bulldozed through the front gate of the South Vietnam Presidential Palace, ending the almost 20 years of Vietnam civil war. With the fall of Saigon to the northern army, Vietnam was finally reunified. Following the victory, the city was renamed in honour of the North Vietnam de facto leader, Uncle Ho and the palace is now known as the Reunification Palace. We felt that it was unjust to visit Saigon (bear me, I’ve certain inclination towards the old name) without visiting this  eventful place, which is the birthmark of the modern city itself. So there we were, on the last day of our trip to Saigon.

Time seems to stop on the day itself, with everything very much left exactly 35 years ago. Built on the foundation of the demolished Norodom Palace – the French Headquaters, the whole complex exhibits the typical architectural design of its era.

 By the way, entrance fee is VND15,000 and the palace, now museum closes its door during midday.

The Cabinet Hall. The 4-storey complex comprises of lavishly decorated state rooms to cater for the President’s various functions and official resident. From the majestic Presidential Office and the plush Chinese-decorated reception chamber, to the luxurios chandeliers and comfy meeting rooms; the palace is at its full grandeur and ready for the Chief needs. Not to mention the gambling room, for the President to unwind after a day crashing his brain deciding the fate of the nation.

The Banquet chamber in the Independance Hall.

The whole building screams of the late 1960′s and early 1970′s decor and technology, such as these vintage rotary dial-up telephones.

We walked from one room to another admiring the old-school furnishing, and finally arrived at the second floor. The balcony is facing the front gate and yields the view of the green lawn, where the tanks of the Northern Army crashed through that fateful day. Now everything is calm and quiet. I saw a man taking photo of the palace, and I him. Heehe.

But outside the gate, life moves at a much greater speed. It was like viewing the world from a parallel dimension of those Twillight Zone tv series.

 The indoor theater.

A copy of the U.S. Army Bell Huey which used to fly the President on his offical tour around the country resting on the helipad at the roof-top,  as seen from the ballroom at forth floor. It also witnessed the bombing by the mole inside the South Vietnamese Air Force, which course turned out futile.

From the rooftop we took the stairs which led us to the underground fortified bunker, via the gloomy corridors.

One metre below the surface is the War Room, the subterranean nerve center where war commands and strategic planning took place. Built of 60 inches thick of steel and concrete, the bunker could withstand massive bombings and outside attacks. Just ignore the wannabe Chief in command.

Next to it is the communication room, where the 60′s state-of-the-art military radios and bulky telecommunication boxes could be found.

Equipments by General Electrics. Getting  the full backup from the Uncle Sam, the technology down here was very much US.

The indoor shooting range.

Leaving the bunker we were back at the photo room at ground floor, with collections depicting the palace historical events and war casualities.

 The view of the complex from the back as we exit the compound.

It was already half past twelve when we left the palace and since most museums in Saigon close at noon, we decided to hang out by one of the sidewalk coffee stalls and kept this man company.

It is a few minutes walk to the War Remnants Museum from the Reunification Palace, where we arrived just in time for the afternoon visitation.

Boeing CH47 Chinook Helicopter, is one of the air craft on display.

Tanks, fighter jets and artilleries used during the Vietnam War littered the compound of the museum, where we have our pre-packed lunch at one of the bench there.

The cross section of a rocket pod, which reminds me the onion cells I saw in Biology class many years ago.

At the far left of the complex  is a mock setup of  the detention center in Con Dao island that housed the North Vietnam P.O.W, and its ill-famed “tiger cages” – a tiny, barbed wired cage used to held up to 6 prisoners at a time, which most of the time had to lie on their backs.

Entering the museum was like entering an art gallery, as the inside is filled with vast display of  war images, although they are not your typical kind of photos.

My favourite is the Requiem Hall, where exhibits are photos taken by the journalists that perished during the combat. To me they successfully captured the essance of war – some makes you laugh, others are inspiring but most of them are depressing.

Among the photos that caught my attention. I always believe that a good photo is not all about technical perfection and over superb post-processing techniques but rather a soulful and capable of stirring someone’s emotion. Most of the photos here were captured using a point-and-shoot, despite the fact that the brand today costs more than the standard prosumer DSLR. Yup, it’s one of my wishlist although I’m not sure when it will materialize. There’s no harm in dreaming, right?

One of the photo taken during the infamous My Lai massacre. The expression of the man – begging for mercy, while his life lies at the tip of the rifle. I found it powerful.

Gallery with photos of the chemical defoliant and agent orange after-effect, which victims were mostly children. I didn’t spend much time in there. Couldn’t.

It was raining outside by the time we returned to the lower ground, so we took the time lingering around the hall which exhibit the 1960′s to 1970′s press and propaganda denouncing the  U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

From the War Remnant Museum we continued our stroll around the city, and arrived at the reddish-brown building of Saigon Notre-Dame, a relic of the French Colonization of Vietnam.

The front facade of the Saigon Notre-Dame Basillica.

 Next to it is the city post office, another edifice constructed circa French colonization.

Intricate decorations that adorns the entrance significant with the European styles, in contrast with the romanized Vietnamese name of the building. East meet west.

 The interior of the post office, with huge arch-ceiling and Uncle Ho giant portrait at the far end.

The visit to the post office ended our short trip to Saigon, as we rushed our way to the airport for the flight back to KL. The night before I managed to drop by the night market next to Ben Thanh for a quick shopping, and unsurprisingly most of the patrons were Malaysians. Feels like strolling the night market at Tunku Abdul Rahman street in KL!

Ben Thanh Market at night, bathed in light.

]]> http://www.travel.simplyniza.com/2012/09/hcmc-reunification-palace/feed/ 2 http://www.travel.simplyniza.com/2012/09/from-cuchi-to-cai-be/ http://www.travel.simplyniza.com/2012/09/from-cuchi-to-cai-be/#comments Sun, 09 Sep 2012 09:54:21 +0000 Niza Zainal http://www.travel.nizazainal.com/?p=4313 Booking the trip to the Cu Chi Tunnel was the very first thing we did when we reached Saigon. Arriving early in the morning by bus from Mui Ne, we were dropped at the Pham Ngu Lao street and walked straight to the agent in Bui Vien. The half day tour costs us USD5 (per pax) and started in a hour, so we quickly rushed for lodging to drop our bags, refresh ourselves and all. I haven’t booked any, but Pham Ngu Lao is well known as the backpacker haven that it is not difficult finding one. We managed to find a decent place to stay a stone throw away, at just USD12. With ensuite bathroom, hot shower, aircond and 30″ flat screen tv, it was a great deal. The owner, a woman in mid 40 was kind enough to let us in early, enabling us to have a quick shower and changed to fresh clothing. Otherwise Cu Chi (and the rest of the tour participants) have to endure our smells for the day. Breakfast was just some canned coffee and tuna sandwich we bought from the nearby 24-hour convenience store.

Along the way, the bus made a stop at a craft factory, where worksmen were victims of the infamous Vietnam war. Although most of them had been made handicapped thanks to the U.S. agent orange, they are really skillful people. The lacquerware, plaques, vases and paintings made of egg shells are simply intricate and beautiful, and the process is more than tedious. I always believe that when a capability is lost, one will be a master of another.

The bus pulled in the compound of Cu Chi Tunnel complex an hour later, and after paying the entrance fee of VND75,000 each (exclusive of the tour) we were taken to the semi-grounded hut for the 20-minute video presentation of the Vietnam War and some lecture about the tunnel. Standing at the hut entrance was our cute guide, Han.

Han explained the tunnel route, an immense underground network and Vietcong hiding place during the 1961 – 1971 Vietnam War. Dugged with simple tools and bare hands, the tunnel spans about 200km underground Saigon up to the border of Cambodia, where about 16,000 soldiers and family members found refuge from the U.S Army and South Vietnamese government. I can’t imagine life inside a dark, damp, cramped and stuffy tunnel, much less get pregnant and give birth in there!

Vietcong was notorious for winning the war against the fully-equipped U.S. Army with their cheap guerilla warfare and ingenious design of fatal entrapments, such as this one. Sharp and poisonous bamboo spikes awaiting underneath concealed trapdoor, covered with grass and leaves, makes it one hell of a hole of doom for those unwatchful U.S. soldiers. Once fallen, goodbye torso; goodbye life!

Sometimes it was not spikes that awaited the U.S. soldiers, it was the Vietcong soldiers themselves. One simply hide in a tiny hole (about the size of A4 paper) for hours, waiting for his chance to ambush.

DH with the soldiers from the National Liberation Front (NLF).

Another remodel of Vietcong traps aim to brutally injured different parts of the body.

Living in densed jungle for years and shunned from the outside world meaning one has to be self-sufficient, which was norm to the Vietcong. They grew their own food and made their own cloths. Most of them were made from recycle materials such as the sandals. Made from scrap tires, the sandals were thick and though enough to long-survive the rugged and challenging environment they were living in.

The highlight of the tour is off course experiencing the tiny tunnel yours trully. Although presently it has been made bigger to accomodate tourists, crawling and ducking are still required throughout the passageways. Conceiving the fact that it was dark, hot and stuffy inside, not to mention duck-tailing behind a crowd of tourists in a claustrophobic tunnel at turtle-speed, we decided against it. Enough sweat for the day.

Instead, DH decided to try his wit at the shooting, which experience is much cheaper than the one he tried in Krabi last year. This time it was the U.S. Rifle M1 Garand, spelled as “Garang” by the Viets, which coincidently means fierce in Malay.

With the rifle in hand, we followed the attendant to the shooting range. The non-stop, loud and frenetic sounds of shooting and cocking of bullets to the burnt smells of used ammo - it was like real battle ground; and my very own baptism of fire. The impression? It scared the hell out of me. I’m thankful for being born in a war-free country, and very much hope and pray that the freedom and peace we have now will last forever.

At the end of the tour we were served with the Vietcong staple food - boiled tapioca eaten with ground peanuts and some pandan tea. Not that it is something foreign to us, Asians.

Next day we chose to join the day-trippers to the Mekong River, a 3-hour journey from Ho Chi Minh City. Above is our guide, briefing the day itinerary.

We chose the longer route to Cai Be at USD12 per person (with lunch included), instead of doing the very much beaten My Tho and Ben Tre. Cai Be is well known for its wholesale floating market, and the passage  to the city of Vinh Long, a province of the Mekong Delta. Here we were departing from the jetty in one of the long boat, 3 hours later.

Long boats docking at the  jetty, in between lush colonies of water hyacinth.

Arriving at 11am, the floating market  which started as early as five in the morning was very much over, but we still enjoy the sight of the slow-pace life that exists on and along the river.

We bypassed the traders in their colorful barges laden with fruits and vegetables plying through the brown water. Samples were hung on the tip of the long pole attach at the front, visible to the potential buyers. Some of the boats are even home to these people; where at a time I saw one on top of which a kid waving at us from his hammock.

Most of the boats have “eyes” painted at the bow, as the locals believe that boats needed them to steer the crew to safe during bad weather and to avoid collision with other boats.

 Another tourist boat passing by.

We cruised along the delta for quite some time, and arrived at the much narrow waterway with houses at each sides.

Some shots of the life at the Mekong.

 The first stop was the bee farm, where we enjoyed honey tea and sampling some local tidbits.

The warm honey tea was refreshing after a long day sitting in the bus and boat, and the tidbits were nice too. Especially the dried honey ginger.

From the bee farm we set on foot to the nearby rice paper home industry, and it was a nice village walk on the small shady path tucked along the river and houses. Saw this old lady talking with a friend in front of her grocery shop, and was happy when she said yes to have her photo taken.

A lady preparing the rice-paper at her house in Cai Be. Rice paper is one of the main ingredients of the ever popular Vietnamese spring rolls, as the one we tried during our trip to Mui Ne. The process and recipe is similar to the making of our own laksam although Vietnam’s version is much thinner.

Unlike the ready-to-eat laksam,  the steamed Vietnamese rice-paper needs to be sun dried for a day usually on a mesh of bamboo weaven layer.

Rice papers that were left to dry, then packed for sale. These rice papers will turn into a crisp and translucent sheets once dried, which can be kept for several months. They just need a sprinkle of hot water to soften before they could be used as wrappings for the spring rolls.

From the rice-paper making we walked to another house right into the kitchen, to witness the making of puffed rice and coconut candy.

A man whisking the rice kernels, heated in a large wok together with some sands, until it pops like popcorns. The mixture is then poured into a sieve to filter out the sand, and voila! Now you have local munchy and cereal.

From the puffed rice and candy making we returned to our boat and cruised for another hour towards Vinh Long. It was already afternoon; having only skimpy sandwiches for breakfast made my stomach growled with hunger. It was a relief when our guide told us that we were actually heading for lunch. Knowing that we are muslims, our guide was accomodative enough to let us pick in between having some fruits or vegetarian meal. I immediately chose rice, as the last time I ate proper meal was during yesterday’s lunch.

Lunch over (sorry no picture, we were so hungry that taking photos totally slipped our mind) we were left with options either to cycle around the village or to laze in a hammock at the back of the restaurant. Guess what, we did both!

For the curious, vegetarian lunch was basically rice with some soup, vege and fried eggs, but we only took the rice, vege and eat it with our MRE. A fellow Malaysian tripmate was kind enough to share his home-made sambal with us. By the way, I did the quick spot check at the kitchen beforehand and found nothing suspicious though.

 A kid at the village in Vinh Long.

It was sweltering that after a few cycles to the bridge we decided to turn back. Others have yet to return, so DH filled the gap playing a game of pool with our guide while I relaxing in the hammock. We took the boat back to the jetty at 4.00pm to our waiting bus, with the last stop at a local market. I bought a bag full of juicy lychee for just VND20,000, which we savoured along the way. A sweet ending to a tiring but memorable day.

One fine afternoon of mid June found us wandering outside the Tan Son Nhat airport looking for the shuttle bus to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, that is) and there it was, parked right at pillar no. 13.

The white and blue shuttle no. 152 to city center. The VND4000 fare is good enough for poor traveller like us, compared to the USD10 by cab.

The bus pulled off immediately as we hopped on, with a few passengers including us, which happen to be the only foreigner. Soon enough we were cruising the bustling streets of Vietnam’s largest city, and within minutes arrived at the iconic landmark of Ben Thanh Market.

We were dropped off at the bus terminal in front the market, and while figuring which way to go, we had our eyes fixed on the tallest building in the area. Did we saw Menara TM just now?

From Ben Thanh we walked to the Pham Ngu Lao street, looking for the tour agent  for the bus ride to Mui Ne. Pham Ngu Lao is famous for its budget hotels  and the many tour agencies, and is often considered at par with Khao San Road in Bangkok. 

A lone traffic policeman manned the crazy hordes of motorcycles. Crossing street in Vietnam is totally unhealthy; it’s bad for the heart!

We managed to locate our tour agent at Bui Vien street, and sorted out the booking. The bus to Mui Ne only departs at 8.00pm thus we were left with a few hours to idle. Since we will be arriving very late at night, food was a concern so we decided to fill up our stomach with pho and some takeaways from a halal stall near Ben Thanh. Guess what, halal food here cost a bomb, and that was just a stall. The pho tasted so-so, and the rice for takeaways was cold and hard. The eatery was crowded with fellow Malaysians on their short shopping trip,  of which we made friends with some of them, while a few others – well it’s better left unsaid.

Street scene at night in Saigon. Back at the tour agency after the quick dinner we were stuck with another hour to spare, so we killed the time wandering around and taking photos of the area.

Around 7.30pm we were called to the bus, and I being a tad excited as it was my first time riding a sleeper. The seat was a bit cramped, and I pity DH and those Americans who had to crouch within the tiny space. However this was much better rather than to sit up straight for 6 hours on normal buses. With pillow, blanket and all, it was a comfy ride; and I was pretty much sound asleep throughout the journey (although it started as a pretext to ignore the lovey-dovey local couple whose romancing in the seat in front of us) and was only awaken when we reached Phan Thiet for toilet break and supper.

From Phan Thiet it was just a couple of minutes drive to Mui Ne, and before long we were dispatched at a desolate street in front of our guest house. We were sort of alone in a middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night. Luckily the guest house keeper was aware of our coming, and after a few rings at the gate he opened the door, took us in and showed the room. It was basic, but enough for the night. The whole day was spent driving from our house to LCCT, boarding a plane to Saigon and taking the 6-hour bus to Mui Ne; it was hell exhausting that we jumped with joy at a sight of clean bed and hot shower. A quick bath and dinner follow suit; and then slipped onto the bed for a good night rest. Comes tomorrow a new day will dawn, and perhaps we will chance upon another adventure.