Saigon - War Remnants (November 5)

On this day, I visited both the War Remnants Museum and the Presidential Palace as well as the Museum of Vietnamese History. The War Remnants Museum was disturbing while the history museum was educational. What I didn't know is that my admissions fee to the history museum also covered the admissions to the zoo. I didn't take any pictures of the history museum as there were pictures everywhere warning not to take pictures.

Presidential Palace Entrance Ticket

In the history museum, I had a sense that sometimes there was a struggle to present enough Vietnamese-specific material to make the museum interesting. Sure the museum went from era to era going way back into the past (4,000 years ago?), through the Nguyen Dynasty, up to today's activities, but the physical evidence was lacking.

Entrance Ticket to History Museum

When I reached the Buddhist section of the history museum, I was surprised at the lack of Vietnamese examples.

Bombs at the War Remnants Museum

Presidential Palace - Stuck in the 1970s

President's Office

President's Reception Room

This Palace is Very User Friendly. Drop Bomb Here.

Saigon - Zoo and Botanical Gardens (November 4)

Entrance Ticket to the Zoo

Over the next few days, I visit the sites in Saigon - The Zoo, the botanical gardens, the museum of Vietnamese history, the War Remnants Museum, and the Presidential Palace. During the nights, we play pool at Allez Boo or spend time at the Jazz Club - Sax 'N Art. There is not much room at the Jazz Club, but I get Maya (Terry's friend) on the dance floor and we East Coasted to one song.

Map of the Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

This is the extent of the Botanical Garden.

Pagoda at Botanical Gardens.

A Gaur

Pink Flamingoes at the Zoo.

Yes, There Were Dinosaurs at the Zoo.

A Hedge-Animal Stampede. Was I Back in Calgary?

Saigon - Driving and Nightlife (November 2)

Noisy Driving

Watch the large green city bus as it crosses the frame from right to left. Walking beside the bus, going in the same direction, is a man who is using the bus as protection from the traffic. Although the traffic is traveling relatively slowly through the intersection, realize what a bold move this is for the man to walk out into this busy intersection. The man at one point wants to go further away from the video camera, so he starts to walk against the movement of the bus in order to get around it. He then decides that this is not a good idea, so he continues walking with the bus in the same direction as the bus is traveling. The controlled chaos at Vietnamese traffic intersections is a sight to see.

Vietnamese drivers use their horns. A lot! They use their horns to signal their presence, to warn other drivers, and sometimes to indicate to traffic ahead of them to get out of the way.

I learned a little trick while cycling in Vietnam. Often trucks would signal their presence right as they pulled up along side me. It wasn't necessary for them to signal their presence as I was already aware that they were there because I could hear them coming. They would blow the horn anyway. The problem with this is that the horn would cause my ears to ring. Many of the trucks had their horn placed on the right hand side on the undercarriage which placed the horn at ear level with the bicyclists on the side of the road. When a truck would blow its horn as it was beside me, my left ear would ring.

Traffic Circle - Cho Ben Thanh

Observing Vietnamese riders, I was able to stop the truck drivers (and most other drivers) from blowing their horns in my ear. I noticed that when I placed a finger over my left ear, the passing truck would rarely blow its horn. This method worked more than 99% of the time. I think that placing the finger over the ear indicated to the truck drivers that I knew that they were there. The truck drivers try to indicate their presence by blowing their horns. When a cyclist places a finger over his ear, he is indicating to the truck driver that he knows that the truck is there. Thus, the truck driver no longer needs to blow his horn.

Nightlife.

I sit at a bar called Allez Boo at the corner of Pham Ngu Lau and De Tham. Initially, there is not much going on. A voice next to me says, "you look bored." I might be or maybe I'm just tired from all the travelling. I turn and end up talking with a young Vietnamese from San Jose. He was living in Rome, Italy for the last few months. He has just graduated from Business School and is travelling. We talk about many things, Vietnam, Vietnamese living overseas, and politics. He is worried that he is wasting his time (and thus his money) by travelling. I tell him it is worth the missed oportunity costs to be travelling right now.

Another night in Saigon, I went out to dinner with Terry's friends and his friend's international school colleagues. We went to a fancy creperie, Ty Coz Saigon at 178/4 Pasteur. Because we are a large party, we are seated at a large table on the roof. Although they don't have many vegetarian options, couldn't make crepes that night, and the prices were much higher than any others I had seen in Vietnam, I had a very nice and tasty meal. My recommendation: go to Ty Coz and try to get a table on the roof.

To Saigon (November 1)

To Saigon

Instead of riding into Saigon, I took a bus as suggested by friends of Terry. The traffic is too hectic coming into Saigon, so the bus was a safer way to arrive.

In Da Lat, a little bus picks me up in front of my hotel. But wait, where does my bike go? I'm told that I am to follow the little bus to a bigger bus. Following the little bus goes well. I am able to keep up with it as we ride downhill. And then we turn uphill. I'm worried. I stand on the pedals to keep with the little bus. And suddenly the journey is over. We turn left into a hotel parking lot where the big bus to Saigon is parked.

I now wait to board the big bus. More people show up. Some foreigners and some Vietnamese. I place my bike in the compartment under the seats. We board. An argument ensues between some Dutch and the ticket agent. The Dutch have misplaced their tickets. "No ticket. No bus," says the ticket agent. The Dutch get mad, get panicked and eventually find their tickets. The entire time this is happening, a book seller is trying to hawk books. She seems oblivious to the plight of the Dutch, offering to sell them books no less than three times. She comes onto the bus at least four times to sell us some books. She is very persistant.

Do You Want to Buy a Book?

Along the way to Saigon, we stop three times. Twice for pit stops and another time for lunch. For lunch, I've brought my own PB&J sandwiches. A Vietnamese comes up to me and talks with me in English. I offer him a sandwich, but he has brought his own.

He was a student in Washington, D.C. years ago. We have a nice talk. We talk about the corruption of the country, the road building standards, environmental issues, politics, etc. It was nice to have an honest conversation about the country with someone from Vietnam.

Now travelling with other foreigners as most foreigners travel, I notice interesting habits. For example, many of the foreigners are keeping a journal of their travels, as I am. One is even using a moleskine notebook. Also, I notice how exhausting traveling by bus is. It is true that I was exhausted while traveling by bicycle in Vietnam, but at least I caused the exhaustion. In the bus, I was exhausted just by doing nothing - just sitting.

Entering Saigon, I noticed the road had nice wide shoulders, but there was a ton of traffic. It would have been possible to ride into Saigon, but it wouldn't have been very safe.

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral.

Main Bu'u Dien - The Post Office.

Map of Saigon in Main Post Office.

We pass a new water treatment or wastewater treatment plant on the outskirts of Saigon to the east of Saigon (between Saigon and Bien Hoa). It is a joint venture between Japan, Vietnam, another company, and CDM. I'm not sure if it is for water or wastewater because all I can see are rectangular sedimentation ponds. It might be water treatment plant as I did not see any sludge digestion tanks.