Ho Chin Minh City

Ho Chi Minh was an interesting city and again, I would say, a walking city.  However, there are quite a few places to get to if you do take a taxi.  We went to the war museum, Cu Chi tunnels, and the presidential palace.  I would recommend all three if you have the time and don't be scared to try the street food.  Plus, there are a lot of good foreign restaurants in the area as well.  Alas, here are a few photos from Ho Chi Minh.

(Propaganda poster or motivational poster depending on which side of the aisle you are on)

 (Tank outside the war museum)

(A poster showing the ties with Cuba)

(Again, as a westerner, brought up on an entirely different account of events, it was interesting to go to the museum and see what the Vietnamese government had to say about the war)

(Declaration of Independence with Ho Chi Minh's name on it)

 (Cages where prisoners of war were kept, I think they were called Tiger Cages)

 (A view of the market in the area)

 (I think this was in a restaurant we went into - Ho Chi Minh himself.  The people seem to love him and have a lot of respect for him.)

(Traffic shot and like most countries in SE Asia, a lot more motor bikes than cars)

(Entrance to the tunnels from inside one of the bunkers.  There were over 200 kms worth of tunnels built and some people lived in them for years.)

(Booby Trap)

(Can you spot the booby trap?)

(Fox Hole)

 (People in this part of the country weren't necessarily aligned with the North or South so they created their own flag.  Eventually, if I remember correctly, they joined forces with the North to expel the US.)

(Termite mound that was also used for ventilation)

(Sandals made out of tires - nothing was wasted)

(Inside one of the tunnels.  There were 3 levels built to satisfy the needs of the moment.)

(Coming out of the tunnel.  I was exhausted after walking down there, or crawling I guess for about 5 minutes.  I couldn't imagine spending hours in a tunnel, let alone days or weeks.)

(Another motivational poster)

(Baguette sandwiches, a French influence still around today)

 (Presidential Palace used by the South and US forces during the war)

 (The poster on the back depicts the founding of Vietnam)

(I believe this is where the cabinet meets)

(A special rug that depicts the power of Vietnam)

(A special lacquer wall made for the president.  There were a few secret tunnels so the president could immediately go to the safety of the basement.)

(The atrium)

(The library which had a sweet lamp in it)

(Dining Room)

(Game Room)

(Bombs were dropped on those two big red circles and shortly after the US began its evacuation from Saigon or Ho Chi Minh)

(A few of the old computers in the basement)

(I believe it says property of the United States of America)

(Communication Room also found in the basement, used for war communications)

(Some war paraphernalia)

(Another shot of traffic as we were leaving)

Hanoi - A City of Wonders

We did a lot in Hanoi and it was one of my favorite 'bigger' cities on the trip.  I've come to the conclusion that I enjoy what I call 'walking' cities.  This is a city where public transportation or transportation of any sort for that matter is not really necessary.  Although it makes for a long day, and while you do get some great exercise, Hanoi barely makes it as a walking city in my book.  We were able to do and see a lot of things the few days we spent here and used it as our hub to book our Halong Bay Trip.  Anyway, here are a few of the photos.  

 (Walking snacks, treats, and goodies)

 (Getting ready to pay after breakfast)

 (Cafe 27 - I think Katrina took this photo for the old man underneath the sign)

(One of the many alley ways.  I'm sure if you took the time to get to know the city you could find some wonderful things in the nooks...)

 (Cooking up a feast or at least something to eat - I believe a lady yelled at me for taking this picture, although I don't quite know why)

 (Lake/Pond at the center of town.  To the right is an island with a Chinese Temple on it...)

(Here is Katrina on the bridge)

 (Entrance to the temple)

(A little artwork)

 (Inside the temple)

 (Another shot)

(A cool little statue I liked)

 (This was just as we were walking around the pond)

(This was the Prisoner of War Camp where John McCain was held.  It is amusing, perhaps not the best word, that this has now become a tourist attraction.)

(One of the gates which kept the prisoners in at the 'Hanoi Hilton')

 (Uniform worn by the pilots and POW while they were in the camp)

 (Not the best shot, but there were shards of glass in the concrete outside to prevent prisoners from escaping)

(The French influence; however, I think it was only used a handful of times in the history of Vietnam)

 (Shackles used to keep the prisoners at bay)

(Entrance to one of the cells)

(Supposedly John McCain's flight suit.  From what I understand he actually made a visit to this camp at some point in the past.  The videos they play are rather interesting, especially as an American.)

(These are cards pilots and military personnel would carry with them during the war.  If they were caught, they would hand this to their captors.  I forget exactly what it says but something along the lines of 'I am an United States Citizen...) 

 (While we weren't hungry, this woman was trying to make a sale so she let Katrina hold her fruit)

 (And the wear the hat, but we didn't buy anything...)

(Water puppets)

 (A different kind of puppet)

(More puppets)

(The 'stage' - for being the premier water puppet show in Vietnam I was rather disappointed.  It was definitely worth a visit and something to do, though.)

 (This woman told the story and her entourage played the music during the show)

(Here come the people who controlled the puppets at the end of the show)

 (A few more of the 'controllers')

(View from our balcony, nothing special)

(Headed to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum)

(Unfortunately, due to the time of year we arrived, Ho Chi Minh was not in his mausoleum.  Instead, he was taking his yearly tour to Russia.  So, we missed him.)

(Jump shot in front of the mausoleum)

(Due to our timing, we also missed out on the museum.  It has some strange hours on Monday and Friday, I believe, so be sure to check before you go.)

(This was a park dedicated to education and scholars)

 (A view towards the front gate)

(These stone tablets hold the names of the individuals who graduated from way back in the day)

(Apparently, students, parents, family, and friends still come here to pray for good luck on tests and university entrance exams.)

 (The golden turtle)

 (Study time)

(Another gate)

 (So, if you are in Hanoi, it is a must to try Bia Hoi also known as Beer Hoi.  A beer costs about 25 cents and the atmosphere is a good time.  We met two older couples from Australia as we were enjoying our drinks.)

(That's me, having a sip)

 (There's Katrina, hanging out at the table.  Everyone is friendly and it's a great environment.)

(This was a different spot but it still had the same vibe)