Ho Chi Minh City – Snapping The Globe

The Beginning of the End

My last day.

All of the planning, the travels and endless sightseeing was coming to an end here in Ho Chi Minh City.

Later in the evening, I would be leaving Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam for the long trip home. Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore. Singapore to Narita, Japan. Narita to Minneapolis. Minneapolis to New York. New York to Richmond. Whew! It was going to be an exhausting trip, so knowing I was going to be out sightseeing all day, in the oppressive heat, I was concerned about being able to freshen up before heading to the airport. After contemplating making a move in the morning to a cheaper hotel or hostel, I explained my plight to the attendant at the front desk of the Lan Lan Hotel. Though they had not been all too friendly since I had arrived, I think she took pity on me. Offered a half-day’s rate with a departure of 6:00 in the evening meant that I could leave everything in my room and take a shower before my departure.

Since my hotel dilemma was no longer a problem, I was able to set out early and see what the city had to offer.

The Mariamman Hindu Temple was only a couple of blocks away and was my first destination. A very colorful and interesting place, filled with vibrant deity sculptures, it serves the small community of Chinese and Vietnamese Tamil Hindus living in the city. This temple is rumored to have miraculous powers giving luck and wealth to those who worship within its walls and was filled with the devout as I walked through its doors.

Built at the end of the 19th century, the building features a royal tower at the entrance which stands twelve meters high. To the left of the entrance sits the Gods and Goddesses, Shiva, Kali, Brahma and Vishnu and at an altar in the center of the temple is a statue of the Goddess Mariamman.

This was my first visit to a Hindu temple and I enjoyed visiting something very different than I had ever experienced. My favorite part, however, were the little ladies, fascinated with my make-up, who all wanted to take pictures with me.

Leaving the Hindu temple, I noticed a pagoda on my map a few blocks away. The Xá Lợi Pagoda, the largest pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, was built in 1956 and was the headquarters of Buddhism in South Vietnam. Best known for being raided and vandalized by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces in 1963, it did not appear to be open and was not as lavish and ornate as some of the others I had seen on my journey, although it is known to have the highest bell tower in Vietnam. The grounds on which it sat left a lot to be desired, leaving me a bit disappointed that I had walked out of my way, unnecessarily, to visit. Snapping a few pictures, I then decided to make the long walk to the Jade Emperor Pagoda.

One of the five most important shrines in Ho Chi Minh City, Jade Emperor Pagoda, also known as the Tortoise Pagoda, was built in 1909 in honor of the supreme Taoist god, the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang.

When entering the temple, the first thing you notice is how dimly lit and smoky the atmosphere is as a great amount of incense is being burned to honor the gods. That being said, the main hall is very intriguing showcasing surrealistic divinities. Filled with exquisite woodcarvings, the main sanctuary features the Emperor Jade Chua Hoang (the God of the Heavens) flanked by his guardians, the Four Big Diamonds (aptly named because they are said to be as hard as diamonds) and menacing Taoist figures made of reinforced paper mache.

Many locals visit the shrine, making offerings of flowers, lighting candles and joss sticks and the limited space in the temple can feel a little cramped. When departing the temple, stop by the small pond filled with turtles and check out the shells that have been inscribed with auspicious inscriptions.

Saigon Central City Post Office was my next stop, and no, I did not have to mail a letter!

The Saigon Central Post Office is one of the most renowned examples of architecture in Ho Chi Minh City and is a must see for any visitor. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, more commonly known for designing the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, it is recognized as the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia.

Constructed between 1886 and 1891, the colonial ochre-colored facade is enhanced by arched windows, green wooden shutters and a beautiful clock which still works to this day. Inscribed on the facade are the names and faces of those responsible for the timepiece invention, including President of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, Italian inventor Alessandro Volta, British physicist Michael Faraday, French mathematician Andre-Marie Ampere and many others. There are also inscriptions dedicated to those responsible for discoveries and advances in the field of electricity.

The gasp-worthy interior will, at first, remind you of a train station, which was indeed, Eiffel’s inspiration. Glancing upward, you will notice the high, looping arches and the spectacular dome of gilded capitals resting on green metal pillars. The intricately designed marble floors are representative of antique maps and the dark wood telephone booths that line the front of the building on each side, are reminders of the role the post office played before email and mobile phones were commonplace. Two maps of the region, which show telegraph lines that crisscross Vietnam and Cambodia and the Saigon region in 1992 are painted on the walls overhead. So beautiful and so French inspired, it is easy to forget where you really are. Don’t worry, the large portrait of Ho Chi Minh hangs high above everything at the far end of the building, reminding you that you are still in Vietnam.

In addition to being a fascinating glimpse into history, the Saigon Central Post Office is a fully functioning post office. Take the time to send a postcard to your family and friends using the old fashioned glue pots still in use for sticking stamps to letters. After sending off your missive, you can even do a little souvenir shopping in the two wings at the front of the building which sell everything from t-shirts and hats, to statues and books.

My next stop was not far…just across the street. The Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica was a place that I very much wanted to visit. As I was leaving the Post Office and glancing at the clock, however, I noticed that it was half past noon. Verifying the opening time at Notre Dame’s entrance, I realized that I had just missed the morning hours and it would be two and a half more until it reopened. If I were to come back, I would have to be here exactly for the reopening. It would be tight. Just in case that I did not make it, I decided to take some pictures of the exterior and move on a few blocks to the Reunification Palace.

Formerly known as the Independence Palace, this landmark served as a presidential home and workplace and remains in the locals’ minds as a marked end to the war, when a North Vietnamese tank crashed its gates on April 30, 1975.

The building has an open, modern feel and its functional rooms remind one of the many meetings and conferences that took place here. On the premises, however, you can view the F5E fighter plane which bombed the palace on April 8, 1975 and the tank which destroyed the palace gate.

The Palace, taking up so much more time than I had planned, left me a little confused as what to do next. I was halfway between the Street Food Market, which was where I had planned to have lunch and Notre Dame Basilica. It wasn’t time for the churches reopening, yet I was starving. Deciding to have lunch and hope that I would have enough time to cover the distance back to the church, I headed toward the Street Food Market. After my lunch and analyzing the time, I deciding that I was hot and tired and really needed to purchase some souvenirs at the Ben Thanh Market. Unfortunately, Notre Dame was not meant to be.

Thankfully, it was a productive trip to the Ben Thanh Market where I managed to find some items that had eluded me during the trip.

Finally, it was back to my room and time to pack up for my departure. My suitcase was bursting, but I somehow managed to get everything into it and myself dressed and ready to go. Feeling fresh and revived, I made my way downstairs and decided to try using Uber, since a friend had reminded me as to how cheap it was in Ho Chi Minh City.

Now, I have to tell you. My luck with Uber has not been good in the past. Determined to make it work for me, I used the app and waited for my vehicle. Watching each of the cars that slowed near my hotel, I began thinking that this particular brand of car was not familiar to me. Slowly, I began to wonder… Yes, I realized that I had screwed up again. Not realizing that Moto X was indeed motorcycle transportation, not an actual car, this is what pulled in to pick me up. At this point, all I could do was laugh. This was a crazy end to my trip.

Somehow, with my purse on my shoulder, hat hanging from his handlebars, putting my tote between his legs and my suitcase between us, we were on our way. Feeling a few raindrops and holding on for dear life, I prayed that I made it to my flight unscathed and dry, though feeling the pollution sink into my pores, from the copious amounts of traffic, I realized that I would not be feeling as fresh as I had been just before my motorcycle journey.

Nevertheless, two hours later as I was boarding my flight and laughing at the absurdity of the beginning of the end of my long journey home, I only wished that I could have had a picture. Truly, had I become almost Vietnamese, traversing the streets on a motorbike with my luggage? Not quite…but it was a fitting end to the crazy adventure that I had sought out on my own. One that I will never forget.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Mariamman Hindu Temple

Address: 45 Trương Định, Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hours: 0700-1900, daily.
Admission: free
Dress conservatively and remove shoes before entering.

Xá Lợi Pagoda

http://www.chuaxaloi.vn/
Address: 89B Bà Huyện Thanh Quan, 7th Ward, Quận 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hours: 0700-1900, daily.
Admission: free

Jade Emperor Pagoda

Address: 73 Mai Thi Luu St., Dakao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hours: 0700-1700, daily
Admission: free

Saigon Central Post Office

http://hcmpost.vn/Main1/Default.aspx
Address: 2 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hours: 0700-1900
Admission: free

Notre Dame Cathedral

https://giothanhle.net/gio-le/nha-tho-duc-ba-sai-gon
Address: 1, Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 0800-110 and 1500-1730, Monday through Saturday
Mass Hours: Sunday, 0530, 0630, 0730, 0930, 1600, 1715, 1830
Admission: free

Reunification Palace (Independence Palace)

http://www.dinhdoclap.gov.vn/
Address: 135 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hours: 0800-1100, 1300-1730
Admission: 20,000 Vietnamese Dong (about USD .90)

Lan Lan Hotel

http://lanlanhotel.com.vn/en/
Address: 73-75 Thủ Khoa Huân, Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Saigon Street Food

Having just arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, I was quite hungry and knew that it would be a long afternoon touring the Cu Chi tunnels.

With the front desk’s instructions, I walked out of my hotel, turned left and a convenient block and a half later was at the Ben Thanh Street Food Market. Not sure where I was being sent, I was surprised to see a modern, covered area with a large selection of food and drink stalls and seating areas both in the front and the back.

Not having much time to browse the different venues, I chose a Thai place in the front, vowing to come back at another time.

The food was made to order, very tasty and did the trick to alleviate my gnawing hunger.

Noticing a stage in the front of the premises, I assumed correctly that live music is performed here on occasion. Later that night, passing by while returning from dinner, I stopped in for a minute to enjoy a performance. If you are seeking a drink while enjoying the music, they also sell beer!

On my last day, another traveler that I met in the hotel, recommended a stall in the back of the establishment, run by a mother and daughter, which served Vietnamese crepes. That evening, before preparing to leave Ho Chi Minh City, I stopped in for dinner and was not disappointed.

Although, it did not quite fit the description of real street food, I loved the conveniece and selection that it offered. If you are looking for something quick, different, don’t have time to sit in a restaurant and refuse to eat McDonald’s, try the Street Food Market!

For more pictures of my travels in Vietnam, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Ben Thanh Street Food Market

https://www.facebook.com/BenThanhstreetfoodmarket/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Address: 26-28-30 Thủ Khoa Huân, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
Hours: 0600-2400, daily

Wet Tunnel Rats

“Stinging rain…big old fat rain…rain that flew in sideways and sometimes rain that seemed to come straight up from underneath.” The words of Forrest Gump were with me in the jungles of the Cu Chi tunnels.

The Cu Chi tunnels were high on my list of attractions while in Ho Chi Minh City, so when I arrived at my hotel and was told that if I unpacked quickly, I could leave on a tour in a couple of hours, I did just that.

After running down the block to the Street Food Market for a quick bite to eat, I was picked up at my hotel and on my way. Being on a tour can be advantageous in that someone else takes care of the legwork, however, it can also have many disadvantages. Our bus was extremely full and there were many more people to pick up before setting out on the highway to the Cu Chi area for the hour and a half trip. In addition, the ride is prolonged as all tour buses make a stop at a lacquer village so that passengers can use the facilities and purchase beverages.

The Cu Chi tunnel system is a network of tunnels that was used as hiding places by the Vietnamese during their fight against the French. Later, during the American War, the Viet Cong expanded the tunnel system, which extends 150 miles and contains unlit offshoots, secret trap doors connecting narrow routes to hidden shelters, local rivers and tunnels reaching the Cambodian border. At one time, the tunnels contained improvised hospitals, living quarters, kitchens and fresh water wells. Soldiers were able to live for great lengths of time below ground, exiting to launch surprise attacks on their enemies.

Arriving at the Ben Dinh tunnels, we were escorted by our tour guide through the hot, dense jungle to the areas where there are many displays of entryways to the tunnels. The first and most popular area is the small square hole in the ground which is uncovered by removing a square top covered in leaves. Here, a guard demonstrated how a person would fit into the hole and then hide himself under the ground. Visitors are invited to try their hand at fitting into the small opening.

Other displays show the different types of traps that the Vietnamese had hidden throughout the jungles that would surprise and kill their enemies.

Finally, tourists are allowed to venture into the enlarged “tourist” tunnel to see what it was like for those who spent time there. Very dark and cramped, I could only imagine what it was like before it was expanded for the tourists and as quickly as we descended, we we were climbing up the metal stairway.

Making our way, in the slight drizzle that had begun to fall, to the souvenir pavilion, we discovered that it also provides a shooting range that visitors can pay an additional fee to shoot AK47s and M30s. The pavilion was hot, crowded and extremely noisy due to the gunfire. To top it off, a thunderstorm settled into the area providing more noise in the form of thunder.

The rain, now pouring heavily, made it difficult for us to traverse the jungle. So hot, wet and miserable, I was not enjoying the experience and could only think of the poor soldiers that were here during the war. Instead of my focus being on the things around me, I found myself wishing to be back on the dry bus and in Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, everyone had now donned rain slickers and with the amount of tourists in the area, it was impossible to recognize who was in our group, causing a handful of us to become separated from our guide.

Leaving the area, I was frustrated. Frustrated for the weather that could not be helped, and frustrated that I had jumped right into this tour without a bit of research. If I had the chance to visit these tunnels again on another occasion, I do think that I would make it a wholly different experience. First, I would not book a tour, instead, hiring a taxi to take me to the area or taking the local bus. The other most important thing would be to leave early in the morning to be there for the opening time when there are fewer tourists, the day is not so hot and the jungle is brighter. Besides the crowding throughout the sight, the biggest disappointment with was the lighting. Because we arrived so late in the day, the dense jungle was quite dark causing it to be difficult to get any decent pictures.

Wet and tired, we finally boarded our bus for the long trip back through afternoon traffic to Ho Chi Minh City. Although I was happy to have fit in the tour on such short notice, I think that a bit more planning might have benefited my experience. After such a long afternoon, I was happy to have had the opportunity to visit, however, trying it a different way will definitely be in the cards for me on a future visit.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Cu Chi Tunnels

http://diadaocuchi.com.vn/
Address: Ấp Phú Hiệp, Phú Hiệp, Phú Mỹ Hưng, Củ Chi, Hồ Chí Minh 733800, Vietnam
Admission: 110,000 Vietnamese Dong (about US $5.50)
Hours: 0730-1600, daily
Getting There: The tunnels can be visited on a half-day tour, which can be booked online or through hotels in the city. Taxis can be arranged and a bus from Ben Thanh bus station stops in Cu Chi where public transport services the site.