{"id":5415,"date":"2016-12-16T09:00:05","date_gmt":"2016-12-16T14:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=5415"},"modified":"2017-06-01T23:20:39","modified_gmt":"2017-06-02T03:20:39","slug":"the-beginning-of-the-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=5415","title":{"rendered":"The Beginning of the End"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2016 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.<\/i><\/p>\n

My last day.<\/p>\n

All of the planning, the travels and endless sightseeing was coming to an end here in Ho Chi Minh City.<\/p>\n

Later in the evening, I would be leaving Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam for the long trip home. \u00a0Ho Chi Minh City to Singapore. \u00a0Singapore to Narita, Japan. Narita to Minneapolis. Minneapolis to New York. \u00a0New 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. \u00a0After 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. \u00a0Though they had not been all too friendly since I had arrived, I think she took pity on me. \u00a0Offered\u00a0a 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.<\/p>\n

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

\"image\"The Mariamman Hindu Temple was only a couple of blocks away and was my first destination. \u00a0A very colorful and interesting place, filled with vibrant deity sculptures,\u00a0it serves the small community of Chinese and Vietnamese Tamil Hindus living in the city. \u00a0This 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.<\/p>\n

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\"image\"Built at the end of the 19th century, the building features a royal tower at the entrance which stands twelve meters high. \u00a0To 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.<\/p>\n

This was my first visit to a Hindu temple and I enjoyed visiting something very different than I had ever experienced. \u00a0My favorite part, however, were the little ladies, fascinated with my make-up, who all wanted to take pictures with me.<\/p>\n

\"image\"Leaving the Hindu temple, I noticed a pagoda on my map a few blocks away. The X\u00e1 L\u1ee3i Pagoda, the largest pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, was built in 1956 and was the headquarters of Buddhism in South Vietnam. \u00a0Best 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. \u00a0The 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. \u00a0Snapping a few pictures, I then decided to make the long walk to the Jade Emperor Pagoda.<\/p>\n

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\"image\"One of the five most important shrines in Ho Chi Minh City,\u00a0Jade Emperor Pagoda, also known as the Tortoise Pagoda, was built in 1909\u00a0in honor of the supreme Taoist god, the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang.<\/p>\n

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\"image\"When entering the temple, the first thing you notice is how dimly lit and smoky the atmosphere is as a great amount of\u00a0incense is being burned to honor the gods. \u00a0That being said, the\u00a0main hall is very intriguing showcasing surrealistic divinities. \u00a0Filled with exquisite woodcarvings, the main sanctuary\u00a0features 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.<\/p>\n

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\"image\"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. \u00a0When departing the temple, stop by the small pond filled with turtles and check out the shells that have been inscribed with auspicious inscriptions.<\/p>\n

Saigon Central City Post Office was my next stop, and no, I did not have to mail a letter!<\/p>\n

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The Saigon Central Post Office is one of the most renowned examples\u00a0of architecture in Ho Chi Minh City and is a must see for any visitor. \u00a0Designed by Gustave Eiffel, more commonly\u00a0known for designing the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, it is recognized as the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n

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\"image\"Constructed between 1886 and 1891, the\u00a0colonial ochre-colored facade\u00a0is enhanced by arched windows, green wooden shutters and a beautiful clock which still works to this day. \u00a0Inscribed on the facade are the names and faces of those\u00a0responsible 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. \u00a0There are also inscriptions dedicated to those responsible for\u00a0discoveries and advances in the field of electricity.<\/p>\n

\"image\"The gasp-worthy interior will, at first, remind you of a train station, which was indeed, Eiffel’s inspiration. \u00a0Glancing upward, you will notice the high, looping arches and the spectacular dome of gilded capitals resting on green metal pillars. \u00a0The 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. \u00a0Two 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. \u00a0So beautiful and\u00a0so French inspired, it is easy to forget where you really are. \u00a0Don’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.<\/p>\n

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In addition to being a fascinating glimpse into history, the Saigon Central Post Office is a\u00a0fully functioning post office. \u00a0Take 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. \u00a0After 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.<\/p>\n

\"image\"My next stop was not far…just across the street. \u00a0The Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica was a place that I very much wanted to visit. \u00a0As I was leaving the Post Office and glancing at the clock, however, I noticed that it was half past noon. \u00a0Verifying 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. \u00a0If I were to come back, I would have to be here exactly for the reopening. \u00a0It would be tight. \u00a0Just 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.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

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\"image\"The building has an open, modern feel and its functional rooms remind one of the many meetings and conferences that took place here. \u00a0On 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.<\/p>\n

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The Palace, taking up so much more time than I had planned, left me a little confused as what to do next. \u00a0I was halfway between the Street Food Market, which was where I had planned to have lunch and Notre Dame Basilica. \u00a0It wasn’t time for the churches reopening, yet I was starving. \u00a0Deciding 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. \u00a0After 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. \u00a0Unfortunately, Notre Dame was not meant to be.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Finally, it was back to my room and time to pack up for my departure. \u00a0My suitcase was bursting, but I somehow managed to get everything into it and myself dressed and ready to go. \u00a0Feeling 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.<\/p>\n

Now, I have to tell you. \u00a0My luck with Uber has not been good in the past. \u00a0Determined to make it work for me, I used the app and waited for my vehicle. \u00a0Watching each of the cars that slowed near my hotel, I began thinking that this particular brand of car was not familiar to me. \u00a0Slowly, I began to wonder… \u00a0Yes, I realized that I had screwed up again. \u00a0Not realizing that Moto X was indeed motorcycle transportation, not an actual car, this is what pulled in to pick me up. \u00a0At this point, all I could do was laugh. \u00a0This was a crazy end to my trip.<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0Feeling 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.<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0Truly, had I become almost Vietnamese, traversing the streets on a motorbike with my luggage? \u00a0Not quite…but it was a fitting end to the crazy adventure that I had sought out on my own. \u00a0One that I will never forget.<\/p>\n

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n

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Mariamman Hindu Temple<\/strong><\/p>\n