SAIGON

A local container carrier

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh  City since 1975) was a bit of a disappointment.  Several tours were available, one long one to the tunnels   the   Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army dug near Saigon during the "Americn War," as the Vietnamese call it, one to the Mekong Delta--another all-day job--, and a shorter one called Highlights of Saigon.  We chose the latter, having been on  two all day trips at Hanoi and Hue.  They are exhausting,, and you spend most of the time just getting to area of interest. 

In Saigon we saw the former Presidential Palace which has been renamed by  the communist government to the Reeducation Center or some such thing, the central Post Office, and the  central market  in Chinatown where you can buy almost anything.  On the   second day we  took the shuttle bus from the ship into town and wandered around a little--but just a little because crossing the streets of Saigon is a life threatening experience.  The people drive their motor bikes at breakneck speed with utter disregard for pedestrians trying to cross the street.  I was scared to death.  Some fellow passengers told us the way to  do  it was not to   look either right or left at the traffic, but instead just look straight ahead and go!  What a way to die.

A funeral vehical.  A  hearse??

Excursion buses waiting our arrival. We took this from our balcony.

Ready- Get set -- GO!!

The water puppet show

They really know how to   load  'em  up

We had a beer at the Rex Hotel roof garden. Place was made famous during the war.

A small  herd at one of the few stoplights

A cute gal selling fans on the street.  "One dollah!"

Dangerous way to travel.