Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is a modern / cosmopolitan city, steeped in history and surfaced a lot of memories. Biden’s State of the Union announcement that the US military will be “boots on the ground” in Palestine feels like the Beirut Marine barracks bombing just waiting to happen again. What do they say – “there is no such thing as being a little pregnant.” Apologies for the melancholy; blame it on our visit to the War Remnants Museum. After viewing the effects of Agent Orange on the kids, and the horrific birth defects, it is sobering to realize that the US effectively used chemical weapons on civilians. I want to be clear, Eunjae and I have the utmost respect for those who served. We were saddened by the loss of life on both sides and wish there had been a better solution then war.
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam has suffered more than most nations. Being invaded twice by France, once by America and multiple skirmishes with China, the country has endured a lot. Despite it all, Vietnam is a prospering nation and a strategic US ally. Our tour guide was a professor of Vietnam studies, and spent nearly two hours giving us an overview of Vietnam, and provided an excellent perspective on the French and American involvement. Normally, spending time reviewing history is not my thing, but his passion and that we were holding the discussion in a former secret Viet Cong meeting places (it was a coffee shop) made it so much more realistic. The coffee shop basement housed a collection of the weapons, people and tools used by the Viet Cong Special Forces during the war.
Leaving spy central, we were taken to where the Buddhist Monk, Thich Quang Duc, self-immolated in protest to Buddhism persecution by the US-installed Ngo Dinh Diem regime; Diem was a devout Catholic. The bottom left picture demonstrates Thich Quang Duc’s total commitment, Buddha-like state while ablaze; can you imagine the control required? After the fire, fellow monks recovered the body and found his heart remained. This became a symbol of strength and inspired the Vietnamese people to unite against religious oppression. The heart is housed in a Buddhist shrine not far from the original event.
Next stop was the home of Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., former two time Ambassador to Vietnam (before and during the war). Lodge really was a remarkable person and although very wealthy, dedicated himself to public service for his entire career.
After visiting Lodge’s home, we went to the iconic “Fall of Saigon” building (left photo). I always thought the building was the US Embassy, but it turns out it is an apartment building that housed US Military Officers, support staff and the CIA. Today, the building (middle photo) is offices / apartments, and the Government plans to tear it down due to structural issues, but the residents want to stay. In a case of de ja vu, the evacuation of our US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan is eerily similar (right photo).
Our final stop in Saigon was the War Remnants Museum. Entering the museum, you see a lot of the planes, helicopters, bombs, tanks and weapons the US deployed during the war. People are snapping pictures and there is a bit of a carnival atmosphere. Benign enough and just an interesting display? Bam! You are confronted by the Tiger Cages used to torment American Servicemen and the mood becomes solemn. The gas masks (bottom right) were used by US Service Members while handling Agent Orange and are a stark reminder that even today Agent Orange still impacts Vietnam.
After the rambunctious energy of Hội An, Ho Chi Minh city was a slap to the face. I am looking forward to the Mekong Delta cruise and Cambodia.
The Heart of Darkness….
Apocalypse Now fans rejoice, we are cruising the Mekong delta and “Charlie Don’t Surf.” Gratuitous nostalgia for my fellow movie geeks.
After nearly three hours of tortuous traffic, we escaped Ho Chi Minh City and boarded the Jahan; one beautiful ship, the Jahan. If you are thinking this doesn’t sound Vietnamese, you are right. The Jahan was named after the celebrated 16th century Indian emperor; Shah Jahan. Heritage Line designed the Jahan to transport its guests back in time, and I think they exceeded expectations; it kind of feels like India 1920s. The all-Cambodian crew is extremely friendly, and the common areas are perfect to sit, drink and even write. Food is an outstanding mix of East and West, and the chef is extremely accommodating to any request. Our war against sweet food has finally yielded results, as we were able to have the chef create dishes without adding sugar.
Traveling the delta is a mix of industrial and primitive, and in many instances the river shacks date back to the war. You can almost imagine cruising a PT boat down river.
Rice and Coconuts
Rice is King, and used for everything from summer roll wraps to liquor. We visited a small business that demonstrates this ethos and had a chance to observe the process. For reasons unknown, Vietnam has its own version of Rice Krispies. The process is surprisingly fun to watch, especially when the rice pops (watch the video below).
After popping the rice, it is sifted and then infused with honey and various botanicals. Next, it is packed into molds, cut and wrapped. Start to end, the entire process takes less than 15 minutes and the still-warm Rice Krispies are so good.
In addition to Rice Krispies, the shop produces coconut candies and summer roll wraps. The candy process is manual, and every piece is hand-wrapped in rice paper. Can you imagine sitting at a table all day, every day, wrapping and wrapping and wrapping tiny squares?
Yes dear reader, once again I was called upon and sacrificed for the greater good. Making rice wraps is not complicated but does require skill and experience. You first pour the rice mixture on a cloth over a rice-husk fueled oven; sitting next to this hot oven in 37c conditions is torture. After smoothing the batter, you cover and allow to cook for 30 seconds. By hand you peal the thinnest membrane, we are talking Trojan “His Pleasure” thin, and place it on a drying rack. The lady in the picture can produce 400 wraps daily.
For animal and liquor lovers, Vietnam distills a rice liquor infused with….. wait for it…… wait for it….Cobra. Supposedly the Cobra imbues medicinal value and is known as the “Vietnamese Viagra.”. I am glad that they didn’t offer any of this “filthy drink”, as I have eaten my share of bugs and strange animals in China. The snake photo (left) is posted under protest from Eunjae. She feels it doesn’t represent Vietnam, but I beg to differ, as who doesn’t drink Cobra essence?
Fish and the Wet Market
On our final full day in the Mekong delta, we were treated to a fish farm and a wet market. We disembarked using a Sampan, a long narrow boat with the engine sticking out the back, and off we went. Fish farms are pungent! Poor Eunjae has a sensitive nose and practically gagged from the reek. Why does it smell so bad? I am glad you asked. The fish feed is composed of fish corpses, vegetable / meat scraps and soy. It is ground then extruded, and honestly looks and smells like rancid poop. Even grosser, the famers use bare hands to toss the “poop paste” to the fish. After witnessing the process, we may never eat farm raised fish again.
The Wet Market
Next stop was the Tan Chao – Long Sun Wet Market. Not huge by Chinese standards, but it did provide a good example of how typical Vietnamese people shop. Imagine a huge warehouse filled with knock-off everything, tiny food stalls and produce / meat / seafood stands. Due to tropical climate, Vietnam enjoys an amazing abundance of fruits and vegetables that are leagues better than anything in the US. On a more interesting side, a favorite food is Rat-on-a-stick, also referred to as rat kebab. Prior to roasting, the rat is skinned and washed, after which it is gutted to remove its internal organs and then roasted.
I wanted to try Rat, even asked the guide who had the best “Rat”, but Eunjae and the guide refused due to sanitary reasons. I think they were just too grossed out to watch me eat it. I did remind them in Peru I had guinea pig, and how different could rat really be?
Along with Rats, the market offers all types of meats, and sad to say we even saw a basket of what we would consider domesticated house animals. Essentially, Vietnamese people utilize and eat everything, and nothing is wasted. I know westerners find this reprehensible, I won’t judge another culture’s food choices.
Final Thoughts
Vietnam over-delivered exotic sights, delicious food and lovely people. Two weeks was the perfect amount of time, and we look forward to returning next year. We have crossed the Cambodia border and are approaching Phnom Penh.
As a final smile, here is the Queen upon her throne. All Hail Queen Eunjae, May she Rule Forever!
