May 4th 2019

Today was bitter sweet as we said goodbye to 1/2 of our Vietnam tour group and met 6 new members who would accompany the remaining 3 couples through Cambodia!

While some of our Intrepid group of 12 departed early, others remained until the afternoon and joined us as we explored the Independence/ Reunification Palace, the food market, and the Ben Thanh Market.

Some highlights of our day in Saigon

Jay, our fearless leader, had departed early to immediately lead a new tour. The morning felt strange and disjointed as members departed, yet we were still continuing on this journey through Asia. We had a 6 pm session to meet our new Cambodian guide and 6 new members of our tour group.

After breakfast we headed off to explore the Independence Palace. Our confidence walking and exploring around Vietnam has increased … We know how to safely cross hectic roads and avoid erosion on the sidewalks or oncoming motorcycles on sidewalks. We headed off in a small group.

We encountered some delightful Vietnamese students who enthusiastically practiced some basic conversational English with us. Andy convinced a local vendor to let him try his carrying pole (also called shoulder pole). This traditional method of carrying a load (in baskets) suspended by a yoke of wood or bamboo is more commonly seen used by females.

The Reunification/Independence Palace cost 40,000 VNDong each (About $2.30 CAN) to enter both the palace and the museum. Originally in 1868 a residence was built on this site for the French Governor-General which eventually became known as Norodom Palace.

After the French departed, Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem claimed the palace as his home. Apparently in 1962 the palace was bombed by his own Air Force in an assassination attempt. He had the palace rebuilt but the unpopular leader was killed by his troops in 1963.

The newly constructed building was named The Independence Palace and became home to South Vietnamese President, Nguyen Van Thieu until 1975 when communist tanks crashed through the gates.

Since this historic date, the palace (whether called the Independence Palace or Reunification Palace) was claimed by the Vietnamese communist government. The Palace is now a working government building, but when not in use, it’s also a historical museum.

Here is a video reflection of our final day in Vietnam.

Interesting areas inside the Palace include: Ground floor—meeting rooms, a room with phones which ring by importance; Upstairs—reception rooms. President’s living quarters with model boats, antlers, horse tails, and severed elephant’s feet;

2nd floor—games rooms, bar; Rooftop—cinema with massive projector, rooftop dance floor, helipad. Basement—telecommunications, bomb shelter, tunnels. In an adjacent building we watched historical videos and learned about timelines.

Time to explore the food fair then the famous Ben Thanh market. The choice is vast and extensive in each location. If you want cheap bargains… check out these spots. However, we didn’t stay long because I found the tight enclosed markets and aggressive vendors too much for me. J.J’s market in Bangkok is larger and vendors are much calmer.

Our remaining team of 6 saying goodbye to Anj and Rob

Sadly we said Tam biet to 6 of our tour group … Jess, Selina, Nell, Anne, Anj and Rob today. Tomorrow we depart Vietnam bright and early heading off to Cambodia with our new tour guide Sareth and 6 new team mates.

Cam o’n Vietnam! Thank you for opening our eyes to your amazing country!