Monday, February 3, 2025 - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (Day 1)

I am so happy we have arrived in one of my favorite cities in the world.  Ho Chi Minh is a bustling, thriving metropolis.  If you look hard, or talk with residents, you will find signs of their Communist government, but today there are skyscrapers, luxury hotels, U.S. chain restaurants (McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, etc.), and luxury retail stores (Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Tiffany, etc.).  These brand name stores set side-by-side with tiny little shops selling everything from souvenirs to household products.  Not sure how all of these independent shops can survive with so much competition from the large, established stores, but it was great to see that they still exist.  Ho Chi Minh appears to be a very capitalist country.  We were received warmly in the city and the shop owners were more than happy to take our money!  We absolutely love this town.

Today, we took a tour we have taken before but it's always a good reintroduction to this fascinating city.  Our first stop was at the Bo Trang History Museum.  Although it did not contain a large collection, it does provide an outstanding history of this amazing country.  The museum is housed in a building erected in the early 1900's (that makes it sound so old but seems like yesterday to me)!  It displays objects ranging from the Bronze Age to the early communist presence.  There are also ceramics, art, and traditional costumes included in the collections.

Upon leaving the museum we took a drive by the Notre Dame Cathedral with its imposing spires, although it has been under rehabilitation for several years.  We continued on to make a photo stop at the magnificent Reunification Palace, and the elegant Saigon City Hall.  We continued our drive and made a quick stop at the Saigon Central Post Office, a lovely building in which the locals are very proud.  Our guide told us that much of their daily business is conducted at the post office, such as paying bills, submitting legal documents, etc.

 

Next, we spent some time at the Ben Thanh Market.  A stroll through this market could take an entire morning but we only had a short time .  Our brief stroll offered a kaleidoscope of colors and a hive of activities.  The shopkeeper of every stall we passed tried to convince us that we needed exactly what they were selling.  Cries of "one dolla, one dolla" were everywhere.  Every shop owner was convinced that their price was better than anywhere else.  In spite of the pressure, we managed to escape with our wallets intact and without making a purchase.

Or next stop as at the Son Mai lacquer factory, a place we have visited in the past but always enjoy.  We had been looking for a gift for a crew member and were thrilled to find it there.  Their items are more expensive than buying them in the local market but the quality is much better and they are authentically hand painted by Vietnamese artists, not mass produced with stickers and machines and shipped in from other countries.  

 

Our final stop stop was at the Thien Hau Temple, a beautiful Hindu temple built in 825 AD.  It is dedicated to the goddess of the sea and protector of sailors.  

Once we had a chance to wander around and look at the various areas of the temple we re-boarded our bus for the long return trip to our ship.  Unlike previous years, this year our ship is twice as large.  Normally, our passenger count is about 300, whereas this year, our ship is twice as large and there are over 500 passengers!  There are more restaurants and larger public areas, however, we much prefer the smaller ship.  One of the advantages of the smaller ship is the ability to sail up rivers and dock next to the towns.  Usually we have not had to contend with long bus rides back to the ship.  However, with the increased size of this year's ship we are unable to sail up the smaller rivers and are forced to dock further away from the towns, increasing the time of our bus rides into town.  Here, each time we leave the ship the ride is at least one hour, depending on traffic. 

Although today was a bit tiring, it is always so exciting and fun to visit this colorful, lively city.  It really is one of my absolute favorite cities in the world.  It always amazes me how warm, friendly and welcoming the locals are, in light of our country's history with them.  However, we have never felt any resentment towards us as Americans and always thoroughly our time here.  Looking forward to another day here tomorrow.