Looking at the sand that had washed around our hotel room in Hoi An, it was clear that it was a pretty stormy night. If this continues, this place will have washed into the water in the next couple of years!
We flew into HCMC and were immediately hit by the heat and humidity… if this is winter then we must be close to the equator!
HCMC is still referred to as Saigon by the locals – partly habit, but mainly an ongoing resistance to the domination of the Communist North. It’s clean, and has a lovely mix of old, new, and lovingly restored buildings. It also has more motorbikes than we’ve ever seen – the photo below wasn’t taken at rush hour!
Our hotel was built in 1880, and the subsequent renovations have retained its old Colonial charm. Our room is even bigger than the one in Hoi An, and comes with a sitting room and a study, all with beautifully restored old furniture – just gorgeous! It’s right in the centre of town, so is a great spot to bring in the New Year.
While we’re in the South of the country we’ll be learning a lot more about the American war, so our first stop was the War Remnants museum. Outside, a range of American fighter planes, choppers and tanks are on display, giving the initial impression that we’ll be looking at the items the Americans left behind.
Inside, it became clear this museum is more about the people, and the country that survived this War. The museum is filled with hundreds of images of the children who continued to go to school with their first aid kits in hand, the babies that were impacted by agent orange, the journalists that were killed trying to provide balanced coverage, complete villages wiped out, and too many atrocities to mention. The strength of these people in maintaining a sense of normality in the midst of so much death and destruction was astounding. This was a deeply moving couple of hours.
The story of the unnecessary killings led by ex-Senator Bob Kerrey was horrific, but I’m certain it wasn’t the only one of it’s kind – probably on both sides,
Meanwhile, kids line up to celebrate the opening of the new school year in 1972. Note the bunker on the left of the photo – the kids would spend many days studying in these holes in the earth.
War museum done, and we decided to make the most of the warm day and fresh air. Walking back to the hotel we came across an exercise park, filled with locals using the equipment. Andrew decided to take the opportunity to get a few KMs in Saigon- style!
Tonight we bid farewell to 2012. Thanks to tripadvisor (our travel bible!) we found a great restaurant in a tiny side street about 3km out of the city centre named ‘Cuc Gach Quan’. They pride themselves on their use of local produce and environmentally friendly approach to cooking and presentation… the girls’ drinks came with straws made from the morning glory plant, and the cork on Emma’s juice was made from banana leaf. The food was fantastic, and is now holding the title of ‘best meal in Vietnam’ against stiff competition. We have to admit it was a splurge… $65, but half of that was wine. I’m going to miss this when we get home!
We slowly wandered back to the city centre, enjoying the bustling energy of New Years Eve. So many people, so many bikes – completely indescribable! The photo was taken about 1.5km from the centre of the NY celebrations – it got even busier as we got closer! The lights around the town are stunning, with street after street decorated for the occasion. We particularly loved the little lotus ponds that went on as far as we could see.
While the crowd was massive, it was incredibly well behaved so we squeezed our way to the epicentre. Leading up to the countdown there was plenty of music by Aussie artists – the local kids knew all the words! Interestingly, in the last few minutes they slowed the tempo right down – it may not have meant to be a crowd management technique, but it certainly was effective! Countdown hype, lasers lit up the sky and we moved in to 2013. No fireworks, but they weren’t necessary – these people don’t need to be entertained to put a smile on their face.
We’ve now got two very tired little girls, who I’m sure would love to spend New Year’s Day in bed. Not a chance – we’ve got tunnels to go and explore!
Chuc Mung Nam Moi everyone… ’13 is going to be fabulous :)))
Love M & theBunch xx
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