Exploring Asia: Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam

We left Thailand by plane going straight to Vietnam's capital Ho Chi Minh (formerly known by the name Saigon) on the 18th of March. The weather was nice and the city looked appealing, but even though we arrived early in the afternoon I had caught a fever, and did not feel like doing much that day. But after some rest and a good nights sleep we were ready to check out the city!

One of the first sights that met us in the capital, was one of the many Vietnamese people wearing their traditional  hat and carrying their baskets with mostly food or beverages.

 There are some nice small parks in the city, and we found it quite refreshing to take a short walk through one of them.

 On our way to the palace we also encountered a guy selling coconuts, and we got to try holding the thing he used to carry them around. A bit heavy if I must say so, at least considered the fact that he is walking around with that thing all day..

 Anyway, the fresh coconuts were really good and cheap too..! 

 Walking from our hotel to the Reunification Palace did not take too long. Everything worth seeing in the city was in walking  distance, cause the city is not that big.

 A picture from inside the palace.

 This one shows me on the roof of the palace, with some helicopters in the background.

 And this.. thing.. in the background is actually a car! Haha.. Fancy. As you can see there are also loads of motorbikes here..

The War Museum

On our exploration of the city we also decided to stop by the Vietnamese War Museum. And the first thing that met us was the sight of some huge American aircrafts..

 Me and Adaora (and a bunch of other tourists) in front of the War Museum

 Some of the guns being displayed inside of the museum.

 The museum had a huge selection of photos which had been taken under and after the war.

 The photos really made a lasting impression; it was horrible to see what damages the war had cost not only to the landscape and the soldiers, but also not to mention the damages done to the civilians. The picture being displayed here is almost harmonic and peaceful compared to many of the other pictures we could see here, and the stories being told really strikes you in the hart (unless it is made of stone or something..)

  

 Because the Americans used strong chemicals when they bombed Vietnam there are still children today that are being born with defects and misshaped bodies. At the War Museum you can support some of the victims of the so-called Agent Orange by donations or by buying souvenirs made by some of the victims.

 One of many communist banners you can see when you walk through Ho Chi Minh city.

Our last stop for the day: the Notre Dame Cathedral

All posts about Vietnam

About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.