Ho Chi Minh City is much bigger than Hanoi, with about twice the population. With the legacy of the French colonial era still around, the streets and buildings are on the refined side. It’s more international, but people say it’s even more dangerous than Hanoi. I chickened out of wandering around on my own and just made the rounds of the tourist spots.
The bus stop in front of the War Remnants Museum
Cute, right? Inside, the War Remnants Museum was actually full of grotesque photos, though…
Students looking around inside the prison camp
Looked like they’d come to do their summer vacation homework…
Weapons the US military left behind…
I didn’t take pictures of the stuff inside. If you go and see it for yourself, you’ll feel the horrors of war.
The former South Vietnamese government palace
It was nicely kept up.
Conference room
Fountain in the front courtyard
Carpet
Office
They’d clearly paid careful attention to the interior so that Western and Eastern beauty would be in harmony.
The cathedral
I’m coming back here to take more photos.
Flowers at a souvenir shop
Market
It reminded me of Namdaemun Market.
Street scene
It looked a bit dangerous, and Cambodian refugee kids were going around begging.
Durian
It was delicious. I went looking for it on purpose while walking around the market. One chunk seemed to be about 1,000 won. It’s best eaten cold, but as you know, you can’t bring durian into a hotel.
Street scene
Post office
The cathedral
It was all right overall. Unlike Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City felt like it would have some amazing places hidden away if you dug a little deeper. If I get the chance to go again, I’d like to spend a few days just in Ho Chi Minh City…
P.S. I have some more photos of food and the hotel, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get the chance to post them. Honestly, I didn’t eat anything all that great this time.