Saigon, Ho Chi Min City

21 March 2013
  • We docked at Phu My on the Saigon river which is the port for Ho Chi Min City (the new name for Saigon city) : 2013 Holidays, Boats and ships, Coastline, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Nature, Places, Saigon, Transport, Trees, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • as we sailed up river we passed many local boats. The Vietnamese people make much use of boats for transport through the jungle : 2013 Holidays, Boats and ships, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Transport, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • Saigon was around two hours from Phu My. We stopped for a break about halfway. The "motorway services" was like a market. It is a stopping place for long distance buses as well as tourist coaches and has a variety of food stalls and shops : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • a street scene en route : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • Saigon river again : 2013 Holidays, Boats and ships, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Transport, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • our first sight of Saigon traffic : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • the former South Vietnamese presidential palace, which is now a museum : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • Notre Dame in the former French quarter : 2013 Holidays, Buildings, Churches, Churches Vietnam, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • alongside the canal in Saigon. Most houses have narrow frontages but stretch back a long way as rent was based on frontage : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • The Thien Hau Temple in Chinatown : 2013 Holidays, Buddhist Temples, Buildings, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • L1130819 : 2013 Holidays, Buddhist Temples, Buildings, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • a mural in the temple : 2013 Holidays, Buddhist Temples, Buildings, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • L1130831 : 2013 Holidays, Buddhist Temples, Buildings, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • during lunch we were entertained by traditional music and dance. Interestingly the musicains had "Vietnamised" some American tunes, presumably introduced during the 1960s and 1970s by the troops : 2013 Holidays, Bands, Customs, Folk music and dance, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013, music, musicians
  • L1130867 : 2013 Holidays, Buildings, Churches, Churches Vietnam, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • the central Post office designed by Gustav Eiffel and still in use as a post office : 2013 Holidays, Buildings, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Public buildings, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • inside the post office - a very grand building : 2013 Holidays, Buildings, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Public buildings, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • inside Notre Dame : 2013 Holidays, Buildings, Churches, Churches Vietnam, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • I like stained glass ! : 2013 Holidays, Buildings, Churches, Churches Vietnam, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013, stained glass
  • the Opera House, again french designed : 2013 Holidays, Buildings, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Public buildings, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • statue of Ho Chi Min : 2013 Holidays, Buildings, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Places, Saigon, Statues, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • power supply : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • we made a stop at the Saigon museum. The history of Vietnamw as quite unknown to us before the American War in Vietnam so it was quite an eye opener to find that the Vietnamese had first expelled the Chinese when the Normans were invading England; and again in 1979 : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Porcelain, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • the highlight of this visit though was the water puppet show. : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Puppets and marionettes, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • water puppets are unique to Vietnam and were originally performed in the paddy fields after the rice had been harvested : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Puppets and marionettes, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • L1130934 : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Puppets and marionettes, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • L1130974 : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Puppets and marionettes, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • the puppeteers : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Puppets and marionettes, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • some of the puppets from the exhibition : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Puppets and marionettes, Saigon, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • homeward bound traffic : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • a hammock cafe, buy a coffee and use the hammock. Our guide mentioned that Vietnam has its own coffee culture which ranges from roadside cafes like this one to up market city centre cafes. "No Starbucks thankfully" he said. : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013
  • the Vietnamese tank which stormed the palace in 1975 : 2013 Holidays, Ho Chin Minh City, Holidays, Other, Places, Saigon, Street scenes, Vietnam, World Cruise 2013