Days 110-111 Sunday-Monday February 28-March 1 Saigon, Vietnam

Knowing that they had to be up at 3am to make an early flight, Tony and Anna Marie crashed early at the Park Hyatt once we got into Saigon.  And since Tania and I decided to move our flight from Saigon to Kuala Lumpur to Tuesday so that we could enjoy one last day at the hotel, and to hang out with Steve, Lisa, and Luke a little more before we left.

Sunday night, Steve and Lisa's crew met at the 2 Lam Son bar down on the lobby level of the hotel which gave us the chance to say goodbye to all of these people who welcomed us so kindly into their scene over the last few weeks.  It also gave us the chance to spend as much time as possible with Steve and Lisa, who we were really going to miss when we left.  That's why after relaxing around the hotel and downtown area on Monday, we met them for a sushi dinner on Monday night to bid farewell to our time in Vietnam.  This being Steve and Lisa, though, we of course had to head back to their house and have a few more drinks before calling it a night.

 Steve and Lisa's crew growling at 2 Lam Son

And just like that, we were gone.  On the flight to Kuala Lumpur, we realized how long we had been in Vietnam, and how much we had done during our time there.  6 weeks passed in the blink of an eye, which was surreal because Vietnam was the reason we looked at SE Asia as a honeymoon destination in the first place.  It is where our great friends Dave, Steve, and Brian were from, which built our intrigue in the country over the last few years because of the traditions and food we were exposed to by them.  Vietnam was the heart of our trip, and it was over now, which could be a sad thought, but wasn't because we did more than we ever expected during our time here.  It was an incredible 6 weeks that we'll never, ever forget. 

Post sushi euphoria

Cảm ơn bạn Vietnam!

Days 101-102 Thursday-Saturday February 18-20 Saigon, Vietnam

What better way to cure a hellish sickness than to move into the Park Hyatt Saigon?  The answer is that there is no better way.  Even though Lisa, Steve, and Luke were the most gracious hosts imaginable and took such good care of us while we were sick yesterday, it was nice to move into the Park Hyatt where we’ll be meeting my (our) parents when they arrive tonight.  After all of the 2 and 1 star hotels we’ve been staying in over the last few months, this place is heaven.

Tony and Anna Marie got into Saigon late on Thursday night, so we had a simple hello and hug before getting them to sleep.  We had an early start the next morning to start the true site seeing of Saigon.

Friday was our first day together, and we drove with our guide Mr. Un to the Cu Chi tunnel system about 45 minutes outside of Saigon.  Here we saw how the Liberation Army of Southern Vietnam was able to hide and withstand attacks from the US and ally forces, even though they were just miles from the American base in Saigon.  Their ingenious ways of concealing their underground cities and ways of using the lush terrain to hide explosives that could take out tanks are impossible to ignore, but the communist government’s propogandish ways of telling the story was tough to stomach, especially sitting next to my father who had to live through the entire situation and watch friends being lost in the whole melee for 16 months.  Yet, as my dad said today, to the victor go the spoils, part of which includes getting to tell the story as seen through the their eyes.

 Mr. Un describing the tun

Mr. Un describing a trap door...

...and the subsequent trap hole.

Crawling through the Cu Chi Tunnels

After a lunch filled with 12 entrees (I kid you not, but thank God the tab was covered by our tour group), we hopped over to the war museum and continued to hear the story of the war through the communist government’s eyes.  After looking at gruesome images and reading one-sided accounts of the conflict, there was only one thing we could all agree on…war is tragic, and those who make the decisions to go to war, whether just or not, are ruining lives on both sides of the tape.  At that time it was either a battle over communism vs. democracy or over the rights to a massive supply of tin and tungsten, and now it’s us vs. Al Qaida or it’s over oil.  No matter what it’s all over, it’s men making decisions who don’t have to act on them, and it’s crap.  Period. 

 Tony exploring the war museum, and recounting history through the opposition's eyes.

Any way, it was fascinating to visit these places and hear stories from my dad about how it was 40 years ago when he bravely served here.  I’ve always respected the selfless ways of his daily life, and his service during the war is one of the finest examples of who he is.  Being here has brought that even more into light, and made me even more proud.  Thanks Pop for your service, no matter who’s fight you were executing.

Mr. Un and the driver then brought us over to the Ben Thanh Market where my parents took one look over the compressed rows of trinket stalls and opted to head back to the hotel.   Having already been here, we can’t say we had an issue with doing so.

Saturday morning we stopped by the Presidential Palace where the South Vietnamese government had been stationed before the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.  It was here where the Communist tanks bowled over the gate, stormed the building, and hoisted the VC flag on the 4^th floor.  The architecture was totally 60’s, and our friend Troy would undoubtedly love the furniture sprawling throughout the conference rooms, gambling/drinking room, and bedrooms.  It even had a movie theatre, but the room-size projector was no longer functioning.  The grounds were gorgeous, but standing on the site of such a pivotal moment in our country’s history was the most fascinating part of visiting the palace.

Outside the Presidential Palace

Then it was off to Vinh Long and Can Tho to see where my dad was stationed 40 years ago.