into Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. It is located on the Saigon River
and is Vietnam's major port and largest city with over nine million people
and four million motor bikes.
First stop was to a busy local market. Then went over to find the Ben Thanh
Market, known for its' shopping and bargains. This market first opened in
1914, and it seems all the sellers were "friends" of mine and wanted to give
me "deals".
After shopping I headed over to find the City Hall, an ornate building,
which was originally a French hotel.
Decided to take a break from the heat and humidity at the Rex Hotel
(formerly CIA headquarters) across from the City Hall. Spent some time on
their upstairs patio enjoying the cool breeze and a soda before heading back
out.
Continued the walk around the city taking photos of people and the landmark
buildings, including the Notre Dame Cathedral that was built using bricks
from Marseilles and stained glass from Chartres and the Central Post Office,
built in 1886 by Gustave Eiffel, as in tower.
Before boarding the bus for the ride back to the ship I went up to the
Skyview on the 49th floor of the BITEXCO Financial Tower for some great
views of the city. The building was completed in 2010 and the tower design
is inspired by the lotus shape, the Vietnamese national flower.
Skipped touring some of the sights that contained mementos and reminders of
the United States participation in the Vietnam War.
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