Post HCMC thoughts
It was sobering to visit the War Remnants Museum and see all those photos of soldiers, Vietnamese villagers caught up in the decades of war. The cruelty that war times bring out in people. The photos & displays of the people affected by Agent Orange were particularly disturbing. The visit to the Reunification Palace was very educational. It was like a time warp to the 60s. The architecture of the building, the furniture. Apparently it hasn't changed at all since the tanks crashed through the gates in 1975 to give the Vietnamese people the liberation they had been fighting for decades.
Met up with some folks who took us to Cholon, HCMC's chinatown, and we feasted on grilled river prawns (the size of lobsters!), tamarind crab and a very young, tender roast piglet...."siew chi". Really memorable. Afterward, we went to check out a jazz bar. At midnight, all pubs close. So we left and were accosted by some kids trying to sell us flowers. They were hitting Tim because he didn't buy any. Fighting spirit.
Good trip. Also good to be back.