Ho Chi Minh City - Day 1
We've got an early start for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City today. We get a taxi to Da Nang International Airport, about a 50 minute ride which cost about $25 AUD (less than the rort that was the cyclo ride in Hanoi). We line up to check-in because we're ageing millennials who can't figure out how to check-in online anymore. There's a bit of kerfuffle as our booking doesn't have our middle names which means they don't match our passports. Which means they have to call a manager and we may have our tickets cancelled but apparently the manager says it's fine and the flight ends up being an hour earlier than the original booking.
An hour and 10 minute flight later and we've arrived. We're blasted by the humidity and it's far hotter than everywhere we've been so far and it's definitely not feeling like winter now. We gobble down a steamed pork and egg bun and then hop in a taxi to the hotel. The traffic is a similar vibe to Hanoi but with wider roads, more lanes and traffic lights, which they loosely obey. It's too early to check in so we drop our bags, try out a Highlands coffee (Vietnam's version of Starbucks and much more prevalent) and grab some lunch at a cafeteria looking eatery. Jeff gets the Bun Bo Hue and Courts gives the Com Ga another try and it's much better.
Ok, we're ready to tackle the War Remnants Museum now. We buy the audio guide again and start at the top and work our way down. The first floor gives a good timeline of events of Vietnam pre-war, kicking out the French, then the Japanese invasion, America coming to "help" and then the start of the war through to it's end. The museum is a series of photos (which are really well done and amazing to see, as there was so much up-close footage and photography of the war), with artefacts from the war scattered throughout.
The next room is dedicated to the war photographers and journalists and tells interesting stories about them and how involved some of them became in the war itself as well as telling the truth of what was really going on. The next two rooms covered war crimes and Agent Orange. Eesh. Obviously these photos and deformed foetus specimen artefacts (no, I'm not joking) were absolutely awful. We spend a good few hours in the museum and again are left wondering what the hell America was thinking.
After that sobering few hours, it's time to loosen up; it's NYE in HCMC, baby! We head back to the hotel via the convenience store for beers, water, yakult and breakfast bars. I said party didn't I? We check-in to the hotel, shower, change and head out.
Because Vietnam follow the Lunar calendar, they are not huge on Christmas and New Year on the regular calendar, but we've read that there'll be a street party with live music by the river followed by fireworks. We've not gone too far before we see a line up outside a banh mi shop. We jump in the queue without a second thought. There's only one option on the menu which we love. It's your traditional pork 3 ways Banh mi. The shop next door has tables and sells the drinks. We grab a table and dig in. These things are massive and delicious and we should have shared one. We seated next to a couple of Melbournians who are living in Canberra. Jeff quickly manage to insult them between mouthfuls of pork and bread once he finds out who their AFL team is. To be fair, St Kilda supporters, eesh.
We waddle out into the street into an intersection that is like the HCMC version of Times Square, but without road rules and with 300x the amount of scooters. The traffic gets crazier as the night wears on, to the point we have to look both ways just to get across the footpath! Despite that, we're loving this city. It's a great atmosphere, everyone happy and smiling. The city itself is a mix of authentic Vietnam that we've gotten used to (food cooked on the side of road or tiny holes in the wall, eaten at tiny plastic tables and chairs) to American restaurants and boutique shops and hotels. We decide to check out some of the "new"; a brewery. We head down an alleyway and upstairs to the second floor. The brewery has a clean cut Melbourne brewery feel to it and the beer: average. And it's too tucked away from the action! We quickly finish our beers and head back out into the madness.
We make our way to the river via the statue of Ho Chi Minh and a few notable buildings, passing the stage where the party is happening. There's heaps of people around but it doesn't have that feel that people having camped out since 7am. It's much more chill and plenty of room to move. It's about 9:30pm and we're not too fussed about hanging around for the fireworks. But we're keen for one more drink and debrief on the year that was, before we head back to the hotel.
We make our way slowly and carefully through the streets, the traffic reaching a crescendo at this point, surely! People are opening up the front room of their houses for people to park their scooters. Incredible. There's a lot of business owners who have shut up shop for the night and are sitting out front with table, chairs, food, an esky full of drinks and celebrating with friends and family. Everyone's in great spirits and we must look like it too. One of these makeshift parties wish us a "happy new year!" and "Cheers!" and hand us a beer as we walk past.
We pass another street party which is absolutely heaving with people and music. We finally find a place for our beer and debrief and watch the revellers. We make it back to the hotel in time to hear and sort of see the fireworks, before our very own private fireworks show kicks off on the street right outside our window. Wow. What a city, what a way to end a spectacular year.
