Saigon

Friday, October 21 – Ho Chi Minh
We docked in Phu My which is about 2 – 2 ½ hrs drive from Ho Chi Minh (HCM) also known as Saigon. We were told that although the official name is Ho Chi Minh, many still refer to it as Saigon and many elements have not adapted the new name, such as the Saigon River.
By now, we are feeling very comfortable in large Asian cities, so once again we ventured off on our own. I found myself very nervous crossing streets. There are no subways, underground crossings or local buses so walking was the primary way for getting around. There are 8 million people in Saigon and 5 million of them were using their motor scooters. They don’t follow any of the rules of the road. They go the wrong way on one way streets, don’t stop at lights and go on the sidewalk just for fun.
We started by the Rex Hotel and walked down to the ferries by way of the crafters shops. Then it was up to Notre Dame Cathedral where we encountered more brides doing photo shoots for their wedding invitations and to the Post Office to mail some cards. We then walked past the U.S. Consulate and over to the Zoo and Botanical Gardens. We had a “Hawker” attach herself to us while crossing one of the busy intersections, but once we purchased some post cards from her, we enjoyed the hour of serenity in the park. It was the perfect break from risking our lives crossing streets. There were some interesting animals that we had never seen and a wonderful display of Bonsai from different artists. I convinced Gary that it was worth the $2 taxi fare across town back to the shopping area where we found some weasel coffee and snake/scorpion wine (Yum). We then walked back to the Rex hotel for cold drinks and spring rolls. The rooftop garden café is the same one that all the reporters would go after reporting on the Vietnam War. From the rooftop, we could see when the buses arrived to take us back on the 2+ hr journey back to the port that was also quite an adventure as the driver dodged in and out of traffic, honking his horn all the way.