HCMC

Now in Ho Chi Minh City, which everyone still calls "Saigon." In fact, we noticed on the flight down here that the HCMC International Airport 3-letter designation is "SGN." But I'm getting ahead of things.

The day after my last post, we had a free day in Hoi An. I rented a moto and spent several hours just exploring the city and surrounds (long pants this time). I drove out to the beach, which was a bit overrun by luxury resorts for my taste. Then, after lunch, I drove around the two little islands in the river downtown. Hoi An oldtown is around the riverfront but generally doesn't go across it. Therefore, there aren't really any tourists who venture much into the islands, at least not past the thin veneer of restaurants and shops directly across the river. Almost all trip long, my best experiences have happened off the beaten tourist path, so I was happy to get lost in back-alley Hoi An. And lost I got. Those islands are just a maze of tiny streets twisting every which way. I didn't mind getting lost because I knew I was on a small island and would eventually figure it out. But then I decided it was time to go back across the river and started looking for landmarks. When I finally found one, I realized I was on the exact opposite side of the island from where I thought I was. It was really discombobulating, like I stepped through a wormhole or something. In the meantime I got lots of curious smiles and hello's from the people on the island. And when I stopped to take a picture at one point, and old woman with surprisingly good English struck up a conversation with me. I told her I was from the US and that my dad was vet. She told me she learned to speak English from some GI's and from tourists. We talked briefly about the war, which concluded when she said something like, "I think Americans try to help, but they make it worse." Then, after a long pause, "Same now, in Iraq." I raised an eyebrow and a grin and told her I thought she was very smart. I forgot to ask her name.

The flight to Saigon yesterday was uneventful and quick. But Steven's hotel plans for Saigon got messed up through some miscommunication somewhere, and we had a bit of a time finding a place to stay. In fact, we had to find two hotels because of limited availability. The six others are in three doubles at one hotel, and I'm in a single at another hotel a block and a half away. What's more, my room is tiny and has now windows, giving it the vague feel of a prison cell. It's only for three nights, but I'm not crazy about it, especially since the other hotel has a pool, and mine doesn't.

Maybe it's just because I'm ready to get home, but I can't say I like Saigon much. It's way too much like New York to be interesting. Whoever said we lost the war hasn't walked through downtown Saigon lately. You may be in a one-party state, but it's all about the capitalism here. There are also lots of western companies here, unlike anywhere else we've been. There's a KFC about 200 yards from my hotel. All around the city center, there are high end clothing stores catering to richer tourists than I and to VN's nueveaux riche. Also as with NYC, eating is much more expensive here. Last night I paid 120,000 VND for dinner. That's only about $8 US, but it's over twice what we've been paying for comparable meals everywhere else, including Hanoi.

This afternoon we're going to the War Museum, which should be interesting and possibly disturbing. Then tomorrow we're taking a Me Kong delta day tour. Then...we come home. I honestly can't wait to get on that flight home (well, really the first of three flights, but you know what I mean). A month is too long to be away from the family, so Saigon better what out over the next two days. I'm in a pissy, homesick mood.

Stu