The Problem Is Expectations

I came expecting Ho Chi Minh City to bare some resemblance to the Saigon of Graham Green and to at least have retained some of its colonial past and charm. I wanted to sit in the cafe across from the Continental Hotel and try to imagine what it must have been like when the French were running the place. The Continental is still there but the cafe is gone. 

Unlike Hanoi, the part of HCMC we were in has all but rid itself of much of its old Vietnamese street life. The market is still here and there still is street food but it's transformed itself. it's been brought inside of old villas where the cooking is still done in open kitchens but the ambiance is gentrified and has an upscale feel to it. Vietnamese women in designer jeans and glasses sipping bubble tea and munching on rice paper rolls that cost twice the price they would in Hanoi. HCMC is the what the future for Vietnam looks like. 

We encountered our first scam of the trip. We were at the morning market and wanted to get a cup of ca phe. A couple of Tuk drivers each pedaling a single seat Tuk, offered to take us to a coffee shop we like nearby. After seemingly negotiating the price we hopped in and were pedaled away. When we got to the coffee shop the driver pulled out a piece of paper and said we owed them the equivalent of $75 for a three block ride. I gave him $3 bucks in Dong and walked away. He didn't put up much of a protest or come after us. Several other Tuk drivers tried to engage with us that day but we were onto their scam and just laughed at them.

Since arriving in SE Asia we have been confronting our perception and understanding of the War In Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia - the second Indochina War or the American War - as it is referred to here. The first was with the French. Hanoi gave us our first insight into the Vietnamese view of it. In Laos we were confronted by the unbelievable amount of unexploded ordinance and landmines still killing people today. The same in Cambodia where we crossed paths with a real minefield being cleared not far from where we were going. So in going to the War Remnants Museum in HCMC we expected to see lots of captured weapons and read lots of propaganda. And we did. But what we also saw was the effects of Agent Orange on the country and the population exposed to it. It brought the horror of chemical weapons home like a kick to the groin. It's painful and brings tears to your eyes. 

The other exhibit there that was extremely moving was an exhibition of photos by photojournalists who covered the war. This included both north and south journalists. It was an amazing collection. Sadly, the majority of these brave men and women were killed or are still missing and presumed dead. Their photos are brilliant and bring the war to life. Their stories are told in the exhibit. I was very moved. 

We ate French the first night and Italian the second night in HCMC. Expectations before the trip was that I was going to pig out on Vietnamese food. Reality is that after a while you crave food you really like and can order without always trying to guess what you ordered. Besides who doesn't like a good salmon tartar or a burrata with tomato dish. For me these are comfort foods and it was nice to be able to get them here. Benita had salmon and caesar salad in case you were wondering.