Vietnam Business Capital

Trip Start Nov 05, 2007

Trip End Jun 22, 2008

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Flag of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Monday, January 21, 2008

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC; also known as Saigon) with its over 5 million people runs a continuous soundtrack of cell phones, horns honking (motorbikes & cars), and buildings going up all around, signaling another day in the "business capital" of the nation. The city is nonstop, filled full of people seeking fortune in some manner. Click on the video and see what it was like for Darcy to just get across the street! Both motorbikes and cars DO NOT stop for any living thing.

We walked all around the main center stopping at the "Reunification Palace". Built in 1966 to serve as South Vietnam's Presidential Palace, it has been left just as it looked on that day in April 30, 1975 when Saigon surrendered to the North. We also walked to the market and temples in the area (see pictures).

One day trip took us to Cu Chi Tunnels, which were legendary during 1960's for their role in facilitating the Viet Cong control of a large rural area only 20 miles from Saigon. There were over 75 miles of tunnels from the Cambodian border to move men and supplies during the war. You can see how small the tunnels were from my shoe vs. the opening.

Next we stopped at the Caodai Great Temple which was built between 1933 & 1955. This religion is a mix of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism fused with popular Chinese beliefs. The pictures and the video show the noon prayers, which included about 100 or so people.

Slideshow

Post your own travel photos for friends and family Pictures & Videos

Darcy Crossing Street Comments!	Tao Dan Park	King of Vietnam?!	Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh Market Fish	Reunification Palace	Palace Pres Office	Ho Chi Minh
Making Lacquer Picture	Making Lacquer Bowls	Xa Loi Pagoda	Cu Chi Tunnel Opening
Cu Chi Tunnel Foxhole	Personal Prayers	Entering Temple	Standing In Line
Readying for Noon Prayers	Turn to Front	Sitting for Noon Prayers	Sit
Blue and Gold	Caodaism Elder's	Old Caodaism	Prayers from Eye Level
The Hopefull	Belief	Caodai Great Temple

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Comments

buchheim on

Cambodia
While you are over there you are supposed to visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia. See the following link http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/lifelist.html

Have fun and careful crossing those streets

tendashseven on

Darcy the Brave
I can NOT believe the video of Darcy walking accross the interesection in HCMC! However, it does not surprise me that Larry did not volunteer for that role in the death defying action scene!

Darcy - Learn NOW to use the motion picture mode of the camera. Your life may depend on it.