We landed in steamy heat in the bustling city of Saigon, and checked into the storied Caravelle Hotel which is a gorgeous hotel and was the headquarters of the NYTimes, WSJ, CBS and NBC during the Vietnam War. The rooms were very well appointed, great internet access in the rooms, huge, nice baths and comfortable mattresses and soft pillows. We had a great view looking over the Opera House and the famous Rex Hotel. Can't ask for much more. As many designer shops as there were in Hanoi, it pales in comparison to Saigon--at least in the neighborhood that the Caravelle and Hyatt are in. I walked into a mall that catered to locals and checked out the prices. Yep, $300 St. Laurent sunglasses and $500 Manolo Blanik pumps. Wow.
That night we went up to have a drink at the hotel's "Saigon Saigon" bar that was made so famous by the reporters who were headquarted there during the war.At the end of the war they joked they could report from their bar stools. Notre Dame cathedral that was built by the Frence as well as the famous post office. The post officewas designed by Eiffel of Eiffel tower fame and is gorgeous. We also walked to the "War Remnants" museum which chronicles the war from the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese perspective. It used to be called the "War Crimes" museum, but they changed the name when diplomatic relations were restored with the US. The warnings on this museum had been so dire, I thought it would be far more difficult to experience than it was. There is an excellent exhibit of the war correspondents on both sides that was very well done and fascinating.
T We then visited the Unification Palace (formerly known as Independence Palace). The gates of this palace are famous in the iconic picture of the North Vietnamese breaching the gatesof the palace on April 30 1975 just after the evacuation from the rooftop of the American Embassy less than a mile away. This palace was designed by Ngô Viết Thụ, the best known architect of him time in Vietnam. It is a brilliant building. You don’t think so at first site, but it absolutely brilliant modern architecture. If you like architecture, make sure you visit this building. I loved this building as you will see from my pictures of Saigon.
0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink | Posted by Patricia Pomerleau on Monday, February 25, 2008
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