Tour of Ancient Kingdoms, September 21 - October 11, 2023

On the way to the Mekong Delta, we stopped at a rest area. So many people travel by motor scooter that there is a special requirement... after about an hour on a scooter, the butt gets tired, so you stop for a coffee and a short rest in a hammock. The little blue tables allow you to take your coffee lying down.

Our guide gave us a strict lesson on how to get into the hammock the right way. Do not sit on the middle as most Americans do just before they are dumped out, but straddle the hammock, then pull both sides out under your butt. These hammocks were not made for people as tall as me - the hammock ends near my pants cuff.

We started our tour of the Mekong Delta on a motorized boat. Someone insisted that we try the traditional conical hats, called non la, that date back thousands of years in Vietnam history.

but as things got smaller, we switched to a smaller boat. It was hand propelled (but don't tell anyone I saw a small motor hidden under the deck)

Then we switched to a new type of transportation - a Lamborghini - no, smaller than that, a 3 wheel Lambro

At lunch, we were served a unique type of fish. Superstition says if the fish tips over, so will the boat that caught the fish. Therefore it is served vertically, and the waitress removes the extremely thick scales, and "carves" the fish for the four people at each table.

Look closely at the colorful building in the night view of Saigon. It is a relatively new 40 story building named "Times Square." Perhaps it is named after the Times Square building in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is less that 1,000 miles away, and New York City is 8,870 miles. And don't miss the Hilton building on the left.

The US Embassy and Counselate is a rather plain building.

To encourage reading, one of the streets has been made pedestrian only, named "Book Street" and is full of book stores and sidewalk book vendors.

Historical legend says the last helicopter flights evacuating Saigon were from the US Embassy. Our guide held up a photo of those flights, from an apartment building nearby, not the Embassy. That "historical" building is scheduled to be replaced by a high rise apartment building.

This is the central post office (with a portrait of Ho Chi Minh). Of the many windows, a few dealt with mail, but most sold souvenirs

From the days that you made an appointment to place a long distance phone call, you went to the central office at the appointed time, and when the call went through you went to the designated room/phone booth to take the call. Yes, I am old enough to remember those days. The telephones have long since been removed from these rooms.

Saigon's Notre Dame Basilica/Cathedral has been under renovation for 6 years, and is only 50% complete. Some report that it is completely closed, with no clergy, and other reports say that routine church services continue.

The statue of the Virgin Mary is in front of the cathedral, but the context is lost with all the construction.

Then we went to Independence Palace built in 1962 to replace a bombed out old palace. This is from the inside looking out.

On April 30, 1975, a tank (this tank?) of the North Vietnamese army bulldozed through the main gate, effectively ending the Vietnam War. The Americans all left in early 1973, but North and South Vietnam continued fighting until this 1975 event, when the war ended and Vietnam became one country.

As with many such buildings there are too many fancy rooms.

There are countless more rooms - too many for a travelogue

Some rooms are small, I forgot whose dining room this is.

Next we visited a secret weapons bunker used by the underground in the war. Believe me, that hole was small, and it was a long way down to the step.

They did have a few weapons in storage, plus a tunnel to some of the other key buildings. The attic was also used - sorry, no pictures!

If the tunnels are hidden, how do you get in?

Well, ask our guide who just appeared through the entrance.

How big is the opening? This is a woman's foot for comparison.

Seconds after our guide went down the entrance, he appeared 50 feet away.

Careful as you walk in the area. Notice the horizontal gun slot in the center of the picture, usable from inside the tunnel.

There are lots of bobby traps inside and outside of the tunnels. One type, this flat cover is hinged so that stepping on either end drops you onto sharpened spikes.

In one of the tunnels I stumbled upon a conference room with maps on the wall. Another tunnel led to an operating room (mannequins doing surgery), with a 2 bed recovery room next door.

On the way back to the hotel I was amazed at the fine maintenance of the median,

I bet your didn't need the translation on the sign to recognize what this red hexagon means

But how would you like a timer on each traffic light?
These were common in all four countries.

We had a great group of people traveling with us. The Tour leader who was with us the entire trip is in the front left - Mark Pairoj Khojasith
Our Vietnam guide is in the front right - Tammy

Marci Krone (traveling with two of her sons and their wives)
Cathy Grastataro and Jim Krone
Becky and John Krone
Dr. Frank Wojciechowski and Vickie Kistler
Stephanie and Mike Murphy
Jenny and Charlie Plesums
Jim Ethell
Carol Westervelt
Larry Hoffner