Saigon

Air Vietnam cancelled our flight from DaLat so we were forced to drive to Saigon – that’s 8 hours over Vietnamese roads which is a real strain on one’s backside.The guys started calling it the DaLat Death March. Vietnamese roads themselves are pretty good overall considering the heavy volume of truck and bus traffic except for the occasional rock slide or washout. But throw in the fact that most Vietnamese drive motorbikes or bicycles that have no lights and a night time drive becomes a terrifying experience. Why there is a not a continual slaughter on the roads is beyond me but somehow it all works. In two weeks we only saw one death underneath the wheels of a bus, but he was definitely graveyard dead. Maybe the police are just very efficient in clearing the roads after an accident so traffic can resume its crazy pace.

But we made it to the famous Majestic Hotel in Saigon about midnite. We’re the only Americans here – everyone else is German, English or Australian. Probably all the Americans are at home working and paying taxes to protect all those folks. Up at 6 to sample the delights of Saigon and I believe most of the city beat us up. There are literally millions of motorbikes on Saigon's wide French streets. They ebb and flow around the trucks and taxis paying no attention to traffic signals or to each other. If we thought our previous night's death ride was dangerous, our excursion driving through clouds of motorbikes with no regard for speed or right of way trumped it by far. But once again, no accidents. Most Americans would refuse to drive in such a mess. I think the lesson here is that there are many ways to make situations work and what works for us is not what others might choose regardless of what we think. I seem to remember a war here like that.

After morning shopping and sightseeing we wind up at the National War Museum. This place is collection of war trophies, ie. old American military equipment that was used in the war. Inside are hundreds of very graphic photos of assorted atrocities, war crimes, propaganda and the like mixed with Agent Orange victims. All the photos are of American atrocities, although both sides were equally guilty from what I saw. Many of the photos are doctored and are from the old anti-war movement in the US. Former Senator Bob Kerrey is prominently featured as a war criminal with a graphic description of his alleged crimes. If I were he, I don't believe that I would ask for a visa to visit or he might go on trial here. These folks have their viewpoint and after all, it's their country. Of course all the visiting Europeans love it because it reinforces what they think of the war and the US anyway. But it seems to make the Germans feel better about themselves.

An overall impression of Saigon? One of the world's great cities, lots of commerce, a hustling, bustling city on its way up and a joy to visit.

Tomorrow it’s up at 0300 to get on the plane and start back toward the US. As always it will be a 24 hour trip and of course lots of things can go wrong but eventually I will get there. And it will probably be cold and rainy unlike here where it’s clear, breezy and 95 degrees. I will post some more pictures and do a bit more writing when I get home to try and capture some impressions for you. See you back in the USA.