The Global Explorer: Saigon-HCMC.

It was with mixed feelings an expectations i arrived in HCMC, or Saigon. I knew it was big and congested. Several million people call Saigon home. The whole metropolitan area house more than 9 million. I also knew it is the capital of pocket diggers. And true: i was the victim of one attempt. A situation i handled fast, easy and brutally- by setting full thrust backwards, thereby pushing the surprised asshole backwards: out in the street. Millimeters from being run over by a car he called it a day and got away as fast as he could. Also i knew it was a city with interesting war era related attractions and a lot of pagodas. Food and drinks is also not in any shortage there.

I arrived at the huge Mien Tay bus station-far away from everything of any interest for a tourist. I still had more than ten kilometers on the back of a motorbike to go before arriving in my five dollar hostel in district one. And a hard bargaining followed with the residing bikedrivers which obviously knew all about my lack of alternatives. But i managed to get the price down from 300.000 dongs to 70.000. Bargaining, hard bargaining is the name of the game.

The reunification palace is a must see in Saigon. The place is pretty much unchanged since the dramatic day in 1975-April 30th, when north Vietnamese tanks smashed trough the surrounding fence. A Vietcong soldier then raised the VC flag from the 4th floor. And in one of the reception rooms, General Minh-newly appointed as the leader of the south Vietnamese state, greeted an arriving VC officer with the words "I have been waiting since early this morning to transfer power to you"The VC officer answered "There is no question of you transferring power. You can not give up what you don't have."

On display outside the palace-soviet made tanks of the same types as those who broke trough the gates.

Another must see is the War remnants museum, previously known as the museum of Chinese and American war crimes. A name which actually is quite appropriate, if not very diplomatic sensitive. It is a very one sided story told-not a single letter mentioning any nasty behaviour from the communist side. Only about the american, colonial and south Vietnamese cruelty performed. However-what is told, is true. And it is a nasty truth. Outside it begins with a display of military hardware-engineering machines, tanks. A riverpatrol boat and a few aircrafts.

One of the icons of the american war as it is known as over here-the Boeing CH 47 Chinook helicopter. A successfull bird that still is in everyday use. It was and is used for transporting troops and equipment.

Another Vietnam war icon the Huey helicopter. The Bell UH 1 Iruqois copter saw its first action in the Vietnam war as a medical evacuation and utility helicopter.

The Douglas A1 Skyraider entered service in the late 1940'es and served up to the 1980'es. A remarkable anachronism in the jet age. In Vietnam it served as an attack aircraft.

Outside the main building there is a prison section showing cells-not comfortable ones-in various prisons. Including some of the tiger cages. Plus this french era guillotine used on local "troublemakers".

Women prisoners. They have to take turns standing at the door to get fresh air.

American soldiers interrogate a Vietnamese. Worth mentioning is that most of the photos in this museum depicting american brutalities are in fact taken by the american themselves.

Prisoners dragged to death by an american vehicle.

A sewer from the Tahn Phong. three children hid her when a group of rangers led by later senator Bob Kerry arrived. Lot of killing took place around the sewer, A ten years old and an eight years old hiding in the sewer was stabbed. A third child-six years old- was disembowled.

A memorial where the names of all those killed in the My Lai massacre is inscribed.

US Army barbecue.

This is the caption belonging to the photo below. Truly grizzly. One of the most grizzly things I've ever seen in a museum.

The text in the previous photo give this photo a more gruesome denomination than almost anything else.

This old shaking man, unable to walk as the label stated-was shot moments after this photo was taken.

One of many postwar victims-of the chemical destruction of the country. Agent orange and all those other nasty things used still do harm.

In the Jade Emperor Pagoda-the hall of ten hells with woodcarved panels showing what will happen to you if you act badly.

And the Jade Emperor pagodas charming residents.

The central square in the Binh Tay market in the Cholon district.

Transport at the Binh Tay market.

I did see it-but i didn't like it. Dried seahorses on sale. Their existence is threatened and they have no place in a market.

The Cha Tam church. A bench inside bears a plaque stating it was there the hugely unpopular president Ngo Dinh Diem was arrested on November 2nd 1963. Armoured vehicles then transported him to Central Saigon. But he never reached it alive. He was killed en route.

Escaping the heat of the streets. Taking refugee in a small cafe' dealing with ice coffee and tea.

Seals for sale. To be made according to your specifications.

The Cholon district is filled with pretty small pagodas. Jewels in a otherwise not very attractive area. However, i can never get over how people use so much on religion, instead of improving their own real life conditions. It is like going to the temple paying ten dollars-praying to the gods to give me ten dollars.....

Religious stuff made and sold near one of the pagodas.

In Cholon there are lot of pagodas, a few churches and a couple of mosques. This is the small Cholon mosque-showing the usual mismatch with the surroundings regarding resource use on buildings.