Typical City Centre Night Time Traffic Jam |
Cho Ben Thanh Market |
Came across a parade ground where there were a few performers. We tried walking along the riverside but it was nasty and industrial (not a recommended evening activity when it's 30C outside).
Traditional Vietnamese Band (Playing La Cucaracha) |
The My Lai massacre was perhaps the worst - a platoon of American soldiers went into a village and murdered about 504 vietnamese villagers. As this was during the war it was mostly the elderly, children and women (who were gang-raped and mutilated). As for the Agent Orange, which was used to destroy the forest where the Viet Congs where based, the effects of it are still being felt. As well as causing terrible skins diseases and often death to those actually exposed, it also mutates DNA and so the second and third generations were developmentally abnormal. A bit like punching someone so hard their kids are born bruised. I'd feel better if these sorts of things no longer happened but enough of the depressing museum so off on a walking tour of the town and temples.
Next we passed by the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica. Around 10% of Vietnamese people are christian (and interestingly over 80% are atheists). As this was the last Sunday before Christmas the evening service was packed with people standing outside all the doors trying to see in. We even saw what could be the local Santacon team (although they had fliers so I think were trying to sell something).
Last up for the evening was the Zoo and Botanical Gardens. It had a bunch of kids stuff set up for Christmas and was open extra late. There was a small theme park, small cages and we honestly didn't have time to see the botanics bit. It was strange seeing a stage and fairground rides in a zoo (and also to be going around in the pitch black at night surrounded by animals). After the zoo we got dinner at a night market, were recommended a suit store by a lesbian couple and then got onto the night bus to Rach Gia.
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