Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Central Ho Chi Minh near Ben Thanh Market

Ho Chi Minh bikes

Ho Chi Minh street food for dinner with curried frog - tastes just like chicken (surprise?) but chewier..

Reunification Palace - Central Ho Chi Minh City

This was the goverment hangout during the early-mid 70's war.  

Bombing of this palace was one of the final acts by North Vietnam forces persuading South Vietnam to surrender in April 1975.  North Vietnamese tanks bust through the palace gates on 30 April 1975 and a North Vietnam Liberation Forces flag was raised on the palace top.

The palace has bomb-bunkers in the basement which served as the control centre up until surrender.

The palace is now used for diplomatic/govt gatherings and a popular tourist visit place as the whole palace is open for viewing (for a fee of course).

Palace top.  Red circles show where bombs hit a few days before South Vietnam surrender.

Military/Govt war control maps in basement bunkers

The basement-bunker bed for South Vietnamese president

President's bunker office

bunker corridor

HCMC Notre Dame Cathedral.  We had just ducked for cover as fat rain drops started falling.

Saigon River near central HCM City.

We took a little boat cruise down part of Saigon river and up one canal.  The following 16 photos show a bit of how life is along the river and canals.

Central HCM City in the distance

Vietnam War Remnants Museum

Phosphorus bombing

This is a nasty photo of the effects of bomb shrapnel.

Most photo exhibits in the museum strongly criticise American involvement in the war and atrocities inflicted by GIs.

Agent orange suspected of causing a swathe of birth defects