An Update
By the time I post “Saigon – The City of Two Names”, Diem and will I have run around Saigon for six days. We’ve spent time with her family. She has three brothers, two sister-in-laws and a couple of nieces here. It’s been an amazing experience and tomorrow we are headed out on another adventure. First we will be heading to Vung Tau. A coastal beach town about two hours from Saigon. After a day of splashing around and sipping a few cocktails in the warm ocean breeze we will load another sleeper bus for the valley of the eternal spring, Da Lat.
Known as the most romantic town in Vietnam, Diem and I have rented a large 4 bedroom house and have invited anyone in the family that can make it, to join us. It should prove to be a wonderful week in the cool mountain valley of Vietnam’s wine region. A few gardens to explore, maybe a coffee house or two. Definitely a mountain view and a few temples to gawk at. Stay tuned as I have yet to write about the Cu Chi tunnels of the Vietcong or Saigon. Fascinating stuff I assure you. So without further delay I give you “Saigon, the city of two names”.
Saigon – The City of Two Names
I knew when we arrived in Saigon, and my wife Diem immediately switched to mother mode, that here things were different. Constantly asking me to put my phone in my pocket, don’t let our belongings out of grasp and never ever turn my back on anything I wanted to keep. The word she used to describe this wild west city of pure, raw capitalism, teaming with opportunistic players waiting in every inch of shade to separate you from anything that might be deemed valuable was formidable. I got the message.
Our Drop Off
I took a few pictures of the roughest, post apocalyptic gas station I had ever seen, and I’ve been in some stinkers. Most are just old, maybe dilapidated and usually just in need of some fresh paint and a few minor repairs. This was the third world, the type of environment I was beginning to believe no longer existed in Vietnam, yet here it was. It looked like a roadside fill up one might see in a Mad Max movie. We waited in what tiny shade we could find for our ride.
After about 20 minutes a white car pulled up and Diem’s phone rang. It was our Grab. Grab is the Uber of Southeast Asia. You can grab a motorbike for one passenger or a large car for 10. Order food and anything from any type of store to be delivered. It’s something that has been very common here as long as I’ve been in Southeast Asia. It’s also very affordable. You can usually order lunch for two and have it delivered for less than a few dollars. We loaded up in the air conditioned ride share and headed towards our hotel.
The Hotel
The hotel was exactly what I expected and quite pricey. Run down, an air condition that puttered to life, a bed with a very stiff mattress, one outlet and a bathroom that looked like it may have survived the Tet offensive. I really didn’t mind as I just thought it was part of my experience in Saigon. Diem would ask me repeatedly if it was ok, and I had a suspicion that no matter how many times I said it was ok, we would never sleep here.
Our First Meal in Saigon
We immediately took showers to wash the overnight funk of many hours on a local bus from Da Nang. After we settled in, Diem’s brother Quan met us at the hotel to take us to lunch. It had been over a year since I had seen Quan and it was comforting to see a familiar face. We borrowed a motorbike from the hotel and followed Quan to lunch.
Our motorbike immediately produced a rear flat tire and I hopped on Quan’s motorbike while Diem limped the other to the restaurant. As I stepped off of Quan’s motorbike my calf caught the muffler, it was a nasty burn. At first it just seemed like a typical mild burn and I brushed it off. We stepped into the restaurant for a bowl of Mi Quang.
The Restaurant
It was a typical roadside establishment. Open air, fresh food, a wonderful smell. We piled in and ordered the Mi Quang Special. Flat rice noodles, a strip of fish cake, a whole shrimp, a quail egg, chunks of chicken wings, with fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, just enough rich broth to wet the noodles and a pile of fresh greens. I loaded my bowl up with greens, gave it a good toss and dug in. It was delicious as always and I don’t know why I ever think it may not be. I’ve never had a bad meal in Vietnam, only great ones and good ones that could have been great.
Finding Our Way
After lunch we headed off to the mall to gather a few snacks and presents for the nieces. KitKats, dum dums, gummy bears, Coke’s and whatever other American treats I could find to spoil the little ones with. We also purchased some fruit as you never visit someone’s house in Vietnam without bearing fruit. It’s a national law or something, trust me. So with gifts in tow we, I very carefully, hopped on our motorbikes and buzzed off towards Luan’s house.
We sped off through the congested streets of Saigon and into the northern suburbs. Across a few canals and closer to our final destination. We stopped short for a cup of coffee in a beautiful jungle coffee shop that surrounded its own little pond. I had a glass of fresh squeezed green oranges and Diem and Quan had avocado smoothies. We chatted for a time enjoying the scenery and catching up. I haven’t seen Quan in quite some time, and he spoke the best English of all of Diễm’s family, so it was nice to just sit and chat.
After we finished our drinks we buzzed down the lane towards the home. We came to what looked like a dead end, only there was a very steep, very short, and very narrow pedestrian bridge across the canal at the end of the street. With great effort and a bounding motion, we crossed the bridge and came down to a hard left on a narrow dirt lane. 40 yards down the dirt lane was Luan’s home.
Luan’s Home
Luan’s home was an interesting setup. The lane was elevated and more like a dyke or levee, keeping the canal across from his home at bay. You walked down a ramp to a metal automatic garage that ran the width of the house. The second floor was about the level of the lane but some distance from it. The second floor was open with massive curtains hanging down and a railing to keep anyone from tumbling off the second floor. The entire home was open and the foundation is poured concrete to the ceiling of the first floor. The exterior walls of the second floor are metal siding and a heavy metal roof that extends all the way to the lane. The little “courtyard” area between the lane and the garage door was completely fenced in all the way to the metal roof creating a cage of sorts.
We are in Saigon, one can never be too cautious with their property. Given that the House didn’t have air conditioning it wasn’t terribly uncomfortable. It was modest and clean and had all the other creature comforts one would expect. Cable television, high speed internet, 5G WiFi, it was quite comfortable. As the afternoon wore on everyone began arriving from work. Luan, his wife and eventually my other brother-in-law Hai and his wife also arrived.
A Slight Change of Plans
As we sat around and said our greetings and caught up a discussion was brewing. After a few minutes of heavy debating it was decided that Diem and I would be guests at Luan’s home and I don’t think no was an option. Sounds great to me. I love Diem’s family. They are all always so wonderful to me. Quan and Diễm quickly rode off to retrieve our luggage and settle the hotel storage fee, that’s all it could be after 5 hours, and I hung out and watched dinner being prepared.
A Much Needed Shower
After Diễm and Quan return It was time for a cold shower. I had developed this Krispy Kreme like sweat glaze that needed removing. I would soon find that in Saigon the best that would ever be possible was to remove it while showering as it would immediately return as soon as the water was turned off.
The bathroom was a bit tight and as I was getting dressed I leaned my elbow against the wall to steady myself and put my elbow right into a random razor blade that was tucked in the wall at chair rail height. It instantly began to bleed and I had a white towel and shirt in my hands. I put my shorts on and stumbled out of the bathroom, elbow stuck out as far away from anything that may be stained. Still half wet, elbow quickly leaking oil, I found Diễm who, of course, freaked out a little.
As Diễm patched me up on the couch with iodine and cotton swabs I looked down at my leg. The muffler burn had blistered to the size of a half dollar and was protruding from my calf by at least a quarter of an inch. I had been in Saigon 7 hours and Diễm’s words came pounding back into my mind in cadence. Formidable. There was only one thing that could cheer me up at this moment. Dinner was being served.
Dinner and Karaoke
Luan had brought a giant box of Durian home. You know what I’m talking about, that battle hardened, funky fruit Southeast Asia is in love with. We carved some of it up and sat around a portable burner on the floor. A flavorful broth with greens, cabbage, chunks of pork, fresh noodles, fresh fruit, grilled chicken, it was simple and incredibly delicious. The beer was flowing and the urge was coming on strong.
As dinner wound down we ended up on the dirt lane in front of the house singing karaoke for hours. It was a celebration, some of us hadn’t seen each other in over a year. We were having a great time. But I was also hopelessly tired. A long restless night on a sleeper bus, a long day of running around, dinner and now karaoke. It was getting bedtime. Around 11 I noticed Diễm was missing and decided to take my leave. As I walked down the ramp into the house I found her lying under a mosquito net on our makeshift bed. I crawled underneath and joined her. Sleep quickly came over us both.
An Early Start
The house came to life very early. There was work to get to, school to get to and Diễm and I were the only ones without responsibilities to tend. We rose early anyway as it was hard not to with all the activity. We got ready, I took another shower to wash away the night glaze, and borrowed one of Luan’s motorbikes and made a beeline for downtown Saigon.
Saigon a Brief History
Saigon is relatively new for Asian mega cities and just massive. Early settlements in the area date back to the 4th century, but anything that could be considered a city does not appear until the 11th century. The Vietnamese city of Saigon was not established there until 1698. So named because it sits on the Saigon river, I had always assumed it was on the Mekong, but the Mekong River Delta is many miles to the south.
The mega city encompasses 795.83 square miles and has a population of just under 10 million. It’s metropolitan area encompasses 4,100.17 square miles and has an estimated population of about 13.5 million. To put that into perspective, the city of Atlanta encompasses 136.76 square miles and inhabits right at 500,000. Atlanta’s entire metropolitan footprint is 8,376 square miles with a population just over 6 million. Metropolitan Saigon has over twice the amount of people in half the space, it’s packed.
French Colonial Period
During the French colonial era Saigon served as the capital of what was then called French Cochinchina. A title it held until the liberation of Vietnam from the French in 1945. Many aspects of French culture and life were incorporated into the fabric of Vietnam society. Many of which carry on to today. Architecture, the adaptation of a highly accented latin alphabet, administrative structure and most notably in the cuisine.
The Vietnamese are master bakers, no doubt acquiring this skill from their French overlords. Vietnamese cooks wield many of the tools in the French Chef’s tool kit with perfection as ease. Such as pates, consomme style broths, forcemeats, galantines and a wild assortment of French Charcuterie. They are masters of food art and sculpting, often selling fruits on the side of the road carved beautifully and with honed skill. All of these elements of the French period echo into many aspects of daily life now.
War and Post War Period
Serving as the capital of South Vietnam after the end of the French Colonial era, Saigon would see a swelling in population during the decades encompassing the war era. With the countryside often a battlefield and generally unsafe, Saigon would absorb those fleeing the north and those seeking refuge from the carnage of the jungle.
By the time Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese Army it was a bloated hive of rampant unemployment and mass poverty. The first step taken by the new Vietnamese nation was to rename the city Ho Chi Minh in honor of the fabled leader and to begin a rehabilitation period. This immediate post war period would see millions forced out of Saigon to either the countryside to rebuild the collapsed agriculture system or to reeducation camps to begin the process of establishing modern Vietnam.
Old Habits Die Hard
The city would eventually settle into a sense of order, and would ultimately be propelled to status of mega city and financial capital of Vietnam. Even though the government officially recognizes it as Ho Chi Minh city, nowhere else is this name used. Businesses still call themselves the whatever of Saigon, It’s still referred to in daily conversation as Saigon and the most telling point is that the airport code for the countries largest airport is still SGN.
An Unexpected Saigon
As we crossed the canals and rivers and dove headlong into the heart of Saigon things quickly changed. The dusty, often trash filled streets of the suburbs gave way to manicured boulevards, well kept landscaping, beautiful colonial buildings and modern structures. Progress had transformed Saigon into something not expected and pleasantly surprising. The only reason the suburbs were a bit rough was that gentrification had just not made it there yet. It was clear however, that it was on its way.
A Quick Note then back to Saigon
Some Boring Statistics (my secret passion)
At this juncture I feel the need to set a few things straight. I don’t always write about or show pictures of the modern side of Vietnam, because that’s not what interests me. But make no mistake, Vietnam and the Vietnamese have almost caught up to the west. In the past 30 years Vietnam has climbed from one of, if not the poorest nation in the world. Now a lower middle-income nation. from 2002 to 2019 it’s GDP per capita increased by a factor of 2.7. In that same period 45 million people were lifted out of poverty. Poverty rates declined in Vietnam from 70% in 2002 to below 6% by 2019.
Vietnam also boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the world and in 2019 outpaced China. Vietnam has the highest human capital index among middle income nations and only trails Singapore for all economies and in all of Asia. In recent years Vietnam’s education system has begun to score among the best in the world in the PISA (program for international student assessment). Vietnamese born in 2019 can look forward to an above average global life expectancy of 76.3 years.
As of 2016 99% of the population had access to affordable electricity. Up from a deplorable 14% in 1993. In urban areas access to clean municipal water climbed above 95% and even in rural areas that number reached 70% in 2016. I have learned in my time here that their middle class passions, joys and desires are no different from our own.
Middle Class Tendencies
The Vietnamese love to drink beer and watch sports. Shop in modern malls and drive nice cars, or in the most common form motorbikes. The Vietnamese love to go to the movies, post their latest selfie in some instagram hotspot, cook out, spend time with family and friends. They love road trips and exploring the open spaces of their countryside. They love wonderful food and sitting in coffee houses sipping beverages. Everyone has a smartphone, high speed internet, and satellite television. In short, they are no different than any other western nation.
The Other Side of Newly Found Progress
In fact, there is only one thing I can say about Vietnam that is less than flattering. They have existed in such a perpetual state of oppression, occupation or all out war, and for so long, that poverty has become ingrained in their traditions, customs and in the very fabric of their society. One can walk down any given street anywhere in Vietnam and be forgiven for thinking it’s impoverished. Yet it’s not.
Temperature Tolerance
The air condition has yet to be embraced on a universal scale here and when not in our luxury apartment in Da Nang I most often go without one. Even in the scorching jungle heat of Saigon I only had the pleasure of air conditioning in a modern building or while in a taxi. Otherwise it was just hot. Even in malls and modern skyscrapers the temperature can often induce sweating, at least for this soft air condition loving American. I would have to guess that room temperature in Vietnam, even in conditioned environments, couldn’t be less than 78 degrees.
Things that Scurry and Crawl
The Vietnamese have this funny way of being shockingly indifferent to situations most Americans would find unbearable. Even the smallest of children show indifference or even curiosity at any insect, lizard, gecko or dare I say rat. It isn’t terribly uncommon to sit down to a bowl of noodles on a busy street and look over to find a rat leaning back on his hind legs looking you in the eye as to say, “are you going to finish that”. The casual Vietnamese diner will only show attention to or even react to the rat when it has brazenly scurried up and tried to get a piece before the diner is finished.
I once saw a rat begin to climb up the leg of a diner in broad daylight. It tried to grab the Banh Mi dangling from the diners hand. All the man could muster was a shuffle of his leg and an almost inaudible grunt. He never took his glance away from his phone. He may not have known it was a rat. I believe it was more a case of he just didn’t care. This lack of concern keeps pest populations thriving and I have even seen the occasional rat at the beach.
A Trash Problem
The thing that most concerns me about Vietnam is the garbage situation. That indifference and poverty mentality has led to a total lack of concern for proper trash disposal. Trash is everywhere. Proper trash disposal is just not on the Vietnamese list of priorities, at least not from a social standpoint. The areas on showcase, Da Nang’s beaches, downtown Hanoi and Saigon are all very clean and well maintained, but venture into the places only Vietnamese go and it’s clear that trash is a huge problem.
It is estimated that 5 river delta regions produce 90% of plastic contaminants found in our oceans today and the Mekong river delta is one of the five’s biggest offenders. It’s not all bad news though, as government officials have in recent years begun mobilizing the propaganda machine to increase awareness on the importance of recycling, reducing, reusing and composting. Everyone in my family I have seen composts, recycles and does what it can, but it’s clear from the trash that litters the canals and streets that there is a long way to go. But enough of that, let’s get back to Saigon.
Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
Diem and I crossed over to the boulevard Cong Xa Paris and settled on the sidewalk across the street from the Cathedral. The Cathedral was quite beautiful and unmistakably French. Classical and Roman Catholic in every way. Twin bell towers with spires sloping steeply skyward. The rose window above the main entrance. It’s three arch ways leading into its main portal and ornate tympanums above each doorway. All constructed in a striking pink colored brick.
A beautiful courtyard marks the front of the Cathedral with a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue was not commissioned until the 1950’s and was placed on its pedestal on February 17, 1959. The property was incredibly beautiful and architecturally pleasing and warm. But unfortunately I was unable to go inside as the interior is currently closed to a massive renovation. So I took a few pictures of the exterior and learned a little about the Cathedrals history.
Construction
Groundbreaking for the Cathedral occurred in 1863, though the first stone laid upon the foundation would not occur until 1877. After three years of construction the Cathedral was opened in a completion ceremony on Easter Sunday, April 11, 1880. The entire Cathedral was built entirely of materials imported from France. The outside brick was manufactured by a renowned brick house in Toulouse. The stained glass was supplied by the Lorin family of Chartres, A French city famous for the stained glass in its 13th century Cathedral. Though replacement pieces and parts have been manufactured in Saigon in recent years, at the Cathedrals opening everything came from France.
A Detour
As I was walking the Cathedral grounds something caught my eye across the street on the other side of the property from where we parked. A McDonalds’. I hadn’t eaten an American greaseball burger, fast food fries or a fountain drink in so long I couldn’t remember. I asked Diem if she would mind a greasy American lunch and she was all in. It was the first time I had been in an American chain restaurant in all my time in Vietnam and it quite frankly looked just like any other.
We walked up to the counter, I ordered a number 2 with a coke, and took our little table marker and found a spot to rest. My saliva glands were already beginning to work and the thought of crispy fries with ketchup and greasy, cheesy burger was almost more than I could bear. The attendant finally came out with our food and sat it on the table between Diem and I. I looked at Diem and she looked at me. She instantly knew from our conversation that I was instantly disappointed.
Always Pay Attention and Never Assume
There are value meals in Vietnam and there are combos. They are not the same. A number 2 value meal is two cheeseburgers fries and a coke. A number two combo contains French fries, two cokes, three pieces of fried chicken and four random chicken nuggets. Diem offered to order me a cheeseburger, but it was already too much food. I accepted the situation and determined that I would try again another time. I sat and enjoyed what was surprisingly delicious fried chicken from McDonald’s. Hey, at least I got the fries and a fountain coke.
Ho Chi Minh Post Office
Next door to that particular McDonald’s and across the street from the Cathedral is the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office. It has got to be the most beautiful post office in the world. Again, built by the French between 1886 and 1891, it is a shining example of the golden age of French Colonial construction. Designed by Alfred Foulhoux, the post office was inaugurated on July 14, 1891. The office boasts two map paintings dating to 1892, just one year after its opening. The paintings depict Saigon and its surrounding area on one side of the entrance and a map of the telegraph lines of southern Vietnam and Cambodia on the other, both for that year.
Still offering postal type services, the office doubles now as a tourist attraction as well as business center. Still containing the original French style phone booths with world clocks fastened above, It really is a beautiful building. Complete with a massive portrait of Ho Chi Minh across from the main entrance, it’s a great place to visit if you love history and architecture.
Wandering Saigon
After we stepped out of the post office we took a walk around downtown. Row after row of Hotels and government buildings, It was obvious we were in the international zone. We passed by countless consulates, British, French, German, Singaporean, we even found the old US embassy from the war. The US still operates it, but now it’s just a consulate as the Embassies are in the current capital of Hanoi. We also couldn’t get near as it’s side of the street was blocked off. So I had to snap my photos from afar.
At one point we stumbled upon the Saigon Opera House. Again French and again beautiful. Opening to it’s first performance on January 1, 1900. She served as the assembly house for the south Vietnamese government after 1956 before being reopened for theater in 1975. We also found the independence palace, which was the presidential palace for South Vietnam during the war. It would also be the site that would end the war when a north Vietnamese tank crashed through its gates on April 30, 1975.
Something Even Bigger
We were zipping all over the beautiful city of Saigon. Street after street, sight after sight. But something was looming, ever present in the distance and I was ready to see it up close. So after lunch at the famous Ben Thanh market, we headed straight for my prey. The one building I wanted to experience in Saigon more than any other.
Landmark 81
The scope of this building is hard to put into words and give it justice. It’s just massive. Completed in 2018, Landmark 81 is the tallest building in all of Southeast Asia. Taller even than the Petronas towers of Malaysia, which from 1998 to 2004 were the tallest buildings in the world. And the Landmark 81 has little competition in it’s own skyline. There is just nothing anywhere near it to compete. There are a lot of tall buildings in Saigon, but the Landmark 81 is so big that from a distance it looks like a lone building in an almost featureless landscape.
It’s over a quarter of a mile up at 1,540 feet. Boasts the fastest elevators in Southeast Asia, 81 floors, a luxury hotel, luxury apartments, a clubhouse and separate lounge floor for its tenants. At its bottom is a 4 story luxury shopping mall complete with upscale eateries and retail. And the thing I came here for, It’s observation deck, Landmark 81’s, 81st floor.
Apprehension
After wandering the mall and checking out the outside of the building Diem and I found the ticket booth. I thought Diem was going to have a panic attack when they presented the pricing. We were in the wealthiest neighborhood in Vietnam, participating in fancy upper class Vietnamese things and I already knew it wouldn’t be cheap. It wasn’t’ the most I’ve paid for an experience, hell I’ve dropped 400 dollars on dinner for two in the US, but it would prove to be the most expensive day I’ve ever had in Vietnam and probably ever will. I assured Diem it was ok and we paid the 100 usd for the elevator ride. After all it came with a free coke at 1500 feet.
Floor 81
After your typical professional photo session before we went up, and a relinquishing of all of our belongings, except money and phone, we headed to the elevator. Apparently you can’t take bank batteries up as the rapid pressure change can cause them to explode, who knew.
The elevators may be the fastest in Southeast Asia, but they are by far the fastest I’ve ever been on. We were ascending so fast that the digital readout was often skipping two sometimes three floors at a time to keep up. I would later find an information plaque that listed the elevator speed as 26.29 feet per second. Twice on the ascent my ears popped, we were rising and rising fast.
The View
The elevators opened to an empty bar and Sushi restaurant as well as a small souvenir shop. Our own personal guide was waiting and the entire observation deck was ours alone. Three floors of stunning views, beautiful architecture and all to ourselves. The view was breathtaking, literally, it took quite a bit of will power to get close to the massive glass windows. It was the highest man made viewpoint for a thousand miles and was simply awe inspiring. The 81st floor was actually the 81st through 83rd and had a viewing deck on all three. A massive staircase encircled the central section of the tower and as you walked up and around you could see everything.
There were several areas with props for taking photos, something I’ve found to be very Vietnamese, and Diem took the opportunity to get some photos in. We spent the rest of the afternoon, sunset and nightfall walking the beautiful floors and taking in the views of the changing landscape. As day became night I had gotten more comfortable with the height and experimented with some night photography of the city below. It was just beautiful.
Hunger Sets In
After a beautiful sunset, the city lights and lots of pictures, it was time for dinner. We had discussed heading out to the streets to eat or eating at the Landmark and we decided to stay. It wasn’t often we were able to slip away to a quiet date night, so we decided to make the most of it. We settled into a table at Sushi Kei and gorged ourselves on some of the best Sushi you could probably get outside of Japan. Eel, Urchin, Squid, Tuna, Salmon, Seeded Mackerel, Seaweed salads and on and on.
By the time we left the Landmark I needed a wheelbarrow more than a motorbike. We collected our steel steed from the underground motorbike park and with a bit extra weight climbed the ramp out of the sublevels of the Landmark. We zipped around Saigon on our way back to the suburbs in a dizzying cacophony of horns, conversations and Karaoke. It was a thrilling ride through downtown Saigon at 9 o’clock on a Tuesday night. I wonder what Saturday looks like? I’m sure I will find out soon enough. For now all I want is sleep for with dawn comes another adventure.
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