Saigon War Remnants Museum 14 Nov 2017

After the morning market walk, both Alvin and I back to the hotel and had our breakfast with both Issac and Annabelle.

We headed to the famous and a must visit place ~ The War Remnants Museum. I was curious that all the reviews which I read online about this museum, it is a highly recommended museum to go.

There were already many tourist queuing for entrance tickets when we reached there around 9.00am.

Established by the Vietnamese government on the 9^th of September, 1975, the museum was originally called “The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government”.

Then in 1990 it was renamed to the “Museum of American War Crimes”, and then not until the 4^th of July, 1995, did people start to refer to it as the “War Remnants Museum”.

The War Remnants Museum is a member of the World Peace Museum and World Museum Committee. The museum specializes in researching, collecting, preserving and displaying evidence – the crimes and consequences of the Vietnam War.

Once we entered to the compound of the museum, the courtyard is filled with military vehicles and unexploded ordnance.

These remains from the Vietnam wars clearly leave us with a strong impression as all of us never get to see a real fighting machines, airplanes and tanker before.

Those in displays included a Huey and Chinook helicopter or a South Vietnamese Air Force’s tank or fighter jet.

The military equipment also includes an A-1 Sky raider attack bomber, M48 Patton tank, an A-37 Dragonfly attack bomber, an F-5A fighter and a BLU-82 “Daisy Cutter” bomb.

Both Issac and Annabelle were the most happiest as they saw those real tank, helicopter, bombs, etc.

After which, we came to the building which is just located at the side of the compound of the museum. It showed how the Imprisonment System During the Vietnam Wars.

In the war, besides military operations and the massacre of innocent people, the US and Saigon governments also built a prison system including Chi Hoa, Thu Duc, Tan Hiep, Phu Quoc and Con Dao. The imprisonment, detention and torture that left serious consequences on Vietnamese patriots.

However, the most heart-breaking artefact for visitors is probably the guillotine. This machine was brought to Vietnam by the French colonialists to suppress the people during the resistance war for independence of the country in the early 20th century.

After the Geneva Agreement, the old Saigon authorities took this guillotine around southern provinces to execute patriots. After the country was fully liberated, this murder machine was brought here to prove the colonial war crimes.

Going to the far-left side of the main hall, you will find yourself in a building reproducing the “barbed-wired tiger cages” in which the South Vietnamese government kept political prisoners.

These cages are so tiny (only 2.7m x 1.5m x 3m each) but were used to imprison up to 14 people. There are also mannequin bodies positioned inside for you to gain a clearer picture.

And, there is an equally sad life-sized model of a prison, where you’ll find replicas of prisoner rooms, stocks, and torturing devices.

I can hardly imagine how were the people whom suffered during these wars, and the horrible effects that come as a result of war.

Inside, the museum is divided into 3 levels devoted to a particular theme related to the war.

The Ground Floor of the museum is dedicated to a collection of press and propaganda showing hatred and protest to the war. It exhibits the International Support for the Vietnamese People in Their Resistance War.

There is a Temporary Exhibition hall which the exhibits would change from time to time according to the museum.

After we walked about at the ground floor, we straight went up to the second floor of the museum. There are 4 exhibition halls and a Children Education Chamber, which called “Dove”.

If you visit the War Remnants Museum and you are with kids, that is the “Dove” room which there is a playground, where many young kids went to hang out while their parents walked through the museum (as you can imagine, it may not a great place for kids to see).

Hall 1 ~ Historical Truths

It is all about how did Vietnamese War take place.

Hall 2 ~ Requiem

It is one of the most notable section exhibition which houses a collection of photographs compiled by legendary war photographer Tim Page and Horst Faas in memory of fallen correspondents during the American war in Vietnam.

The collection includes 204 works of 133 war correspondents of 11 nationalities. This graphic photography illustrates a phase of painful history and reveals unknown stories about war to people, especially to Westerners.

Each picture is accompanied by fact cards in English, Vietnamese and Japanese so you can get up close and personal with these historical moments. It was kind of heart-breaking to see their stories through the photographs.

Hall 3 ~ Vietnam – War and Peace

(Collection of Documentary Pictures of Japanese correspondent Ishikawa Bunyo).

Ishikawa Bunyo was born in 1938 in Okinawa Japan. As a correspondent of Farkas Studio, Hong Kong, he worked in Vietnam from January 1965 to December 1972. After Vietnam war ended, he came back to Vietnam, took photograph and exhibition with the theme “Vietnam – War and Peace”.

In 2015, he denoted his works to the War Remnants Museum to celebrate its 40th year anniversary and 40th year Southern liberation, National reunification.

Hall 4 ~ Agent Orange During the Vietnam War

(Collection of Documentary Pictures of Japanese Photographer Nakamura Goro).

Goro Nakmura is a freelance photographer. He first came to Vietnam in 1970. Moved by the tragic consequences of the ear, he returned to Vietnam many times to capture the consequences of the Agent Orange in the war.

After which we came to the first floor. The first floor is an over view of war crimes caused by the US Army during the American war in Vietnam. The war deprived the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of the Vietnamese.

Hall 6 ~ War Crimes.

Exhibiting the evidence of crime of the US war of aggression to Vietnamese people from persecution, torture, murder and massacre; bombing innocent people and their homes, villages, hospitals, schools causing casualty and damages to Vietnamese people.

Hall 7 ~ Agent Orange Effect.

Exhibition of photos, data, and artefacts about US’s use of toxic chemicals in Vietnam during the war and the determination to overcome difficulties by dioxin victims.

In addition, there are three jars of preserved human fetus showing haunting effects of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. Many travellers are likely to be horrified by such shocking displays.

After the visit, the thoughts that came immediately to my mind was, I felt the exhibits are entirely one-sided affair, and focusing on anti-American propaganda. But, then the second thought came in was this is the war that the Vietnamese let us open our eyes and see the history through their eyes, minds and experiences which they personally felt.

There are always 2 or 3 perspective in viewing everything that happened. I have to admit that  the War Remnants Museum has successfully portrayed the brutality of war to me at least. And give a feeling of war is not a good thing to be happened.

The War Remnants Museum is a worthwhile place to see in Saigon to learn, but again, be prepared for quite a heavy and saddening experience.

Thai Binh Wet Market 14 Nov 2017

Last night Alvin asked that if I would want to wake up early today so that we can go and explore the market just down the road. It is just located not far from the hotel we stayed ~ Cho Thai Binh.

Saigon’s markets seem to exist in another dimension to the rest of the city. In downtown District 1 I was thinking that, the traditional Vietnamese wet market no longer exists and replaced by generic high-end shopping malls. But, the local markets still as bustling, vibrant and fascinating as ever.

These markets play a major role in most ordinary people’s daily lives. Saigon’s markets are highly organized, the produce is local and fresh, and the sheer volume and variety of things for sale is remarkable.

Once you are in the embrace of one of Saigon’s markets you leave the modern façade of District 1 far behind, and enter a more colourful, friendly, and personal world.

We just walked down the street. Nearly reached Thai Binh Market, along the outer edge of the market square there were various kind of food stalls selling delicious street food dishes, and opposite them are fruit and vegetable stalls, all bursting with colour in the early sunlight.

We can’t help but notice that it’s mostly women over the age of 30 who populate markets like this in Saigon. Both the buyers and the sellers are female. There is a distinctly chatty atmosphere; lively but not frantic. Many of the market workers have worked in the same spot for years so they know each other well.

There is lots of gossip and laughter – especially at the sight of a foreigner – but no one hassles you to buy from them as they do in Bến Thành Market. You are free to walk among the produce, soaking up the colours and smells in the cool air and hushed atmosphere: there’s something very church-like about it.

We can hear the sound of the market in full swing: the chopping of meat with shining cleavers on wooden chopping boards; the rustle of grains of rice being portioned out into bags; the slap of live fish being slammed on the counter to stun them; the yelling, laughter and banter between fish mongers and butchers.

After we walked around the outside wet markets, we went into the building. Through the narrow lanes, there was a tight outer circle of stalls specializing is all sorts of dried goods, kitchen equipment and bottled sauces.

At the heart of the building, the meat and fish take centre stage. Behind the building, there is a cooked food corner where customers – many of whom are market workers – dine on various Vietnamese delicacies from noodle soups to sweet bean desserts.

We were so excited watching and exploring Thai Binh Market! It’s on a smaller scale than the other markets, which makes it much more manageable, but it still has all the energy and punch of a big market. Meat, fish, noodles, rice, spices, candies, sauces, fruit, vegetables, jewellery, and clothes are all sold in a relatively small space.

After which Alvin and I were walking back to the hotel and on our way back, we stopped by the laundry shop in the alley to take our laundry.

Mekong Delta My Tho 13 Nov 2017

We left Cu Chi around 11.30am and headed to My Tho. It was about 2 1/2 hour drive through suburban Saigon. It was a colourful outskirt life and paddy fields scenery along the journey leads to My Tho.

I saw something interesting, it was quite an eyes opening to me! In Malaysia, we can see tombstones in the rubber trees or oil palms plantations, here in Vietnam, we can see the tombstones in the paddy fields!

My Tho is an important market town and the gateway to the bustling floating markets of the Mekong Delta. The Mekong River, known as The Mighty Dragon or The River of the Nine Dragons in Vietnam. It is one of the most important rivers in the world.

The Mekong River is the life-line of six countries in Asia (Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and China). It passes through temple cities, lush tropical forests, swamps, rice plantations and boasts of some of the richest and most fertile landscapes in the world.

Our bus stopped at a small dock at Mekong River. Our tour guide gave us a short geographical lesson before we boarded a small boat that took us to Con Phung (Phoenix Island), named after a Chinese mythological figure for our late lunch. All of us are really starving and hungry.

It was really cool. As the motorboat passed by into the Mekong River, we could see houses or ship yards on the banks so you know people are all over the place.

There are kellong along the river as well. They are built by fishermen primarily for fishing or rear the fish purposes, although larger structures can also function as dwellings for them and their families.

It was 2.15pm when we enjoyed our lunch at one of the local restaurants. Our family shared a table with the tourists came from Jakarta, Indonesia.

It feel so warm to me that, other than English language, we can communicate with Malay language. Malay language and Indonesia language is almost the same.

We tried the Mekong Delta Specialty - Deep Fried Elephant ear fish.

A waitress with really deft hands will tear pieces of the fish out with chopsticks and spoon, wrapped the flaky flesh inside a delicate rice paper with lots of basil, mint and vermicelli. To me, it was another new invention to try fish in this way.

Other than that, we had been served with Cơm Trắng (steamed rice), Rau Muống Xào Tỏi (stir fried water spinach with garlic), Cá & Thit Heo Kho Tộ (braised pork & fish cook with fish sauce), Canh Tép Nấu Rau Củ (sweet sour vegetables soup), Chả Giò (deep fried spring roll).

The drinks are not included in our lunch, we have to pay for our drinks during lunch. We just ordered 2 cans of 100 Plus drinks, and we did bring along of mineral waters with us this trip.

The food was average only, but it is due to all of us were so hungry. We finished it all. After the lunch, we went back to the motorboat. Then we were taken to a local coconut candies workshop, and shown how they make coconut candies.

It is all started from to select a right coconut with super fresh flesh, then grate them, press them to extract the coconut cream and milk!

The next step is how to mix with the good quality malt syrup...and this is the maker's secret how much to add the syrup or probably some other ingredients...we never know!

Cook the mix of coconut milk for about 30 minutes. This is the most important step, the cook must stir continuously to make sure the mix doesn’t turn hard. Nowadays, like this workshop or factory, they use a special machine to stir the mix. The mix is cooked until it turns thick.

Pour the mix in a mould covered by a thin layer of coconut oil. Add peanut or durian. Then, the workers cut the thickened mixture into pieces of coconut candies.

The workers would wrap pieces of coconut candies in thin rice paper, again with another paper and put ready candies into boxes.

We saw many other souvenirs which were made by the coconut shells at the factory too, such as rice bowls, piggy banks, coasters for cups and mugs, etc.

We saw the snake wine and banana wine. Yes that is a thing! Don’t believe us? Take a look!

Besides that, there were selling all types of wallets and purses made by wither python leather, crocodile leather and even sting ray leather wallets!

After the factory visit, we were walking for some distance and taking a horse cart to reach a bee-keeping farm and enjoying honey tea.

Bee pollen might be the newest health fad to hit the western world, but here in the backwaters of Vietnam, it is generously spooned into every cup of tea.

Our tour guide explained to us on on the bees and honey, and we were all invited to purchase or buy the honey back to our home country either for own consumption or as gifts.

Moments later, we had the chance to taste seasonal fruits, enjoy traditional folk songs.

The Vietnamese ladies were performing their traditional music (Đờn Ca Tài Tử – a folk art form from Southern Vietnam accredited by UNESCO in 2013 as Intangible cultural Heritage of Humanity).

Then around 4.00pm, we were taking to go for an adventurous sampan ride on one of the tributaries of the Mekong.

We stepped into our sampan tentatively but started enjoying the ride almost as soon as our boat started making its way past lush palm trees and stunning green foliage.

We went down a tiny canal which was pretty cool too. The sampan lady rowed us back to the big motorboat which took us here earlier.

And, it concluded our half day Mekong Delta My Tho trip for the day when we retuning back to bus and going back to Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon at round 4.30pm.

Our tour finished at The Sinh Tourist office 246, De Tham Street about 7.30pm. We felt so tired but very fruitful and satisfying day trip for visiting The Cu Chi Tunnels in the half morning and part of Mekong Delta My Tho in the other half of the day.

Towards end of the day, we went back to the alley and searched for our dinner before we went back to our hotel. We just had the normal pork chop rice, fried rice and fried noodles with sautéed beef.

Day trips such as this are bound to feel ‘touristy’, but one look at the brightly-coloured boats bobbing along the calm waters of the Mekong made us fall in love with the river.

We will definitely be back for more…