First Impressions of Ho Chi Ming City

Tan San Nhat Airport looks brand spanking new and on first impressions looks like any other international airport until you see there is no one in the airport besides those arriving off of my flight from Taipei. Looking around I noticed there were no shops, the complete opposite to Taipei Airport. There are no restaurants or cafes. When you leave the airport terminal to go outside you see there are huge numbers of Vietnamese outside the airport terminal waiting for their arrivals. The airport is air conditioned yet anybody who is being picked up at the airport has to wait outside in sweltering heat. I assume the authorities don't trust their own people inside this new terminal,
I was picked up at the airport, by a driver from my hotel, MyMy Art House in District One and thank God for that. What catches my breath is the chaotic traffic that is Ho Chi Ming City. There are millions of motorcycles and few cars. I thought New York road rules were, how would you say lax, well this city makes New York traffic look pedestrian. There are no rules and no traffic police. Everybody goes anywhere at anytime. You have to have a lot of nerve to get out on these roads. I saw three adults and one child, go up what I thought was a on way street, on a moped. There are riders talking on their cell phones while driving their mopeds with one hand.

My hotel is tucked away down some really narrow alleyways which are teeming with locals and tourists alike. There is washing hanging from balconies overhead and people's bedrooms that appear to be right on the alleyway. I love it.

I managed to visit both the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum today, despite the fact that I landed at noon. Needless to say they are not far from each other. The Reunification Palace looks like a 1960's villa which it is essentially.

This was home to the last President of South Vietnam before he was thrown out by the North Vietnamese. As museums go it is certainly not up to Western standards. There are nicely decorated rooms where dignitaries were wined and dined and in the basement was a bomb shelter that acted as a war room during the North/South war.
The War Remnants Museum is an ordinary looking two story building from the seventies that houses photos of American atrocities committed during the Vietnam war. There are some shocking photos of people who were deformed by Agent Orange. There are some old weapons and mines on display. America is described as the 'imperialist' aggressor in the captions under the photos.

Overall, I like what I've seen so far of Ho Chi Ming City. It's run down but that is to be expected I thing, at least from what I have read. The people are friendly and helpful. I had my first coconut water from a coconut for a dollar. I liked it.