The Heat was on in Saigon!

CEBU, Philippines - To travel outside the Philippines has been on my to-do list for three years now. But it was only marked done this year.

 This, after I finally had the chance to use my passport and go beyond the 7,107 islands of the orient seas. Since it was my first time, I wanted it to be memorable.

Truth to tell, I wasn’t expecting that I’ll land in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh for that matter. I was just so hyped up when my colleagues in the newsroom said they got a promo ticket. I was excited, I readily said yes.

It was a few days later when I thought, what’s there in Ho Chi Minh, or what was known as Saigon?

To me, Saigon was just a theatrical play, not really that of a tourist favorite.

But after that four-day trip, I had to eat my words.

Saigon was a place I didn’t appreciate much before, as i do now. Saigon is very much like Cebu, the potentials are just waiting to boom.

But what made the entire city a destination is that it has taken advantage of its history, packaging it for tourism. Unlike in other places where you usually go to natural landscapes and white-sand beaches, in Saigon you go to museums and cathedrals, and those that are attached to their history.

Saigon was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina, the independent state of Southern Vietnam back in 1955. It was only renamed after their communist leader Ho Chi Minh after the Vietnam War in 1976.

In 1858, France invaded Saigon to complete its Cochinchina colony. Then came World War 2 where France was defeated by Japan in French Indochina in 1945. Later on, Japan allied with the French forces and left Vietnam. France came back to rule Vietnam again. In 1954, the Geneva Records, which divided the entire of Vietnam into two, North and South, started the whole Vietnam War. North Vietnam was under the control of Viet Minh communists, while Southern Vietnam was under anti-communists, aided by the United States.

For around 70 years, they’ve been under a colonizer’s power and abuse. Just imagine the bulk of historical items they archived over the years.

In four days, I must admit, I had information overload. Allow me to unload some of them, as I bring you to five of my favorite places in the Land of the Blue Dragon.

Cu Chi Tunnels. Cu Chi is a 121-km ride from the heart of Saigon and about two hours of travel. The tunnels are the network of interconnecting underground tunnels. These were used as hiding areas by the VietCongs during the war. It was practically their base, where they ate, rested, created weapons and talked with one another. They created several trap mechanisms to trick their enemies and arrest them. Only the VietCongs knew where the entrance and exit of the tunnels are. The entry points were slim fit only for the slender Vietnamese. Yet life under the tunnel was hard. They had to stay most of the day in the tunnel and would only come out at night. Some pregnant women had to deliver their babies inside the tunnel so as to avoid encounter with the enemies.

The tunnel is now preserved as a war memorial park. Tourists flock to this area as they have the chance to actually crawl inside the tunnels, some of which are made bigger to accommodate larger body sizes. At the end of the tour, you’ll have the chance to test your shooting skills at the range using armalites and other high-powered guns.

Reunification Palace. It was in this place where my eyes were opened to how the VietCongs really suffered and fought for their freedom. Formerly called Norodom Palace, this used to be the seat of government of the President of South Vietnam. It was a symbol of freedom as it signalled the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Saigon fell when the North Vietnamese Army tank invaded its gates. The capital of Vietnam was then transferred to Hanoi.

The Palace displays a wide array of furniture, conference rooms and war rooms where tourists can walk around. Very notable are the old printing machines and typewriters found in the telecommunications center and the huge maps in their labyrinth basement. Vintage transportation like cars, helicopters and army tanks used during the war are on display. Pictures and videos also show the history of Vietnam. One picture which struck me was this guy who burned himself in protest of what the Americans had done. My heart was crushed looking into his eyes which reflected agony and pain.

War Remnants Museum. I remember visiting this the day after visiting the Reunification Palace. My heart was still heavy, absorbing the pain the VietCongs felt. With this museum, I saw and felt more. The museum contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War. Various military tanks and choppers like the May Bay CH 47 (Chinook), U.17 Plane and A1 Skyraider welcome visitors at the entrance. They also have tiger cages where they kept the government’s prisoners and even a guillotine used for executing the criminals. Inside the museum, you see a whole lot more of weapons like bullets, grenade canisters and plane scraps all well preserved.

The strongest pictures there showed people affected by chemical defoliant sprays used by Agent Orange colonizers. Aside from affecting the direct target, these chemicals are actually infecting several generations after. Until now, children with deformities are living testimonials of the harshness of the Americans. Sadly, innocent young ones suffer the pains of history.

Notre Dame Cathedral. Upon landing in Ho Chi Minh, this was the one place I could not stop. We were able to hear English/Vietnamese Masses here on Sundays. It was a happy experience, seeing Catholics gathered in one roof. The priest was Viet but really tried to speak in English. Listening to his homily wasn’t much of a problem as it was flashed through an LCD screen.

During the peace offering, I saw different faces. There are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, and other nationalities, as well.

Ben Thanh Market. You can never leave Ho Chi Minh without dropping by Ben Thanh Market. For me, it was THE shopping center, as we come here almost every night. Items in Vietnam are relatively cheaper compared to other countries. In Vietnam, everyone is a millionaire. With P5,000, you are 1,000,000 Vietnam Dong richer! In the market, you buy souvenir items, shirts and food items in thousands of Viet Dongs.

The key to shopping well is to test your bargaining skills. Once the vendor gives you a price, always suggest a lower rate until you both agree on a price. I learned this while buying souvenir shirts. The price was first tagged at 75,000 dong. When converted it to peso, it was P180, way too expensive. I haggled for 30,000 dong since I’d be buying many. The vendor refused. I walked towards the next store and started bargaining again. But the previous vendor ran after me and accepted my P80/shirt offer. I had a hard time fitting everything I bought into my bag.

Also in the market, you get to eat traditional Vietnamese food such as Pho or noodles, or wrapped shawarma-like vegetables.

Information Overload, you say? Those were just tidbits about the trip. I was inspired to read more about the place. Ho Chi Minh has indeed so much to offer. We just walked around the city, being strangers in a foreign land. I’ve learned to read maps and interpret Vietnamese signals.

With the four-day trip, I learned so much about Saigon’s culture, history and people. It opened my eyes to discoveries which I know will surely make a difference in me. There is just still so much to explore in Ho Chi Minh. I admit four days wasn’t enough to visit all the wonders, yet one thing is definite. I’m coming back, for it’s confirmed: the heat was on in Saigon! ?