With the Cuchi Tunnel visit completed, we grabbed delicious street side Banh Mi sandwiches for the road trip back to Ho Chi Minh ctiy (aka Saigon).
Our tour continued at the War Remnants Museum and then to the Reunification Palace.
The Museum was surrounded by old military hardware from the war such as Huey helicopters and tanks.
It is a little tough to see people taking photos next to machines that were responsible for so much suffering.
Inside, there was a notable exhibit of photos from war-time photographers that were tasked to expose the truth to the world. In many ways, they are unsung heroes that need to be remembered.
Our next stop was the Reunification Palace. The building was built by the French during the occupation but cleverly upgraded to become a sort-of South Vietnam White House. The rooms are frozen in history from the day when the North Vietnamese army stormed the building to take over control. All of the rooms are in typical palacial-style with ostentatious decor. Basically, the furnishings we’re post-modern before it was cool.
It was a continued history lesson to learn more about the US support for the unpopular South Vietnam president and the eventual evacuation of Americans from the building by helicopter.
Feeling fatigued by the heat and humidity, it was a welcome relief to head back to the hotel where we had a chance to soak in the rooftop pool.
-viren
The Travelling Tandoori Twins (and their parents) 